Communications Manager (Future Opportunity)

ICF Next; Reston (VA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ICF Next is seeking a Communications Manager to lead and spearhead communications efforts for federal clients, covering technology, health, and other key accounts. You will manage communications workstreams, translate goals into practical plans, and oversee content across web, email, and events, while coordinating diverse teams and ensuring quality, schedule, and budget adherence.

Join a mission-driven community of creatives, strategists, and technologists, and help drive change for clients and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, marketing, journalism, English, or a related field or equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of communications experience, including at least two years managing complex projects, client relationships, or multidisciplinary workstreams.
• Experience developing and implementing communications strategies and producing or overseeing content for multiple channels and audiences.
• Experience managing client relationships and balancing priorities, deadlines, budgets, and dependencies across concurrent assignments.

Responsibilities

• Manage communications workstreams for clients with complex missions and diverse audiences across channels.
• Serve as primary day-to-day contact for clients, building trusted relationships and providing practical counsel.
• Translate client goals and audience needs into practical communication plans, messages, and activities.
• Oversee development of content across web, email, social media, presentations, reports, and event materials.
• Develop actionable workplans, budgets, staffing, and quality-control processes; identify risks and keep delivery on track.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams including strategists, writers, designers, researchers, and subject matter experts.
• Review deliverables for strategic alignment, accuracy, and plain language for client review.
• Facilitate client and internal sessions, synthesize input, and turn discussion into next steps.
• Use performance data and feedback to improve outcomes and strengthen communications impact.
• Coach and mentor team members and support a collaborative, accountable culture.
• Coordinate with leadership on staffing, project performance, and client satisfaction.

Skills

Strong strategic judgment

Strong writing

Audience understanding

Interpersonal communication

Project leadership

Microsoft 365

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications or related field

Tools

Microsoft 365

Content management platforms

Job description

ICF Next,we are fearless in finding new ways to solve problems, relentless in making sure it pays off for our clients and committed to making a positive change in the world. Here’s your chance to join our award-winning agency, ICF Next. We’re changemakers, a community of mission driven creatives, communicators, strategists, and technologists. We’re searching for our next Communications Manager who can take charge and spearhead our communications efforts with our federal clients, including technology, health, and other key accounts.

You’ll make a real impact working directly with our clients to address and solve their key issues, drive change, and grow our business.

The Work

In this role, you will manage communications workstreams for clients with complex missions and diverse audiences. The work may include communications strategy, campaigns, stakeholder engagement, internal and executive communications, change communications, digital content, events, training, and public outreach. You will serve as a trusted day-to-day client partner, translate goals into practical plans, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and maintain accountability for quality, schedule, scope, and budget. You will also remain close to the work by shaping strategies, reviewing content, facilitating decisions, and helping teams solve problems.

• Manage the planning and delivery of communications projects and workstreams from kickoff through completion.
• Serve as a primary day-to-day contact for clients, building trusted relationships and providing clear, practical counsel.
• Translate client goals, audience needs, and research into practical communications strategies, plans, messages, and activities.
• Support a broad mix of communications needs, including internal and external communications, executive communications, change communications, stakeholder engagement, public awareness, digital content, events, training, and outreach.
• Oversee the development of content and materials across channels, including web, email, social media, presentations, reports, toolkits, talking points, and event or training materials.
• Develop actionable workplans, schedules, staffing approaches, budgets, and quality-control processes; identify risks early and keep delivery on track.
• Direct and coordinate multidisciplinary teams that may include strategists, writers, designers, researchers, digital specialists, trainers, event staff, subject matter experts, and partners.
• Review deliverables for strategic alignment, accuracy, clarity, plain language, accessibility, and readiness for client review.
• Facilitate client and internal working sessions, synthesize complex input, clarify decisions, and turn discussion into next steps.
• Use performance data, stakeholder feedback, and lessons learned to recommend improvements and strengthen communications outcomes.
• Coach and mentor team members, delegate effectively, provide timely feedback, and support a collaborative, accountable team culture.
• Coordinate with ICF leadership on staffing, project performance, client satisfaction, and resolution of delivery issues.
• Support proposals, presentations, and follow-on work by contributing communications expertise and practical delivery insight.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, marketing, journalism, English, or a related field or equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of communications experience, including at least two years managing complex projects, client relationships, or multidisciplinary workstreams.
• Experience developing and implementing communications strategies and producing or overseeing content for multiple channels and audiences.
• Experience managing client relationships and balancing priorities, deadlines, budgets, and dependencies across concurrent assignments.

Professional Skills

• Strong strategic judgment with the ability to connect communications recommendations to client goals, audience needs, and measurable outcomes.
• Excellent writing, editing, presentation, facilitation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to synthesize complex or technical information and make it clear, relevant, and actionable for different audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, set direction, make decisions, and maintain momentum in a fast-paced environment.
• Sound project and financial management skills, including scope, schedule, staffing, risk, quality, and budget oversight.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and comfort learning client-specific collaboration, workflow, and content-management platforms.

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Experience supporting federal, state, or local government communications programs or other complex organizations.
• Experience applying audience research, communications measurement, and performance data to improve strategy and execution.
• Project Management Professional certification or comparable project-management training.

Job Location and Client Requirements

This is a U.S.-based role. The work arrangement may be remote, hybrid, or client-site based depending on program needs. Some assignments may require occasional travel or the ability to meet client-specific suitability, citizenship, or security requirements. Any such requirements will be identified for the applicable assignment.

Working at ICF

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we’re not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read ourEEO policy.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but