Director, Crisis Communications

Bully Pulpit International; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Paid parental leave (16 weeks)

Phone reimbursement

Unlimited sick time

Job summary

Bully Pulpit International is seeking a Director of Public Affairs to lead crisis communications and strategic campaigns for major clients. You will guide end-to-end client work, provide executive counsel, and drive media strategy in fast-moving environments.

You bring 8–10+ years in public affairs, strong AP style, proficiency with Cision/Meltwater, and a proven track record of delivering multi-client programs with clarity and impact.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years in public affairs, PR, or strategic comms
• Master of AP Style; ability to pivot between creative storytelling and analytical strategic reporting.
• Proficiency in media monitoring software (Cision, Meltwater) and social media marketing platforms.
• Proven track record of managing multi-client deliverables, leading cross-functional teams with independence, and drafting quality, successful proposals
• Ability to stay calm and provide real-time recommendations under high-pressure, tight-timeline scenarios
• Understanding and appreciation for the 24-7 modern communications landscape, and the work ethic and ethos that requires.
• Excellent writing and verbal presentation skills are baseline requirements for this position.

Responsibilities

• Account Leadership & Client Advice
• Strategic Client Leader: primary contact for corporate leaders and legal teams
• Campaign Strategy: create and run communications plans to handle active threats
• Collaborative Execution: coordinate with data, digital media, and creative teams
• Media Relations & Writing
• Rapid-Response Writing: draft press statements, Q&As, briefings under deadlines
• Direct Media Engagement: manage inquiries and push back on inaccuracies
• Strategic Media Relations: shape stories with journalists to protect client
• Team Management
• Project Oversight: ensure accuracy, security, and timely delivery
• Mentorship: coach junior staff
• Business Development
• Proposal Writing: draft client-ready proposals with media components
• Client Growth: build relationships and pitch crises preparedness

Skills

AP Style

Media monitoring software

Executive counsel

Crisis communications

Strategic storytelling

Project management

Fast-paced environments

High-pressure decision making

Tools

Cision

Meltwater

Job description

Bully Pulpit International is an outcomes agency made up of strategists, data scientists, and creatives. We come from politics, brands, non-profits, and government. Our 400-person team now spans six countries and thirteen offices — Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, D.C., London, Los Angeles, New York, Oslo, San Francisco, and Zürich. We apply our unique expertise across strategic communications, public affairs, research, and digital marketing to create sophisticated and customized strategies for both American and European clients.

• Starting Salary Range: $110,000 - $135,000
• Location: Expectation to work in-person from DC, New York or Chicago at least 3 days a week, and remotely the balance of the time

The Impact You Will Make

As Director, you will lead strategic efforts for clients navigating serious public challenges and reputational risks. You will lead client work from end to end—managing the immediate emergency response, guiding them through the peak of a crisis, and helping them rebuild their brand afterward. This role demands a combination of political acumen, discretion, creative problem-solving, and meticulous project management.

As a true "player-coach," you are equally comfortable advising executives on strategy as you are executing hands‑on deliverables. You excel in fast‑moving environments, possess a sharp ability to distill complex issues into compelling narratives, and bring an entrepreneurial, can‑do spirit to intense situations. You recognize that the modern news cycle never stops and possess the 24/7 agility required of a top‑tier communications professional.

The ideal candidate will have a blend of agency + in‑house or government experience. Previous agency experience is highly desired.

What Day to Day Looks Like for You at BPI:

• Account Leadership & Client Advice
• Strategic Client Leader: You will act as the primary point of contact for corporate leaders and legal teams, providing steady, clear counsel when the stakes are highest. You bring a reliable presence to high‑pressure situations and are fully adaptable to the 24/7 nature of crisis communications.
• Campaign Strategy: You will create and run communications plans to handle active threats, using a mix of news coverage, digital channels, and internal messaging to protect the client's reputation
• Collaborative Execution: You will coordinate with internal teams specializing in data, digital media, and creative design. This position expects you to have a proven track record of creating clear, polished client products (memos, strategy decks, and graphic reports) that keep executives informed and aligned
• Media Relations & Writing
• Rapid‑Response Writing: You will deploy versatile writing skills to draft high‑stakes materials under tight deadlines, quickly producing press statements, Q&As, and briefings as breaking news unfolds. Excellent writing skills are a baseline requirement of this position.
• Direct Media Engagement: You will manage incoming media inquiries and proactively ensure your client's side of the story is told accurately. This position assumes your background and experience includes routinely engaging reporters far beyond email (via phone, video, or in‑person), and you are entirely comfortable calling journalists to push back on inaccuracies
• Strategic Media Relations: You will shape stories directly with journalists to protect a client's brand or correct the record. Experience navigating the current media landscape, including negotiating off‑the‑record, background, and deep‑background terms, is a required skill for this position
• Team Management
• Project Oversight: You will manage internal teams across offices to make sure work is accurate, secure, and delivered on time. To excel in this position, you must be comfortable navigating tight deadlines and inspiring others to meet the demands of a 24‑7 communications environment.
• Mentorship: You will act as a manager and coach for junior staff, teaching them how to support clients and agency leadership during crisis communications situations.
• Business Development
• Proposal Writing: You will work with agency leadership to spot new business opportunities and draft client‑ready proposals that include media relations and strategic communications components. Previous experience drafting quality, successful proposals is highly desired for this position.
• Client Growth: You will build deeper relationships with existing clients by introducing crisis‑preparedness planning, and win over new clients by drafting and creating clear, pitch presentations

Requirements

• 8-10+ years in public affairs, PR, or strategic comms (agency + in‑house or political background preferred)
• Master of AP Style; ability to pivot between creative storytelling and analytical strategic reporting.
• Proficiency in media monitoring software (Cision, Meltwater) and social media marketing platforms.
• Proven track record of managing multi-client deliverables, leading cross‑functional teams with independence, and drafting quality, successful proposals
• Ability to stay calm and provide "real‑time" recommendations under high‑pressure, tight‑timeline scenarios
• Understanding and appreciation for the 24‑7 modern communications landscape, and the work ethic and ethos that requires.
• Excellent writing and verbal presentation skills are baseline requirements for this position.

Benefits

BPI offers a wide range of benefits to U.S.-based employees, including 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) program with employer match up to 4%, generous time off for vacation, $50 monthly phone reimbursement, unlimited sick time, and 16 weeks of paid leave for new parents. BPI's benefits prioritize employee wellness and progressive support to our diverse workforce.

We are an equal opportunity employer and make employment decisions based on individual commitment to excellence. We want to have the best qualified people in every job. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

BPI is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging - so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. We consider applications holistically and you may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Let's keep in touch. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter at bpigroup.com