Director, External Communications

cushingterrell; Boise (ID); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Cushing Terrell is seeking a Director of External Communications to lead the firm’s external messaging, media relations, and crisis communications. You will shape strategy, mentor a team, manage vendors, and align leadership around key announcements and brand voice across channels.

The role includes directing execution, shaping industry positioning, and partnering with internal teams to ensure a consistent voice while overseeing budget and performance metrics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in external communications, marketing, or a related field with team leadership.
• Ability to develop firm-wide external communications strategy and align leadership around messaging.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication; media representation experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead, hire, and develop the external communications team, setting staffing and mentoring members.
• Develop and own the firm's external communications strategy and secure leadership sign-off.
• Direct public relations and media relations, oversee vendors and agencies.
• Own executive and crisis communications, advising on major announcements and sensitive matters.
• Lead reputation and issues management; monitor external perception and trends.
• Prepare executives for interviews and media engagements through training.
• Shape industry positioning with rankings, awards, and speaking engagements; finalize brand voice.
• Manage external communications budget and report performance to leadership.

Skills

Team leadership

Public relations

Media relations

Crisis communications

Executive communications

Brand management

Mentoring

Budget management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field

Job description

Director, External Communications

Position Description

The Director, External Communications leads Cushing Terrell's external communications function and shapes how the firm tells its story to the outside world. This role sets strategy for public relations, media relations, executive communications, and crisis communications, and builds and leads the team that brings that strategy to life.

Day to day, the Director guides the team, approving strategic direction and high-visibility deliverables while delegating day-to-day creative and content decisions. The role manages the firm's public relations consultant, coaches executives and subject matter experts ahead of interviews and speaking engagements, and advises leadership on major announcements, organizational changes, and sensitive situations such as mergers and acquisitions.

The Director also shapes the firm's industry positioning through rankings, awards, and speaking engagements, and partners with the Internal Communications Manager and Vertical Market Marketing Managers so Cushing Terrell speaks with one consistent voice, internally and externally.

Position Salary Range*

The expected salary range for this position is $130,000 to $170,000 annually.

Required Qualifications**

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field
• 12+ years of experience in external communications, marketing, or a related field, including experience managing or leading a team, with strong mentoring and team development skills
• Proven ability to develop and lead a firm-wide external communications strategy and align cross-functional teams and firm leadership around shared messaging and goals
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to represent the firm with media and high-profile stakeholders
• Experience providing media training and communications coaching to executives or subject matter experts
• Sound judgment in crisis, reputation, and issues management, including strong command of brand voice and visual identity standards and the ability to make final brand decisions
• Budget planning, forecasting, and financial management experience, including managing vendor and agency relationships

Preferred Qualifications**

• Strategic understanding of industry positioning, including rankings, awards, and speaking engagement strategy
• Familiarity with digital marketing, content, social media strategy, and performance measurement

Position Responsibilities***

• Lead, hire, and develop the external communications team, setting staffing structure, mentoring team members, and delegating day-to-day creative and content decisions while approving strategic direction and high-visibility deliverables.
• Develop and own the firm's external communications strategy, building it with team input and securing leadership sign-off for firm-wide alignment.
• Direct public relations and media relations, including the firm's public relations consultant relationship and oversight of all vendors and agencies supporting external communications.
• Own executive communications, crisis communications, and messaging for high-level firm initiatives and sensitive situations such as mergers and acquisitions, and counsel leadership on the external implications of major announcements, organizational changes, and high-profile client or project matters.
• Lead proactive reputation and issues management by monitoring external perception and sentiment, industry trends, and emerging communications technologies, including AI-powered tools, and turning insights into implemented improvements.
• Prepare executives and subject matter experts for interviews, speaking engagements, and press interactions through media training and communications coaching.
• Shape the firm's industry positioning and thought leadership by setting strategy for rankings, awards, and speaking engagements, and serve as the final decision-maker on brand voice and visual identity across external channels.
• Manage the external communications budget and report on performance and spend to leadership, while partnering with the Internal Communications Manager and Vertical Market Marketing Managers to align messaging across service sectors and support business development.

Working at Cushing Terrell

Cushing Terrell is a multidisciplinary design firm with 17 offices and more than 500 team members who bring together their expertise to deliver holistic built environments. Leveraging our influence as designers, we work to create sustainable systems and spaces that help people live their best lives.

Why Cushing Terrell

At Cushing Terrell, we empower creative designers to discover imaginative, responsible, first-of-their-kind environments. But more than that, we support a strong, cohesive team, from our design professionals to our business operations staff. Together, we champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, placing people at the center of our practice, thus our tagline, 'design meets you.' Together, we find joy in uncovering imaginative solutions for the people who work here, the people we work for, and the planet as a whole. We offer a competitive benefits package, work opportunities in a variety of locations and markets, and a company culture that celebrates all the unique viewpoints and personalities that make up our talented team. View our Employee Benefits Guide: https://cushingterrell.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/CushingTerrell_BenefitsGuide_2026_rev.pdf

Things to Note

*Actual pay will be determined based on the candidate's years of experience, licensure status, location, level of proficiency, and other job-related factors (as permitted by law). This position is also eligible for an annual performance bonus.

**Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Cushing Terrell will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

***The majority of the time, a person in this role will be sitting in an office with limited physical requirements. This may require individuals to bend, stretch, twist, and reach.

Cushing Terrell is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Contact 406.248.7455 if you require assistance or accommodation during the employment application process.

Note to recruitment agencies: Cushing Terrell does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or agencies. Any resume submitted to any employee of Cushing Terrell without a prior written search agreement will be considered unsolicited and the property of Cushing Terrell.