Director, External Communications

Clark Construction Group; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/dental/vision benefits

Paid time off

Retirement/401k

Life insurance

Commuter benefit

Disability insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Clark Construction Group is seeking a senior communications leader to drive public relations and external marketing strategy. You will shape project storytelling, manage day-to-day media relations, and lead complex issues management across digital channels and industry platforms.

The role requires strategic yet hands-on leadership, strong writing skills, and comfort working across teams. Base salary reflects high compensation with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in external communications, media relations, public affairs, or a related field.
• Strong writing and editing skills, including drafting statements, talking points, and media responses.
• Ability to translate complex business, technical, and project information into clear, compelling messages.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day media relations, including reporter engagement and message development.
• Issue management in coordination with legal, operations, and senior leadership.
• Support high-profile, sensitive projects with clear communications and risk mitigation.
• Draft external materials: press materials, statements, talking points, website copy, social content, and narratives.
• Drive distribution strategy using SEO, platform analytics, and AI-assisted results.
• Plan Clark’s external marketing across websites, social channels, and industry platforms.
• Build narratives linking company priorities to external audiences and opportunities.
• Prepare leaders for media interviews and external speaking engagements.
• Manage relationships with reporters, editors, and trade publications.
• Provide market insights to inform communications and engagement.

Skills

Media relations

Strategic storytelling

Content creation

SEO & analytics

Public relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field

Tools

Media monitoring tools

SEO tools

Analytics platforms

Job description

This role acts as a driving force behind both protecting and promoting our brand. On the PR side, you will manage day-to-day media relations and support complex issues management. On the External Marketing side, you will shape Clark’s external presence through highly creative project storytelling, digital channels, industry forums, and targeted marketing campaigns.Your overall goal is to protect and enhance our brand, leveraging creative visual, written, and technical marketing savvy to get the right messages in front of the right audiences. This includes mastering and optimizing modern distribution channels—such as web, earned media, paid media, SEO, and LLM results—to maximize reach, engagement, and impact. This is a hands-on role for someone who can think strategically and creatively, write clearly, work seamlessly across teams, and move quickly when needed.ResponsibilitiesWe value candidates who are aligned with our values, highly motivated, collaborative, thoughtful, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. Responsibilities include:Public Relations & Brand ProtectionMedia Relations: Lead day-to-day media relations, including reporter engagement, media monitoring, response planning, briefing materials, and message development.Issues Management: Support sensitive communications matters in close coordination with legal, operations, senior leadership, and outside advisors.Complex Communications: Support and guide communications for high-profile, sensitive, or highly complex projects.Discretion: Maintain confidentiality and sound judgment when working with sensitive business, client, project, or personnel information.Storytelling & DistributionCreative Content Generation: Draft and edit compelling external materials, including press materials, statements, talking points, website copy, social content, and project narratives, continually pushing for innovative ways to tell Clark's story.Technical Distribution Strategy: Drive the tactical distribution of content by applying a deep technical understanding of digital algorithms, SEO, LLM search behaviors, and platform analytics to ensure maximum visibility.Marketing Strategy: Plan and manage Clark’s external marketing strategy across websites, media, social media, advertising, industry platforms, and other public-facing channels, utilizing data and creative insights to continually optimize campaign performance.Narrative Building: Serve as a connector between Clark’s business and external audiences, translating company priorities, project milestones, and market activity into highly creative communications opportunities.Strategic Leadership & Industry EngagementStrategic Planning: Develop external communications and marketing plans that support Clark’s business priorities, reputation, and brand visibility.Executive Support: Prepare senior leaders and subject matter experts for media interviews, speaking engagements, panels, and other external opportunities.Relationship Management: Build and maintain relationships with reporters, editors, industry publications, trade associations, and other external stakeholders.Market Insights: Bring relevant media, industry, client, and market insights back into the business to inform communications planning and external engagement.Agency Management: Work with agency partners and outside advisors, as needed, on media relations, reputation management, digital strategy, and project-specific communications.Team Leadership & Content OwnershipTeam Leadership: Lead and mentor a content creation team to ensure great story telling, consistent brand voice, and quality across all platforms.Channel Ownership: Take ownership of the organization's website and social media channels, overseeing the strategy, content updates, and performance analytics to drive engagement.Basic QualificationsBachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, public affairs, English, or a related field.10+ years of experience in external communications, media relations, public affairs, corporate communications, or a related field.Strong writing and editing skills, including experience drafting statements, talking points, media responses, briefing materials, and other public-facing materials.Demonstrated creative thinking and technical proficiency in modern content distribution (e.g., SEO, digital analytics, platform algorithms, and emerging tech).Experience working directly with reporters and managing media inquiries.Ability to turn complex business, technical, and project information into clear, compelling, and creative messages for external audiences.Strong judgment, discretion, attention to detail, and ability to maintain confidentiality.Comfortable in a hands-on role that requires both strategy and execution.Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.Alignment to Clark’s Standards of Excellence: Self-Motivated, Results Oriented, Adaptable, Team Player, Accountable, Ethical, Innovative, Resilient, Builds People / Teams and Followership, Sets Direction and Executes.Preferred QualificationsExperience in construction, infrastructure, real estate, professional services, government contracting, B2B, or another complex project-based industry.Experience with digital communications, social media strategy, website content, brand storytelling, integrated communications campaigns, and data-driven marketing.Experience working with agency partners or outside communications advisors.Familiarity with industry associations, conferences, trade media, or business/community stakeholder engagementThe work environment and requirements described below are representative of those necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this role.The Physical Side of the Role: Given that a good portion of your day will be spent at a desk, you should be comfortable with prolonged periods of focused work, whether it's collaborating with colleagues, analyzing data, or developing strategies. The role demands effective communication and sharp visual acuity for reviewing complex documents and performing detailed computer work. While there are times for quiet concentration, you'll also be expected to move actively throughout the office and travel occasionally to various locations, including dynamic construction sites, utilizing different modes of transportation. The ability to lift and move objects up to 10 pounds regularly, and up to 25 pounds on occasion (think a box of files or small office equipment), is also required.Your Work Environment: Your primary workspace will be in our professional office, which has a typical, quiet-to-moderate noise and light levels. As part of your work, you may also be required to visit active construction sites. These environments are naturally more dynamic and can include exposure to outdoor weather conditions, louder noise, and moving equipment. Your safety is our top priority, and you'll be expected to follow Clark Construction's safety policies and procedures, and all applicable laws, at all locations.Our High-Performing Culture: This is a demanding, high-performance environment. We are looking for candidates who are energized by challenge, thrive under pressure, and are prepared to do what it takes to achieve exceptional results. Success in this role requires significant commitment, including flexibility to work extended hours, especially during critical project phases or client deadlines. Beyond regular working hours, there will be occasions where business needs require your attention, particularly for time-sensitive matters or emergencies. You are expected to monitor and respond to communications (phone calls, emails, text messages) as required to address these situations effectively. Your ability to manage these expectations and be responsive when critical issues arise is key to your success in this role and our collective success as a team.A Drug Free Workplace: Clark promotes a drug free workplace. A pre-employment drug “fitness for duty” screening is required, and the company conducts random quarterly drug “fitness for duty” tests.Clark offers a total compensation package that includes base salary, bonus potential, and a comprehensive benefits package including health/dental/vision benefits, paid time off, retirement/401k, and Company Contribution plan. Additional benefits include life insurance, commuter benefit, short & long term disability, fitness reimbursement, FSA, tuition reimbursement, back-up daycare, tutoring & family support benefits, EAP/Work-Life assistance, and a holiday contribution program. For this role the base salary range is $140,000 - $200,000. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. Base pay is one part of the Total Compensation Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work. https://www.clarkconstruction.com/careers/clark-experience