Press/Communications Lead

Manhattan Strategy Group; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Manhattan Strategy Group is seeking a Press/Communications Lead to support USTDA through event management, logistics, outreach, and related activities. The role involves planning and implementing partnership-building activities, including reverse trade missions, conferences, forums, and trainings, with complex coordination across venues, vendors, and international participants.

The position requires at least five years of strategic communications or press engagement experience, with proven

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in strategic communications, media relations, public affairs or press engagement.
• Experience developing communications strategies for government or high-profile activities.
• Experience drafting press materials, coordinating press credentialing and on-site press logistics.
• Ability to coordinate with government communications teams, officials, and event organizers.
• Experience managing sensitive or high-visibility communications in international settings may be required.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and execute partnerships and events (RTMs, conferences, forums, trainings).
• Manage venue and vendor coordination, travel logistics, and on-site support for delegations and government participants.
• Develop agendas, itineraries, and event materials; oversee interpretation and translation services.
• Lead outreach, recruitment, and registration for event participants and speakers.
• Monitor and report on event outcomes, data, and post-event closeout activities.

Skills

Strategic communications

Media relations

Public affairs

Press engagement

Press credentialing

Event coordination

Stakeholder coordination

International outreach

Job description

Description

The Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG) is seeking a Press/Communications Lead to support the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) with event management, logistics, outreach and related activities. USTDA requires support to plan, organize, and implement partnership building activities that support the Agency's mission, including reverse trade missions (RTMs), conferences, forums, workshops, trainings, and other events.

A full range of services necessary to successfully execute these activities includes, but is not limited to, event planning and project management; venue and vendor coordination; domestic and international travel and logistics; support for high-level foreign delegations and U.S. Government participants; participant recruitment, outreach, and registration; development of agendas, itineraries, and event materials; interpretation and translation; audiovisual and virtual event support; transportation, lodging, and other on-site logistics; and post-event monitoring, evaluation, data analysis, reporting, and closeout activities.

MSG specializes in delivering innovative solutions in program management, logistics, training and technical assistance, research and evaluation, marketing and communications, and technology and digital services to a range of federal, state and local clients.

Required Qualifications

• At least five (5) years of experience in strategic communications, media relations, public relations, public affairs, or press engagement.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing communications strategies for government, international business, infrastructure, trade, or similar high-profile activities.
• Experience may include drafting press releases, media advisories, talking points, briefing materials, key messages, social media content, and other communications products; coordinating press credentialing and media representatives; supporting press conferences, media availabilities, interviews, and other press engagements; and managing on-site press logistics.
• Capable of coordinating closely with government communications teams, senior officials, event organizers, speakers, photographers, videographers, and media representatives.
• Experience managing sensitive or high-visibility communications in an international setting may be required depending on the applicable Task Order.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge of international trade, including industry and sector expertise, trade capacity building, and U.S. commercial opportunities, with the ability to identify appropriate foreign delegates, U.S. businesses, technical experts, site visits, speakers, and business briefing participants that will most effectively accomplish USTDA's objectives for a particular RTM, Conference, Forum, Training, or similar event;
• Expertise in planning, organizing, and executing RTMs, Conferences, Forums, Trainings, and other events in the United States and overseas, including in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats, and the demonstrated capacity to successfully manage multiple events and Task Orders concurrently across different countries, cities, time zones, and sectors;
• Expertise in identifying, vetting, and coordinating with appropriate technical and industry experts who can support the planning, development, and execution of sector-specific events and ensure that event programming is technically relevant and responsive to USTDA's objectives;
• Expertise in identifying, recruiting, and securing appropriate speakers, moderators, U.S. companies, government representatives, and other stakeholders for events related to U.S. commercial opportunities in USTDA target markets;
• Expertise in domestic and international travel planning and implementation, including the coordination of complex, multi-country and multi-city itineraries, air and ground transportation, lodging, visas and other travel documentation, and travel-related changes or disruptions;
• Expertise in coordinating interpretation and translation services, including assessing language requirements, securing qualified interpreters and translators, coordinating simultaneous and consecutive interpretation, and managing translated event materials and supporting documentation;
• Demonstrated ability to provide excellent customer service and responsive support to USTDA personnel, foreign delegates, U.S. Government officials, U.S. companies, speakers, vendors, and other event participants, including the ability to professionally address changing requirements and time-sensitive issues;
• Expertise in venue sourcing, vendor management, event logistics, audiovisual production, registration, transportation, catering, and other operational requirements necessary to execute professional and well-managed events;
• Expertise in marketing and conducting targeted outreach for events, including the use of websites, email campaigns, social media, and other communications tools to recruit appropriate participants, publicize events in advance, and disseminate information during and following an event;
• Expertise in diplomatic protocol and the professional management of foreign delegations, senior government officials, and other high-level participants in the United States and overseas;
• Demonstrated ability to manage event schedules, budgets, vendors, deliverables, and competing priorities while maintaining attention to detail, quality control, and compliance with applicable Task Order and USTDA requirements; and
• Expertise in monitoring, capturing, and documenting the activities and outcomes of international trade events, with particular attention to results that support USTDA's mission, facilitate commercial engagement, and contribute to increased USTDA's exports and other Agency objectives.

EEO Statement: Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our hiring decisions are based solely on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and competitive selection process.