Senior Director, Strategic PR & Communications

Crux; Kansas City (MO); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Crux is seeking a Senior Director of Public Relations & Communications to lead the vision, strategy and evolution of the practice. This player/coach role combines leadership with hands-on involvement across high‑stakes client situations and cross‑team collaboration.

You will empower teams, translate business goals into communications strategies, and provide senior counsel on reputation, executive messaging and media relations in a fast‑paced environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive PR and communications experience, including strategy and senior client relationships.
• Experience leading strategy, client relationships and teams; agency experience preferred.
• Proven track record in developing and overseeing PR and integrated communications strategies.
• Strong media relationships and history of securing local and national coverage.
• Exceptional writing, editing and presentation skills with AP style proficiency.
• Ability to advise senior leaders, manage priorities and navigate complex client situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall PR and communications function at Crux, establishing strategic direction and standards.
• Oversee strategies across the client portfolio, ensuring integrated work aligned to business goals.
• Serve as a senior strategic advisor on brand reputation, executive communications and thought leadership.
• Lead high‑level client conversations and escalate complex or high‑visibility needs.
• Partner with Channel Strategy, Paid Media, Email, Creative to support the marketing ecosystem.

Skills

Strategic communications

Media relations

Crisis communications

Team leadership

Client management

Writing and editing

Presentation skills

Advisory capabilities

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, journalism, marketing or related field

Tools

Media monitoring

Social listening

Performance measurement

Job description

Description

Location: Kansas City, MO

Department: Channel

Reports To: COO

Position Type: Full-Time

So, what is Crux? It’s the nitty gritty, the heart of the matter. We know the traditional agency model isn’t a fit for everyone, so we take a different approach. Think of us as the “un-agency.”

When you join Crux, you become part of an entrepreneurial team committed to elevating brands and amplifying missions. We’re trusting, accountable, unrelenting, and driven to help each other and our clients succeed.

The Senior Director of Public Relations & Communications leads the vision, strategy and continued evolution of Crux’s public relations and communications practice. This role serves as the senior communications advisor across the organization, ensuring our work is strategically strong, integrated across channels and directly connected to our clients’ business goals.

This is a player/coach role, but one weighted toward leadership and strategic oversight. The right person knows when to empower the team to lead and when a client situation, business opportunity or complex communications challenge requires senior-level involvement.

Who You Are:

You are someone who:

• Models TEAM CRUX values and leads with maturity, sound judgment and humility.
• Thinks strategically and can translate business and marketing goals into effective communications strategies.
• Is a confident advisor with exceptional written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Thrives in a fast-moving environment and can effectively prioritize across clients, projects and competing needs.
• Builds strong relationships and collaborates effectively across teams and disciplines.
• Enjoys developing others while knowing when to empower the team and when to step in.
• Is proactive, curious and willing to roll up your sleeves when the situation calls for it.

What You Will Do:

Practice & Strategic Leadership

• Lead the overall PR and communications function at Crux, establishing strategic direction, standards, best practices and expectations for quality.
• Oversee communications strategies across the client portfolio, ensuring work is integrated, effective and connected to measurable business goals.
• Serve as a senior strategic advisor to clients on brand reputation, positioning, executive communications, thought leadership, media relations and integrated communications.
• Lead high-level client conversations and serve as an escalation point for complex, sensitive or high-visibility communications needs.
• Partner across Channel Strategy, Paid Media, Email, Creative and other disciplines to ensure communications strategies support the broader marketing ecosystem.

Media Relations, Reputation & Crisis Communications

• Provide strategic direction for local, regional and national media relations, including story development, thought leadership and executive visibility.
• Maintain and continue building meaningful relationships with journalists, editors, producers, influencers and other key media contacts.
• Provide senior oversight for media training, executive communications and other high-visibility messaging.
• Lead crisis and reputation communications strategy, providing clear and confident counsel during fast-moving or high-stakes situations.
• Ensure clients have appropriate messaging frameworks, response plans and communications protocols in place when needed.

Team & Practice Development

• Lead, mentor and develop the PR and communications team, setting clear expectations and creating opportunities for continued growth.
• Delegate effectively while maintaining accountability for the strategic quality and outcomes of the team’s work.
• Identify capabilities, resource needs, processes and tools that strengthen the function as Crux grows.
• Foster collaboration across PR, content, lifecycle communications and Crux’s broader channel teams.
• Stay ahead of changes in the media and communications landscape and identify emerging tools, technologies and approaches that can improve client outcomes.

Performance & Practice Growth

• Establish meaningful KPIs and measurement approaches that connect communications efforts to client business goals and use insights to continually strengthen strategy.
• Identify opportunities to expand PR and communications services within existing client relationships and prospective new business.
• Partner with client leadership and business development teams to scope opportunities and contribute communications expertise to pitches and proposals.
• Help define and evolve Crux’s PR and communications offerings based on client needs, industry trends and opportunities in the marketplace.

Requirements

What You Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, journalism, marketing or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive PR and communications experience, including significant experience leading strategy, senior client relationships and teams; agency experience strongly preferred.
• Proven track record developing and overseeing successful PR and integrated communications strategies, including executive, reputation and crisis communications.
• Strong understanding of the evolving media landscape with established media relationships and demonstrated success securing meaningful local and national coverage.
• Exceptional writing, editing and presentation skills, with a strong command of AP style.
• Experience with media monitoring, social listening and performance measurement, with the ability to translate results into strategic recommendations.
• Strong professional judgment and the ability to advise senior leaders, manage competing priorities and navigate complex client situations.
• A proactive, adaptable and collaborative leadership style with a genuine desire to coach and develop others.