Strategic Communications Specialist – SOARC (CD&I)

IQ Sig, LLC; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health

Dental

Vision

401k match

Gym discounts

Volunteer PTO

Generous PTO

Job summary

IQ Sig, LLC seeks a Strategic Communications Specialist for the SOARC (CD&I) program to support DoW priorities. The role focuses on senior-level writing, planning, and stakeholder engagement to translate complex concepts into clear narratives.

You will coordinate cross-agency messaging, advise leaders on risks, and help plan high-visibility events. A TS clearance and 6+ years of related experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship and an active TS clearance with SCI eligibility.
• Minimum of 6+ years relevant work experience.
• Minimum of 3+ years in strategic communications, public affairs or related fields.
• Undergraduate degree; direct operational experience may substitute.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication for senior leaders.
• Experience creating visual communications, including briefing decks and data visuals.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear messaging.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical expert for communications activities.
• Develop and implement strategic communication plans, themes, and messages.
• Draft, edit, and coordinate high-quality communication products.
• Create talking points, speeches, scripts, leader messages, and remarks.
• Translate policy, operational, and technical information into clear products.
• Advise senior leaders on messaging and reputational risks.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to ensure accurate, timely, and synchronized products.
• Support planning of senior leader engagements and events.
• Conduct communications research and environmental scanning.
• Maintain calendars, trackers, and status reports for leadership decisions.
• Ensure compliance with DoW policies and records-management requirements.
• Perform other strategic communications duties as assigned.

Skills

Writing

Editing

Verbal communication

Strategic communications

Public affairs

Stakeholder engagement

Infographics

Executive-level messaging

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

PowerPoint

Job description

Strategic Communications Specialist – SOARC (CD&I)

About the role

This position is in the Secretariat for Special Operations (SSO), Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASW(SO/LIC)). The ASW(SO/LIC) serves as the principal civilian advisor and assistant to the Secretary of War and has statutory responsibility for overseeing special operations-peculiar administrative matters pertaining to the readiness and organization of special operations forces (SOF), resources and equipment, and civilian personnel.

Specialist will support strategic communications, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement activities in support of Department of War (DoW) priorities. They will serve as a senior communications advisor and principal writer, developing clear, accurate, and audience-appropriate communications products for senior civilian leaders.

Specialist will plan, coordinate, and execute communication efforts that explain organizational priorities, initiatives, capabilities, and outcomes to internal and external stakeholders. The position requires sound judgment, exceptional writing and editing ability, and the ability to translate complex policy, operational, technical, and programmatic information into concise, compelling narratives.

Specialist will work across the organization to synchronize messaging, anticipate communication requirements, and ensure products are aligned with leadership intent and applicable DoW public affairs policies and processes.

Assignment focus: For this SOARC (CD&I)-focused assignment, experience communicating defense acquisition initiatives, capability development, modernization efforts, and emerging technologies is particularly valuable. The ideal candidate can partner with technical subject-matter experts and turn complex program information into clear, credible messaging for senior leaders and other stakeholders.

What you'll do

• Serve as a technical expert for communications-related activities.
• Develop and implement strategic communication plans, themes, messages, and engagement approaches supporting organizational priorities and senior-leader objectives.
• Draft, edit, and coordinate high-quality communication products, including:

Talking points, speeches, scripts, leader messages, and remarks

• Briefing materials, fact sheets, and slide decks
• Press releases, articles, and press-packet materials.
• Translate complex policy, operational, technical, acquisition, readiness, and resource information into clear products tailored to internal, interagency, congressional, industry, media, and public audiences, as appropriate.
• Create accessible narratives, executive-level talking points, and briefing products that explain acquisition priorities, capability development efforts, modernization milestones, and emerging technology initiatives.
• Advise senior leaders and staff on messaging, communication opportunities, reputational risks, and effective approaches for communicating sensitive or high-visibility initiatives.
• Coordinate with public affairs, legislative affairs, policy, legal, security, operational, and technical stakeholders to ensure communication products are accurate, timely, synchronized, and properly staffed.
• Partner with acquisition, capability development, research and engineering, and other technical subject-matter experts to communicate program objectives, progress, outcomes, and stakeholder impact accurately.
• Support the planning and execution of senior leader engagements, conferences, ceremonies, visits, and other events by developing agendas, read-a heads, background materials, talking points, and follow-up communications.
• Proactively conduct communications research and environmental scanning to identify emerging issues, stakeholder concerns, media narratives, and opportunities to proactively communicate organizational priorities.
• Maintain communication calendars, task trackers, product libraries, and status reports to support timely leadership decision-making and coordinated execution.
• Ensure communication activities comply with applicable DoW policies, release procedures, security requirements, and records-management requirements.
• Perform other strategic communications, public affairs, and executive-support duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen and possess an active TS clearance with the ability to obtain SCI.
• Minimum of 6+ years of relevant work experience
• Minimum of 3+ years in strategic communications, public affairs, public policy communications, journalism, corporate communications, or a related field.
• Undergraduate degree. Direct operational experience may be substituted for this academic requirement.
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, and verbal communication skills, with demonstrated ability to produce executive-level products for senior leaders.
• Experience developing visual communications products, including briefing decks, infographics, and data visualizations.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex information, identify key themes, and communicate recommendations clearly and concisely.

Desired Skills

• Experience supporting DoW, Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of War, Military Department, Combatant Command, or other federal-government strategic communications or public affairs activities.
• Experience developing strategic communications or public affairs materials for defense acquisition, capability development and integration (CD&I), research and engineering (R&E), modernization, or emerging technology programs is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with technical and programmatic topics such as capability gaps, requirements, technology transition, and acquisition milestones, with the ability to explain them to nontechnical and executive audiences.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in communications, public affairs, journalism, English, political science, public policy, marketing, or a related discipline is a plus.
• Training at the Defense Information School (DINFOS) is a plus.
• Experience advising and preparing senior executive leaders for media engagements, congressional engagements, public events, and stakeholder meetings.
• Familiarity with DoW public affairs processes, communication planning, media analysis, digital communications, and release-review procedures.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally, as required.

This position is benefits eligible.

Our suite of benefits includes

• Health
• Dental
• Vision
• 401k w/ match
• Gym Membership discounts
• Volunteer Paid Time Off
• a generous PTO package

We'd love to tell you more!

We believe great talent comes from many backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and make all employment decisions based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. We are committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination and harassment, consistent with all applicable laws.

Our team provides superior services, solutions and subject matter expertise to solve our customer's most challenging requirements in cyber, land, air, sea and space. We believe in empowering our employees to deliver exceptional results across our federal, state and private sector clients. We are values-led and mission driven. We can't wait to work with you!