Overview
The Senior Strategist builds internal communications programs to inform, engage and inspire employees in client organizations. The successful candidate is an experienced internal communications professional, skilled in conducting research and internal communications audits, deriving valuable insights, making recommendations and setting strategies that help clients achieve their enterprise business goals. The Senior Strategist is someone who is obsessed with helping our clients build their culture and is passionate about creating memorable experiences for their employees. This is an experienced pro who is a natural at partnering with client leaders and other stakeholders to develop and execute strategic communications efforts involving change initiatives, employee engagement, culture transformation, leadership vision and alignment, and employer branding and employee recruitment.
In this position, you will serve as a strategic consultant, building and maintaining strong business relationships with client leaders, collaborating with JPL subject-matter experts (SMEs) within cross-functional teams to ensure client work is on strategy and working with our analytics team to evaluate and optimize the performance of client programs. You will also play an integral role in growing JPL’s internal communications business, partnering with our business development team to pursue and win new business opportunities. This position requires a high level of professionalism and strong business acumen and reports to JPL’s Executive Vice President, Strategy and Integrated Communications.
Hybrid and Remote work options available for candidates that live in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Washington D.C.
Responsibilities
- Leads internal communications strategic engagements by collaborating closely with the client, conducting research, analyzing research results and forming insights, and developing and presenting strategic communications audit results and recommendations.
- Conducts or commissions research to inform internal communications strategy using both qualitative methods, such as focus groups and interviews, and quantitative methods, such as online surveys.
- Collects, organizes and analyzes internal communications trends and best practices, emphasizing the business value of a strategic, integrated approach.
- Writes research presentations, internal communications strategies, messaging platforms, as well as strategic and creative briefs, and verbally presents them to clients.
- Counsels client leaders on change initiatives, employee engagement programs, culture transformation, leadership vision and alignment, and employer branding and employee recruitment.
- Manages and executes work to a timeline and budget, ensuring milestones are met, execution is flawless and the work is profitable.
- Develops integrated communications programs focused on achieving the client’s business objectives. The Senior Strategist details the tactical elements of the program, leverages JPL SME’s for input, establishes clear metrics to measure program performance and develops a detailed tactical calendar and budget.
- Communicates the strategy and client’s expectations to the creative team, account manager and other JPL SMEs.
- Meets regularly with team members to receive progress updates, review and approve work, offer guidance and ensure creative and production efforts continue on strategy.
- Checks and approves creative work prior to client presentation.
- Tracks the performance of integrated programs and provides regular reports to clients offering insights, feedback and recommended program adjustments.
- Counsels client leaders on internal communications issues and opportunities by staying apprised of developments in the client’s business, marketing and industry trends, competitor activity, and cultural and social trends that impact target audience behavior.
- Proactively proposes new, strategically aligned projects and initiatives to clients. The Senior Strategist is always considering new ways to extend and sustain the client relationship and presenting ideas with a supporting business rationale.
- Serves as a contributing writer within JPL’s content marketing program.
- Pursues new business opportunities, partnering with our business development team to create and deliver capabilities presentations and assist in writing proposals and scopes of work.
Qualifications
- A minimum of five years of experience in a corporate environment, strategically planning and guiding the execution of strategic internal communications efforts involving change initiatives, employee engagement programs, culture transformation, leadership vision and alignment, and employer branding and employee recruitment.
- Experience working in a PR firm, communications company or advertising agency is preferred, but not required.
- A degree in business, communications, marketing or related area of study.
- Hands-on experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research with a proven ability to identify insights and use them to form strategic communications recommendations.
- Up-to-date knowledge of digital and mobile communications and analytics.
- Proven ability to inspire creative teams with clear, insightful, actionable strategies and supporting rationale, and the ability to translate strategic detail into focused creative briefs.
- Excellent client-facing skills; a communications style and work style that engages the client collaboratively and creates a positive client experience.
- Proven track record in client service; demonstrated success in providing clients with on-strategy work and managing projects to on-time, on-budget completion.
- Excellent business and sales writing skills; experience writing strategy documents, communications plans, messaging platforms and presentation talking points.
- Strong verbal presentation skills; experience presenting to senior-level decision makers with an ability to win confidence and their business.
- A successful track record of winning new business.
- High proficiency in using Powerpoint to create client deliverables and presentations; fluency in Microsoft Word, Excel and digital technologies.
- Strong organization and project management skills with the ability to set priorities and work on multiple projects simultaneously.
- Must be a self-starter, able to analyze and solve problems and work autonomously in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong negotiating and decision-making skills.
- Must work well in a team-oriented environment and in collaborating on assignments.
- Ability to be diplomatic, assertive, articulate, persuasive, flexible, confident, competitive and creative; an enthusiastic team player who demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail in producing quality work.