Strategist

Strategist, West End Strategy Team

Washington, D.C.

Company Overview

West End Strategy Team is a premier, full-service strategic communications firm focused on expanding social justice, racial and gender equity and human rights. We partner with clients to drive meaningful change through strategic communications, including earned media strategy, messaging, digital strategy and crisis communications.

Through our work with clients, we’re promoting human and civil rights. We’re advocating for reproductive rights. We’re fighting against attacks on our democracy at home and around the world. We’re opposing book bans that threaten the right to education in communities across the country, and we’re pushing back against unconstitutional restrictions on voting access. We’re working on the cutting-edge issues of the moment as we partner with leading organizations working to make our world a better place.

We work closely with clients to define their goals, identify key audiences, and develop and implement customized communications strategies to achieve success. We manage media relations, lead trainings, develop messaging and content, mitigate risks and respond to crises, conceptualize and execute newsworthy events, and leverage media placements to reach key audiences.

We are a team of close to 15 passionate, engaged, talented colleagues who are committed to creating social change. Every day we drive meaningful change through our strategic communications work.

Position Overview

West End Strategy Team (WEST) is seeking communications professionals looking to take the next step in their career. Candidates will have three to five years of communications experience at an agency, non-profit, government, media organization, think tank/research organization or similarly fast-paced environment. The right candidate will have a basic understanding of the modern media landscape and an interest in using that experience to support meaningful work on a range of social issues.

The Strategist will work on teams to support various clients in meeting their strategic communications objectives. Responsibilities will include creating and updating project plans, research, drafting written content, developing and pitching stories to the press, and planning for and participating in client meetings, among others. The ideal candidate brings a background in strategic communications or public/media relations, is an active consumer of the news, an excellent project manager who can handle shifting and competing deadlines, and thrives supporting and solving problems for clients. This is an excellent opportunity for someone committed to impactful and meaningful communications work for causes they believe in.

Roles and Responsibilities

Project Management and Support (60%)

• Create, manage and update project plans/timelines for client deliverables.
• Draft internal-facing documents such as meeting agendas and notes to support client coordination.
• Monitor media and other relevant platforms for coverage of client issue area news and developments, and actively consume news relevant to the clients on which you are assigned.
• Conduct research on reporters, issue areas, and potential stories and angles, as well as vet media and other communications opportunities on behalf of clients.
• Manage media inquiries and interview requests.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of industry trends and make appropriate recommendations regarding strategies surrounding them.
• Scheduling as needed (internal, with clients, with the media).

Strategic Communications (40%)

• Work as a team member on assigned accounts.
• Contribute to the development of strategy and recommendations for traditional and digital media platforms in accordance with client objectives.
• Draft compelling written materials across formats including press releases, media advisories, pitch notes, op-eds, LTEs, talking points, and social media content.
• Create and implement media outreach strategies, including researching target media, building press lists, cultivating media relationships, and communicating directly with reporters.
• Support rapid response efforts, including proactive/reactive opportunity identification, drafting, cross-team coordination, and direct pitching.
• Follow and identify trends for potential opportunities to cultivate and maintain strong media relationships.
• Act as a liaison between clients and the media, pitching daily, under the supervision of account leads.
• Contribute to building campaigns using social media and paid media tactics in order to advance clients’ goals.
• Provide recommendations for social media engagement around media hits, including suggested hashtags, influencer mentions, or amplification partners.

Performs other duties or special projects as required or as assigned by a supervisor.

Key Competencies and Qualifications

The ideal candidate brings a track record of success in public relations, agency or issue advocacy work, with strong writing skills, media fluency, and project coordination experience. They are driven by mission, attentive to detail, and adept at working across teams to deliver high-quality communications materials and media placements. Prior experience managing rapid response communications, drafting client-ready products, and engaging with media contacts is essential.

To succeed in this job, you will excel in five areas:

Mission and values: You are motivated by creating change in the world through excellent and creative communications strategies. You are excited to work alongside peers to develop and deliver bold and effective communications strategies that drive support for our clients’ missions, raise the visibility of organizations, foundations, initiatives and campaigns, and ultimately create impact for clients you believe in.

Relationship Building: You develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with diverse groups of stakeholders. You are trustworthy and an effective collaborator who can successfully work with team members and clients to achieve results. You bring the right amount of self-awareness to those relationships to be able to both disagree and commit.

Project Management: You have a knack for managing projects, deliverables and deadlines. You set a high bar and meet it, because you think ahead to anticipate roadblocks and come up with creative solutions. You hold yourself and your colleagues accountable to superior work products and thrive handling multiple projects simultaneously in a high-volume, fast-paced environment. You keep your eye on both the big picture and the important details and involve stakeholders appropriately. You are comfortable with Microsoft and Google Suite tools and have familiarity using Cision, Meltwater or other media contact databases.

Communications and Public Relations: You understand the news and media landscape and culture and you have a track record of exceptional communications work. You develop sound strategy for your projects and are able to write clearly and compellingly to achieve your clients’ needs. You track industry trends, actively consume a variety of news sources, and have established relationships with media.

Proactive, resourceful and curious: You do not let obstacles slow you down and you can get up to speed on a topic quickly. You are curious, ask questions, and seek support when you need it. You are excited by challenges and you set up systems and routines to tackle them.