Senior Communications Strategist - PROSCI Change Management - DC/MD/VA Area Only

The Crux Firm is a veteran-owned professional services firm providing strategic communications, outreach, multimedia production, digital engagement, and program support to government and commercial clients.

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Communications Strategist to lead the development and execution of strategic communications initiatives for complex programs and diverse stakeholder audiences.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and exceptional communicator who can conduct audience research, develop compelling messaging, advise senior leaders, build communications strategies, and translate complex information into clear, effective communications., The Senior Communications Strategist will lead strategic communications planning and execution across multiple audiences and communication channels.

This role requires both strategic and hands-on capabilities. The successful candidate will be comfortable developing a communications strategy at the leadership level while also working closely with writers, designers, digital specialists, outreach professionals, UX professionals, and multimedia teams to bring that strategy to life., * Develop and execute comprehensive strategic communications plans for complex programs and initiatives.

• Conduct audience and stakeholder research to understand needs, behaviors, motivations, barriers, and communication preferences.
• Develop audience personas, journey maps, user stories, stakeholder profiles, and other research-informed tools.
• Create messaging frameworks, communication pillars, key messages, talking points, and audience-specific communications.
• Advise senior leaders and program stakeholders on communications strategy, messaging, stakeholder engagement, and communications risks.
• Develop communications strategies that support organizational change, program awareness, adoption, and sustained engagement.
• Identify and recommend appropriate communication channels, tactics, sequencing, and engagement strategies.
• Develop and support stakeholder-engagement strategies involving internal and external audiences.
• Translate complex technical, operational, or policy information into clear, accessible, audience-appropriate communications.
• Provide strategic direction for written content, digital communications, email campaigns, presentations, graphics, videos, and other communications products.
• Collaborate closely with project managers, writers, designers, UX professionals, digital specialists, outreach personnel, and multimedia producers.
• Review communications products to ensure consistency with approved strategies, messaging, branding, and audience objectives.
• Support executive communications, including briefing materials, talking points, presentations, and leadership communications.
• Develop communications campaigns and outreach initiatives designed to increase awareness, understanding, engagement, or adoption.
• Use qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate communications effectiveness.
• Establish and monitor communications performance measures and recommend adjustments based on results.
• Facilitate stakeholder interviews, workshops, focus groups, working sessions, and communications-planning meetings.
• Monitor emerging stakeholder needs and recommend opportunities to improve communications.
• Ensure communications products are written in plain language and are accessible to intended audiences.
• Support compliance with applicable accessibility, quality, and communications standards.
• Provide strategic guidance and mentorship to communications team members.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• At least 7 years of experience developing and executing strategic communications strategies for federal programs, agencies, or other complex organizations.
• Demonstrated experience developing communications strategies for multiple stakeholder and audience groups.
• Strong experience with audience research, stakeholder engagement, messaging development, and communications planning.
• Demonstrated ability to advise senior leaders and communicate effectively with executive-level stakeholders.
• Excellent writing, editing, presentation, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience translating complex information into clear, concise, audience-focused communications.
• Experience developing communications plans across multiple channels and platforms.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong understanding of strategic communications principles, audience segmentation, and campaign planning., * Experience supporting federal agencies or government programs.
• Experience with organizational change management and formal change-management methodologies, such as Prosci.
• Prosci certification is highly desirable but not required.
• Experience developing personas, journey maps, user stories, surveys, interviews, focus groups, or other audience-research tools.
• Experience with government-to-business, government-to-government, or public-sector stakeholder communications.
• Experience with executive communications and senior-leader advisory support.
• Experience developing or overseeing email, digital, social media, web, video, or multimedia communications campaigns.
• Experience using communications analytics and performance data to optimize campaigns.
• Familiarity with Section 508 accessibility and federal plain-language requirements.
• Experience working with creative and multimedia teams.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will be able to take a complex program or initiative and answer three critical questions:

Who are we trying to reach? What do they need to understand or do? And what is the most effective way to reach them?

You will bring strategic discipline to communications efforts while remaining close enough to execution to ensure that the final products actually achieve the intended objectives.

You should be comfortable challenging assumptions, asking thoughtful questions, advising senior stakeholders, and turning research and insights into practical communications strategies.

Work Environment

This is primarily a remote position. Occasional travel or in-person meetings may be required based on client and business needs.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of applicable background and suitability requirements., * Do you have at least 7 years of professional experience developing and executing strategic communications strategies for federal agencies, federal programs, or other government clients?

• Do you hold a Prosci Change Management Certification and have experience applying the Prosci ADKAR® methodology in your professional work?
• What city and state do you reside in?
• Are you able to work full-time in this remote position and, when required, report in person to the Washington, DC/ Maryland offices?

Education:

• Bachelor’s (Preferred)

Pulled from the full job description

• Paid time off
• Flexible schedule, * Flexible schedule
• Paid time off