Associate, Crisis Communications

Weber Shandwick • New York, NY

12d • $52,000 - $60,000

About The Position

Weber Shandwick is more than a leading global PR agency – we’re an engagement agency and we’re working in and around the cutting edge of the new media landscape. We’re storytellers, content creators, and we engage people IN the story. Our success is built on a deep commitment to client service and to our people. We embrace creativity and collaboration, and we engage stakeholders in new and creative ways to build brands and reputations.
The Weber Shandwick New York office is seeking an Associate in New York to join its Global Crisis and Issues Practice. The Global Crisis and Issues team, part of the Weber Advisory group, helps leading organizations across the world both manage breaking negative issues and events affecting reputation and develop the internal culture and infrastructure needed to predict, prepare, and navigate them effectively.
From conspiracy theories, environmental incidents and multinational bankruptcies to executive controversies and sweeping product recalls to high-profile litigation and fake news, we live at the front lines of media, culture, and conversation. Whether it is a program affecting internal stakeholders or an external effort to protect or defend an organization’s reputation, we work together with colleagues from around the country and globe daily, supplying crisis counsel to clients across industries and sectors, making deep curiosity a requisite for this position.
As an Associate, you will have the unique opportunity to help drive communications around these challenging and exciting projects. You will be a day-to-day leader among the team’s Associate-level staff, working directly with senior leadership to help drive research, develop materials, staff projects, scope work, manage vendors, track budget and balance multiple shifting priorities in real-time. The ideal candidate will have excellent writing skills and the ability to perform in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment. You will be intimately familiar with current events and news trends and be able to translate that knowledge into actionable insights for clients. This extends to social and digital communications: you must have true analytical fluency in this area. A strong academic record is necessary, and experience in issues management is a bonus – but candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Our team is a group of smart, analytical and hardworking people who care deeply about helping lead our clients through a crisis to make a positive impact on society. We are on the front lines of some of the biggest, most complex issues – and the nature of our work requires an ability and eagerness to juggle multiple responsibilities and work on multi-office client teams. You will have the opportunity to play a leading role in driving both ongoing client engagements and discrete projects.

Requirements

• Strong writing skills and meticulous attention to detail
• Strong understanding of social analytics
• Full analytical fluency in all social/digital platforms
• Crisis communications, issues management, and/or public affairs experience
• Sharp curiosity and an analytical mind
• Ability to provide strategic and actionable recommendations based on research
• Highly effective oral and written communication skills
• Familiarity with corporate financials
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and manage deadlines in a consistent manner
• Resourceful, effective problem solver
• Comfortable asking for help from and providing direction to team members
• Ability to take ownership, manage and see projects through from start to finish
• Proactive self-starter and a quick learner
• Strong work ethic
• 1-2 years of professional experience: in an agency/strategic consulting firm, political campaign or organization, law or similar setting
• BA or BS, preferably in Political Science, history, journalism, International Relations or similar fields -Knowledge of basic PR skills and client service
• Fluent in Microsoft Suite (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and proficiency in research, media and social monitoring platforms (e.g., Brandwatch, Sysomos, Cision, Muckrack, TV Eyes, Critical Mention, Lexis-Nexis)

Responsibilities

• Serves as key team member to support a range of complex, high-profile corporate issues /crisis communications situations (i.e., cybersecurity issues, product safety issues and recalls, natural disaster response, executive leadership changes, IPOs etc.)
• Supports development of press releases, crisis plans, media strategies, reactive media statements, talking points, FAQs, memos, crisis simulations and other deliverables as needed
• Supports monitoring and triaging of client issues
• Conducts pressing research on a wide range of issues, review and prepare executive summaries and/or analyses detailing clear and concise findings, distill complex and substantial amounts of information into concise summaries and insights; begin to propose strategic and actionable recommendations
• Provides input during development of projects based on insights and knowledge of client preferences
• Prepares for and takes part in client meetings, including accurately capturing notes, agenda action items, call recaps, updating trackers, timelines and status documents
• Serves as role model to team members, producing high quality work and continually updating manager on activity progress
• Actively builds own knowledge, contributes to inclusive team culture and consistently displays behaviors that support integration
• Participates in our A-Team's On-Duty rotational schedule covering evening and weekend hours, to handle critical client reports, ad-hoc research, and support emergent crises.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level