Communications Specialist, Senior - Specialist III

IMPYRIAN•Washington, DC

10d•$115,000 - $128,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Communications Specialist will provide senior-level communications support across a complex federal client environment, with a primary focus on enterprise technology, IT operations, organizational change, and large-scale technology initiatives. As a member of a broader Communications & Outreach team, this role will support a high-volume portfolio of enterprise application rollouts, network and infrastructure initiatives, training communications, technology changes, and other organizational priorities. The Senior Communications Specialist will serve as a key communications partner to technical and program leadership, translating complex information into clear, audience-appropriate communications for employees and stakeholders. This position will also serve as a senior editorial and quality assurance resource for the broader Communications team. The role will review communications products for accuracy, clarity, consistency, accessibility, branding, and adherence to established communications standards, helping the Communications Team Lead focus on strategic direction, stakeholder engagement, and enterprise communications planning. The ideal candidate is a highly organized, proactive communications professional who can independently manage multiple concurrent initiatives, work comfortably with technical and executive stakeholders, and exercise sound editorial judgment in a fast-paced federal environment.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, English, or a related field.
7+ years of relevant professional communications experience.
4+ years of experience supporting federal contracts or working in a federal environment, preferably within a CIO, IT, enterprise technology, program management, or organizational communications environment.
Demonstrated experience supporting enterprise technology communications, IT implementations, application rollouts, infrastructure initiatives, or organizational change.
Demonstrated experience independently managing multiple communications initiatives and deadlines.
Experience reviewing and editing communications developed by other writers and subject matter experts.
Experience working directly with senior leaders, technical staff, project managers, and other stakeholders.
Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.
Strong editorial judgment and exceptional attention to detail.
Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, concise communications for non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated ability to independently manage communications activities from intake through final delivery.
Strong organizational and project management skills.
Ability to prioritize competing requirements in a high-volume environment.
Ability to provide constructive feedback and editorial guidance to other communications professionals.
Experience developing communications plans, messaging frameworks, editorial calendars, and communication schedules.
Experience with Microsoft Office, Teams, SharePoint, PowerPoint, and other digital communications tools.
Knowledge of accessibility requirements and best practices for digital and document communications.
Experience working within structured federal governance, review, and approval processes.

Nice To Haves

Experience with communications design tools such as Canva and/or Adobe Creative Cloud is preferred.
Experience supporting a federal CIO or technology organization.
Experience supporting enterprise application modernization or technology transformation.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary communications resource supporting enterprise technology and IT operations initiatives.
Develop and execute communications plans for enterprise application rollouts, system implementations, technology changes, network initiatives, and other IT activities.
Partner with technical teams, project managers, product owners, trainers, and leadership to understand technical changes and translate them into clear communications for non-technical audiences.
Develop communications supporting enterprise application deployments, upgrades, migrations, system changes, outages, maintenance activities, and technology transitions.
Develop and coordinate training-related communications, including announcements, reminders, user guidance, FAQs, and supporting materials.
Support communications associated with network and infrastructure changes that affect employees.
Establish appropriate communication timing, channels, audiences, and messaging for technology initiatives.
Manage multiple concurrent communications workstreams and prioritize competing deadlines based on organizational impact and urgency.
Develop executive-level communications, talking points, announcements, presentations, newsletters, FAQs, intranet content, and other communications products.
Transform complex technical and organizational information into clear, concise, audience-appropriate messaging.
Collaborate with leadership and subject matter experts to develop communications strategies and messaging.
Identify communications risks, gaps, and stakeholder considerations and recommend appropriate approaches.
Support enterprise-wide communications initiatives and strategic priorities.
Serve as a senior quality assurance and editorial reviewer for communications products developed across the Communications team.
Review content for accuracy, clarity, tone, grammar, consistency, accessibility, and alignment with established standards.
Ensure communications products follow branding, templates, style guides, naming conventions, and approval processes.
Provide constructive editorial feedback to communications staff and stakeholders.
Help establish and continuously improve communications quality standards, templates, workflows, and review processes.
Ensure digital and document-based communications incorporate applicable accessibility best practices.
Build effective working relationships with technical leadership, project managers, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders.
Facilitate communications planning discussions and help stakeholders define objectives, audiences, key messages, and desired outcomes.
Advise stakeholders on appropriate communications channels, timing, messaging, and products.
Work effectively with senior-level stakeholders and subject matter experts.
Represent the Communications team in project and working group meetings as appropriate.
Support development and maintenance of communications standards, templates, processes, and operating procedures.
Maintain communications calendars and track deliverables across multiple initiatives.
Support content governance and approval workflows.
Maintain organized communications artifacts and source materials in shared environments.
Support the collection and reporting of communications metrics and stakeholder feedback.
Identify opportunities to improve communications processes, consistency, and efficiency.
Serve as a backup resource for other communications needs as required