Director, External Communications

Clark Construction Group, LLC•McLean, VA

1d•$140,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This role acts as a driving force behind both protecting and promoting our brand. On the PR side, you will manage day-to-day media relations and support complex issues management. On the External Marketing side, you will shape Clark’s external presence through highly creative project storytelling, digital channels, industry forums, and targeted marketing campaigns. Your overall goal is to protect and enhance our brand, leveraging creative visual, written, and technical marketing savvy to get the right messages in front of the right audiences. This includes mastering and optimizing modern distribution channels—such as web, earned media, paid media, SEO, and LLM results—to maximize reach, engagement, and impact. This is a hands-on role for someone who can think strategically and creatively, write clearly, work seamlessly across teams, and move quickly when needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, public affairs, English, or a related field.
10+ years of experience in external communications, media relations, public affairs, corporate communications, or a related field.
Strong writing and editing skills, including experience drafting statements, talking points, media responses, briefing materials, and other public-facing materials.
Demonstrated creative thinking and technical proficiency in modern content distribution (e.g., SEO, digital analytics, platform algorithms, and emerging tech).
Experience working directly with reporters and managing media inquiries.
Ability to turn complex business, technical, and project information into clear, compelling, and creative messages for external audiences.
Strong judgment, discretion, attention to detail, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
Comfortable in a hands-on role that requires both strategy and execution.
Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
Alignment to Clark’s Standards of Excellence: Self-Motivated, Results Oriented, Adaptable, Team Player, Accountable, Ethical, Innovative, Resilient, Builds People / Teams and Followership, Sets Direction and Executes.

Nice To Haves

Experience in construction, infrastructure, real estate, professional services, government contracting, B2B, or another complex project-based industry.
Experience with digital communications, social media strategy, website content, brand storytelling, integrated communications campaigns, and data-driven marketing.
Experience working with agency partners or outside communications advisors.
Familiarity with industry associations, conferences, trade media, or business/community stakeholder engagement

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day media relations, including reporter engagement, media monitoring, response planning, briefing materials, and message development.
Support sensitive communications matters in close coordination with legal, operations, senior leadership, and outside advisors.
Support and guide communications for high-profile, sensitive, or highly complex projects.
Maintain confidentiality and sound judgment when working with sensitive business, client, project, or personnel information.
Draft and edit compelling external materials, including press materials, statements, talking points, website copy, social content, and project narratives, continually pushing for innovative ways to tell Clark's story.
Drive the tactical distribution of content by applying a deep technical understanding of digital algorithms, SEO, LLM search behaviors, and platform analytics to ensure maximum visibility.
Plan and manage Clark’s external marketing strategy across websites, media, social media, advertising, industry platforms, and other public-facing channels, utilizing data and creative insights to continually optimize campaign performance.
Serve as a connector between Clark’s business and external audiences, translating company priorities, project milestones, and market activity into highly creative communications opportunities.
Develop external communications and marketing plans that support Clark’s business priorities, reputation, and brand visibility.
Prepare senior leaders and subject matter experts for media interviews, speaking engagements, panels, and other external opportunities.
Build and maintain relationships with reporters, editors, industry publications, trade associations, and other external stakeholders.
Bring relevant media, industry, client, and market insights back into the business to inform communications planning and external engagement.
Work with agency partners and outside advisors, as needed, on media relations, reputation management, digital strategy, and project-specific communications.
Lead and mentor a content creation team to ensure great story telling, consistent brand voice, and quality across all platforms.
Take ownership of the organization's website and social media channels, overseeing the strategy, content updates, and performance analytics to drive engagement.