Director of Strategic Communications (Corporate Affairs + Politics)

Palette Media

26d

About The Position

Palette is seeking a Director of Strategic Communications to serve as a senior strategic partner to leading brands, institutions, and public figures navigating culture, reputation, and influence in the digital era. The role sits at the intersection of corporate affairs, politics, media, and the creator economy. The Director will identify clients’ underlying business and communications challenges and design integrated strategies across earned, owned, and emerging digital channels to drive reputational, policy, and business outcomes. The Director will shape how clients show up in high-stakes moments by developing narrative strategies, guiding decisions, and translating cultural insight into actionable work. The role involves strategic advisory, narrative and cultural strategy, integrated campaign and creative oversight, issues and moment-based strategy, client leadership, and contributions to firm growth and thought leadership.

Requirements

8–10+ years of experience in strategy, communications, media, or related fields.
Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Digital Marketing, Communications, Media Studies, or a closely related field.
Deep background in corporate communications, public affairs, or political communications, ideally at an advisory firm with exposure to high-profile brands or organizations.
Experience managing high-stakes communications issues or crises.
Experience advising senior stakeholders, such as C-suite executives, government officials, or public figures.
Strong track record of identifying business or communications challenges and developing strategies to solve them.
Experience developing integrated communications strategies across earned, owned, and digital channels, including emerging media ecosystems.
Understanding of the creator economy, content distribution, platform behavior, and its relevance to reputation and narrative.
Ability to connect business objectives, audience insight, and cultural context to develop coherent, actionable strategies.
Understanding of media relations and press dynamics.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
Comfort working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and exercising sound judgment.
Highly collaborative approach and experience working cross-functionally with creatives, analysts, and external partners.

Responsibilities

Translate cultural, media, and digital signals into clear strategic direction for clients.
Diagnose clients’ business and communications challenges, such as growth, positioning, trust, or relevance, and map paths forward.
Design integrated communications strategies using earned media, owned channels, creators, and emerging digital ecosystems.
Develop end-to-end narrative, communications, and distribution strategies aligned with clients’ business and reputational goals.
Provide a clear point of view in complex or ambiguous situations.
Build narrative frameworks, positioning, and messaging infrastructure to help clients get ahead of conversations.
Identify cultural inflection points and reputational risks or opportunities, and advise clients on how to lead conversations.
Determine how owned, earned, creator, original content/IP, amplification, and community-driven channels can drive narrative, credibility, and reach.
Stay attuned to digital culture, emerging platforms, and the evolving media ecosystem.
Guide integrated, channel-specific campaigns and content ecosystems so they support broader strategic and business objectives.
Translate insights into messaging frameworks, creative direction, and briefs.
Use social listening reports, audience insights, and performance signals with the measurement team to inform and refine strategy.
Develop amplification plans with the distribution team to reach the right audiences.
Partner with internal teams, media, external stakeholders, creators, and others to execute strategies across formats and channels.
Anticipate reputational risks across media, political, and digital ecosystems and develop proactive strategies.
Support clients through crises, reputational challenges, policy moments, and major announcements.
Build trusted relationships with senior executives, communications leaders, and policy stakeholders.
Oversee key deliverables, including presentations, strategic memos, and campaign frameworks, in partnership with client services leads.
Ensure work is delivered to a high standard, on time, and within scope and budget.
Contribute to new business efforts, including pitch strategy, positioning, and proposal development.
Shape Palette’s point of view on the future of communications, influence, and narrative strategy through knowledge-sharing and external thought leadership.