External Communications Strategist

Project Management Institute

4d•$109,200 - $133,500

About The Position

The External Communications Strategist III is an execution-first, senior individual contributor responsible for driving earned media opportunities and narrative enablement in support of PMI’s corporate reputation, thought leadership, and strategic priorities. This role sits within the PR + Communications team and operates with a high degree of autonomy, judgment, and ownership. As a Level III individual contributor, this role is expected to operate as a trusted advisor within Communications—anticipating opportunities, identifying risks, and independently driving work forward while ensuring alignment to broader narrative and reputational priorities. You will provide strategic counsel to senior stakeholders on external narrative direction, message discipline, and reputational considerations, and recommend narrative adjustments based on trends, current events, and performance insights.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, or related field (or equivalent experience).
8-10+ years of experience in corporate communications, PR, or earned media–focused roles.
Demonstrated experience partnering with and managing PR agencies to drive earned media outcomes.
Proven track record of developing and executing proactive earned media or external engagement strategies tied to corporate narratives.
Experience operating with senior-level autonomy and judgment in complex, matrixed organizations.
Strong earned media instincts with the ability to translate narrative strategy into executable story angles.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to distill complex topics into clear, compelling messages.
High judgment and discretion; comfortable operating in reputationally sensitive areas.
Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Highly organized, self-directed operator with strong prioritization and follow-through.
Ability to anticipate needs, proactively identify opportunities, and execute with minimal oversight.
Stakeholder management is paramount; ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment on narrative direction and recommendations.
Strategic, analytical mindset with the ability to use insights and reporting to optimize external communications strategy and outcomes.
Proficiency in the business language for PMI (English).

Nice To Haves

Possible travel up to 5%

Responsibilities

Collaborate with PR agency to identify story opportunities and develop timely, compelling pitch angles aligned to priority narrative beats for both B2B and consumer audiences.
Maximize PR agency performance helping to sharpen briefs, challenge thinking, and ensure proactive, high-quality execution against PMI’s strategic communications goals.
Partner with PR agency (and consult with internal stakeholders, including regional and functional leads) on developing strategy and positioning for global media house moments.
Partner with the broader Marketing organization to source appropriate community or executive spokespeople; vet, prepare, and align them for earned media pitching and engagements.
Use media intelligence and performance insights (e.g., message pull-through, tier-1 quality, topic traction) to identify narrative opportunities and gaps, and to refine story angles and pitching strategy.
Shape earned media strategies that strengthen PMI’s discoverability and influence in search and AI-driven answer environments, ensuring coverage reinforces desired brand perception, priority narratives, and authoritative topic associations.
Independently or collaboratively identify and execute strategic earned opportunities for PMI executives or community spokespeople to reach unaware or new audiences (e.g., third-party events, podcasts, partner activations, key account–adjacent moments).
Partner with PR agency and relevant internal teams to evaluate, secure, and execute selective sponsored opportunities (e.g., panels, conferences, tentpole events) that advance PMI’s narratives and reputational goals.
Assess external opportunities for narrative fit, audience value, and reputational considerations; recommend go/no-go decisions and execute approved engagements end-to-end.
Identify and shape thought leadership platforms (e.g., executive bylines, strategic reports, high-impact forums, and selective partnerships) that reinforce priority narratives and differentiate PMI’s point of view.
Lead efforts for defined corporate message houses, including maintenance of current proof points, examples, and data, ensuring they reflect evolving business priorities and external context.
Own external narrative governance for assigned topics (message architecture, claims/proof points, and executive-ready guidance), ensuring consistency across earned media, executive platforms, and thought leadership moments.
Define what is included in narrative-specific enablement kits (e.g., message houses, executive-ready slides, talk tracks, FAQs, supporting materials) and proactively distribute to internal stakeholders and executives ahead of external opportunities.
Maintain and refresh enablement kits on a regular cadence; communicate updates clearly and ensure adoption across PR, Marketing, and regional teams.
Work closely with Director of PR & Communications, Marketing, regional teams, and agency partners to ensure narrative consistency and executional excellence across external touchpoints.
Influence senior stakeholders and cross-functional partners to align on narrative, timing, and external positioning—often without direct authority—and deliver clear recommendations (including go/no-go) in ambiguous, high-visibility situations.
Maintain issues readiness for assigned narratives, including rapid response positioning, Q&A, and escalation recommendations in reputationally sensitive moments.
Navigate nuanced, high-visibility topics with maturity and discretion; identify risks early (misalignment, gaps, timing, tone) and recommend solutions.
Independently manage multiple workstreams and deadlines; maintain clear tracking of opportunities, deliverables, approvals, and outcomes.