Senior Vice President, Crisis & Risk Communications - Data, Security, and Privacy

Daniel J. Edelman•Washington DC, DC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Vice President will work on and help grow Edelman’s Data Security & Privacy (DSP) offering within its Global Crisis & Reputation Risk practice. The role advises clients as they prepare for, manage, and recover from cybersecurity, data security, and privacy risks and incidents. This includes developing communications strategies and providing reputational counsel for incidents such as unauthorized access, data breaches, ransomware, business interruption, third-party/vendor incidents, sensitive data exposure, data misuse allegations, and privacy notifications. The position works closely with senior client leaders and alongside legal, forensics, insurance, security, and communications stakeholders. It also supports client preparedness through playbooks, trainings, and tabletops, and may advise on other crises affecting trust and reputation. The role leads account teams and work, develops client relationships and new business, oversees junior staff, and helps advance the firm’s DSP capabilities. The position requires a hybrid schedule of three days per week in the Chicago, New York City, or Washington, D.C. office, client-site work as needed, travel as needed, and availability outside regular work hours when breaking issues require it.

Requirements

10 or more years of crisis management experience.
Experience running integrated account work, managing a team, and growing client account work.
Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
Ability to work a hybrid schedule three days a week in the Chicago, New York City, or Washington, D.C. office.
Ability to work onsite with clients as needed.
Ability to travel as needed.
Willingness to respond outside regular work hours as needed to manage breaking issues.

Nice To Haves

Experience in federal law enforcement, regulatory bodies, or other relevant government entities.
Experience helping organizations prepare for and respond to cybersecurity, data security, and privacy incidents.
Experience and interest in helping organizations address the evolving cybersecurity landscape.
Strong understanding of the cybersecurity and data privacy incident-response ecosystem, including outside counsel, privacy counsel, forensic investigators, insurers, brokers, regulators, law enforcement, and internal security teams.
Ability to provide sound communications counsel in legally sensitive, fast-moving, high-pressure environments.
Excellent client relationship skills and experience advising on strategy, approach, and execution.
Strong organizational, scheduling, and time/project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines simultaneously.
Adaptability in a rapidly changing landscape and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
Track record of growing profitable programs that advance client business goals.
Media relations and message-development skills to lead execution of plans, crisis-response messaging, and client storytelling.
Experience contributing to new business and driving proposal development and team opportunities.
Sound judgment and proven problem-solving skills.
Ability to develop and coach a team while leading work.
Ability to secure new business and contribute to or lead new-business pitches.

Responsibilities

Counsel clients on complex cybersecurity, data security, and privacy crises, as well as other issues affecting trust and reputation.
Help clients prepare for and respond to cybersecurity, data security, and privacy incidents, including ransomware attacks and breaches involving personal, financial, health, and corporate information.
Develop incident-response communications strategies and support preparedness through playbooks, trainings, and tabletops.
Support other crisis matters as needed, including product recalls, litigation, labor matters, regulatory investigations, and societal issues.
Collaborate with Edelman’s counter-disinformation experts on matters at the intersection of cybersecurity and AI/disinformation.
Strategically drive and develop crisis account work.
Lead the operational and financial performance of account teams, ensuring quality work, effective processes, and timely, strategic handling of client requests.
Provide communications counsel informed by the cyber communications landscape and clients’ business goals, and respond promptly to client feedback.
Work with clients’ cyber counsel and forensics partners to develop comprehensive data security response communications plans and materials.
Translate complex cybersecurity, data security, and privacy issues into clear, credible, audience-appropriate communications for executives, boards, employees, customers, consumers, partners, regulators, policymakers, investors, and media.
Oversee junior staff by providing consistent feedback and advancing work product.
Lead new business development, contribute to growing the DSP offering, expand existing relationships, and build relationships with data security attorneys and insurers.
Demonstrate advanced writing skills and supervise the writing of others.
Set and lead traditional and social media relations strategies.
Host internal trainings on DSP matters.
Manage billing and budgets.