Associate Account Director, Media Relations - Chicago or REMOTE

The Company

ICF is a mission-driven company filled with people who care deeply about improving the lives of others and making the world a better place. Our core values include Embracing Difference; we seek candidates who are passionate about building a culture that encourages, embraces, and hires dimensions of difference. 

@ ICF Next, we are fearless in finding new ways to solve problems, relentless in making sure it pays off for our clients and committed to making a positive change in the world. 

Join our community of mission-driven creatives, communicators, strategists, and technologists to challenge the status quo.

We’re currently hiring an Associate Media Relations Director to join our award-winning team of communicators, creatives and strategists, driving media-relations efforts for incredible clients for some of the world’s best known and most admired food, beverage and lifestyle brands.

The Team

The media-relations, social-media and influencer-marketing experts within ICF Next’s Integrated Storytelling team are a driving force behind some of the industry’s most progressive and impactful communications and marketing campaigns. Its work shows up everywhere from Food Network to Fast Company. We help our clients win the Super Bowl, launch groundbreaking products and stay relevant even when the world won’t stand still.

We’re pretty good at it, too: In the last few years, our team has won Agency of the Year recognition from PRWeek and PRovoke Media, as well as a spot on AdAge’s “A-List Agency Standouts.” In the first few months of 2022, we’ve already taken home eight SABRE Awards.

And we do this industry-leading work with a deep respect for work-life balance. Our teams enjoy highly flexible work arrangements (either remote or hybrid) and a full suite of competitive benefits. So, if you’re looking to work on campaigns your friends will see, alongside genuinely talented, kind and collaborative people, look no further.

The Work

ICF Next is hiring an Associate Media Relations Director to help some of the world’s most admired food, beverage and lifestyle brands tell compelling stories and build upon their brand purposes. This role serves as a client-facing media-relations expert, supporting a select group of accounts and working closely with account managers and internal teams to develop and execute programs.

This role is for someone with a demonstrated passion for collaborating with teams to solve client challenges, a knack for crafting the perfect pitch and a strong desire to nurture and grow junior team members.

Key Responsibilities:

As an Associate Account Director, you will:

• Play a critical role in partnering with both senior leaders and the junior team to drive earned-media results for a range of leading consumer brands 

• Show passion, energy and ability to identify, translate and capitalize on news hooks and pop culture trends to activate and drive talk value for clients 

• Plan and execute PR and influencer strategies including contributing to brainstorms, developing media materials, and being accountable for measurable results and reporting 

• Demonstrate strong client communications including developing and participating in presentations, annual plans, recommendations and competitive analyses ,

• Play a leadership role within our teams, driving skill development for junior media-team members and the larger agency.

• Show tenacious problem-solving skills and a curiosity for what’s possible, always thinking of new ways to breakthrough while meeting client’s marketing challenges 

• Build strong relationships with internal teams while maintaining a positive, can-do attitude and championing great work 

• Adapt to ever-changing workload priorities and events with grace and poise 

• Contribute to a positive culture that prioritizes growing and supporting junior team members.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree is preferred in public relations, communications or journalism

• 5 – 8 years of relevant work experience at a PR agency, client-side communications team or as a journalist at media outlet 

• Consumer-brand media experience

• The ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with internal and client teams across all levels

• Strong communication skills

• Proven experience developing and growing client relationships and media relations

• Ability to oversee and manage third-party partners, from talent to event vendors 

• Proven understanding of creating earned and paid media strategies

• Leadership instincts and the ability to identify and elevate great work from junior team members 

• Conflict management skills  

• Proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team and collaborate regularly with team members at all levels

• Ability to travel as required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles or Toronto location preferred, but not required.

Working at ICF

Working at ICF means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of our day. Smart, compassionate, innovative, committed, ICF employees tackle unprecedented challenges to benefit people, businesses, and governments around the globe. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building an inclusive workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to hiring regardless of any protected characteristic, such as race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability status, or military/veteran status. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals. For more information, please read our EEO & AA policy.

COVID-19 Policy: New or prospective U.S. employees must provide proof of complete vaccination on the date of their commencement of employment. If selected for employment, you will provide proof of your full vaccination status, defined as vaccinated two weeks after receiving the requisite number of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved or authorized for emergency use by the FDA.

Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please email icfcareercenter@icf.com and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Read more about non-discrimination:  EEO is the law and  Pay Transparency Statement.

Chicago, IL (IL14)