Associate Director, Public Affairs & Policy Communications

We have an immediate opportunity for a strategic communications professional with strong issue advocacy and issues management to join our India team. The position can be based in either our Mumbai or New Delhi office.

You are self-directed, proactive and motivated to win for your clients every day. You create opportunities to drive the message and position issues leveraging the full spectrum of communications and engagement channels and tactics. You have experience leading teams and managing work streams while also serving in a key role on major projects. You have a desire to learn and grow – both across industries and communication mediums, such as traditional media, social/digital media, issues advocacy, grassroots, and stakeholder communications. You know how to work with clients and have a positive, go-getter attitude that wins the confidence of clients and inspires teams.

What we bring you: Working with smart, fun colleagues and opportunities to work with people around the country and across the globe. Amazing in-house opinion research, creative and resources as part of your team. The chance to work on some of the most interesting and challenging issues of the day for leading companies and associations. An opportunity to shine, succeed and chart your course based on what you bring to the table – not where you sit on the org chart.

Responsibilities

• Manage and implement a wide range of strategic communication and issue campaigns for our high-profile, globally-recognized clients
• Stakeholder management and outreach with experience in advocacy and public affairs
• Provide the highest level of client service on a daily-basis through proactive account management, serving as the key client contact while also managing staff (both senior and junior) to successfully maintain and grow client relationships
• Design and implement multi-faceted, integrated communications and federal and state issue campaigns to position client issues and priorities with key audiences that may include elected officials, media, consumers and stakeholders
• Create effective messages and produce and edit high-quality written deliverables, such as issue backgrounders, press materials, messaging toolkits, and social media content often under tight deadlines
• Develop compelling grassroots and grasstops advocacy communications and content to convey complex policy issues to the general public
• Monitor developments in key client issue areas and flag opportunities for further client engagement
• Manage client budgets, ensuring that projects and corresponding staffing are within allotted budgets
• Participate in business development activities including writing proposals and developing pitch decks

Qualifications

• At least 8-10+ years of public affairs, strategic communications, or federal/state issue advocacy campaign experience including at least 3 years leading client projects from start-to-finish
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Exceptional writing and analytical skills, and the ability to write both strategically and creatively under tight deadlines
• Outstanding presentation skills including the ability to engage an executive leadership and experience briefing senior-level clients
• Solid project management experience, including overseeing a team and multiple deliverables

About APCO In India

India is playing an increasingly important role in global geopolitics — not only as the world’s largest democracy but also as an emerging economic powerhouse. It is growing and changing at an exponential pace, due to the pro-reform policies of the government and increased investor confidence.

APCO’s India operations began in 2007, and our regional operation is one of the largest and most successful in the firm. Our offerings in India include corporate advisory, government relations, strategic communications, coalition building, crises management and consulting services. Our clients in India include multinational companies, industry associations, non-profit organizations and governments.

We take an integrated approach to consulting, which is based on our strong public affairs heritage, our nuanced understanding of strategic communications and remarkable research, creative and digital capabilities. This is supported by our global perspective and local knowledge, enabling us to address complex issues for our clients and deliver path-breaking campaigns.

Our team in India comprises a significant bench of senior-level staff with deep expertise coming from a range of journalistic, business, management consulting, communications, academic and government backgrounds. The team is based in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Alongside trusted affiliates, the team penetrates all important markets within and around the sub-continent.

Careers at APCO

Through our recruitment, hiring and retention efforts, APCO is committed to building teams to bring the best possible expertise and robust perspectives to our clients. We embrace differences in experience, viewpoint and ideas, starting with our values and extending to our behaviors, policies and practices. We aim to create a positive work experience and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.