Published: Dec 03, 2024 - The Director of Public Affairs develops and leads the leadership positioning strategy, managing external communications and initiatives for clients' executives, including speech writing, media coaching, event curation, and content creation. Strengthens leadership profiles by identifying opportunities, pursuing board positions, and overseeing public communications to protect and enhance their reputation. This position advises on external communication activities, executes a corporate PR strategy aligned with European business objectives, and fosters strategic relationships with government agencies and industry associations.

Tips for Director of Public Affairs Skills and Responsibilities on a Resume
1. Director of Public Affairs, Clear Horizon Communications, Wilmington, DE
Job Summary:
- Responsible for the company’s strategic political advice and contributed to a wider global political picture for the executive team to ensure we have a coordinated geo-political picture.
- Monitor and identify political, legislative and regulatory developments relevant to SWIFT (in close cooperation with local colleagues, and Regulatory Affairs)
- Provide ‘Early Warning’ on issues that may affect business to ensure SWIFT is aware, in advance, of political and policy trends
- Gather insights into Government policy and direction on topics relating to SWIFT’s business, including payments and securities-related policy, including other payment systems, data, technology, cloud computing, cyber security, financial crime compliance, anti-money, laundering, foreign policy issues of relevance, legislative and regulatory reporting on potential measures, potential industry and foreign affairs events
- Lead SWIFT’s proactive government and regulatory stakeholder engagement, working closely with the China business team and global experts
- Identify and engage political commentators, academia and trade associations to show SWIFT as a critical financial industry partner
- Promote a better awareness and understanding of the company’s operations, to represent and protect its interests and educate policymakers on the benefits of SWIFT to the global financial system
- Identify opportunities across the political and academic spheres to demonstrate SWIFT’s expertise and experience
- Liaise closely with locally-based consultants
Skills on Resume:
- Interdisciplinary Communication (Soft Skills)
- Inspirational Team Leadership (Soft Skills)
- Client Engagement and Strategy (Soft Skills)
- Process Improvement (Hard Skills)
- Creative Conceptualization (Hard Skills)
- Timely Execution (Hard Skills)
- Solution-Oriented Thinking (Soft Skills)
- Financial Oversight (Hard Skills)
2. Director of Public Affairs, Blue Ridge Strategies, Asheville, NC
Job Summary:
- Collaborates with the Chief Strategic Communications Officer, senior Strategic Communications leadership, and ICI executive leadership to set a strategic communications vision for ICI.
- Oversees the planning, development, and execution of a comprehensive communications program to advance ICI’s advocacy goals at the national, state, and local levels.
- Serves as primary spokesperson with national press, trade publications, business press, broadcast outlets, and other news media.
- Oversees all media activities including proactive, reactive, and crisis engagements.
- Serves as a strategic partner with digital, creative, and other Strategic Communication resources to support a fully integrated team.
- Works closely with the Government Affairs team to plan, develop, and execute advocacy initiatives.
- Builds long-term relationships with key reporters and media outlets.
- Manages the ongoing development and refinement of messaging across Strategic Communications and ICI that resonates with elected officials, regulators, and other key stakeholders.
- Oversees a monitoring and intelligence program that serves to inform ICI and member company activities.
- Partners with government affairs to ensure a coordinated, strategic approach across priority issues.
- Builds and maintains relationships with strategic partners and stakeholders.
- Manages and coaches a team of public affairs professionals.
Skills on Resume:
- Strategic Communications Planning (Hard Skills)
- Media Relations (Hard Skills)
- Government Affairs Collaboration (Hard Skills)
- Team Integration (Soft Skills)
- Stakeholder Relationship Building (Soft Skills)
- Team Leadership (Soft Skills)
- Message Development (Hard Skills)
- Monitoring and Intelligence (Hard Skills)
3. Director of Public Affairs, Evergreen Policy Group, Olympia, WA
Job Summary:
- Define, develop and implement the PA strategy to support business priorities and Booking.com’s corporate profile in the Americas Region (NA & LatAm)
- Work as the company’s PA spokesperson, engaging with political and regulatory audiences at the State and Federal level
- Liaise with elected members and government officials at high levels on business-related public policy issues
- Facilitate high-level meetings with key stakeholders, including parliaments and governments, regulatory bodies, industry association, and alliance partners to promote and advocate the company’s PA priorities
- Manage membership of trade associations and represent the company at board levels
- Ensure thorough analysis of monitoring and evaluation of political stakeholder activity and regulatory developments
- Communicate internally to align messaging and provide colleagues with a thorough understanding of PA priorities
- Articulate Booking.com positions in briefing papers, consultation responses, and internal and external meetings, and disseminate and adapt centrally developed content in order to establish Booking.com and Booking Holding as thought leader in the area of travel and tech
- Develop and direct team members to allow them to achieve both organizational and personal growth objectives
- Expand the network of public relations and establish strong connections to protect the company from various crises and to strongly support its business development in the EU
- Utilize industry associations, chambers of commerce and other associations that help influence regulation and policy implementation to participate in local EU industry regulations and decision-making
Skills on Resume:
- Public Affairs Strategy Development (Hard Skills)
- Government Engagement (Soft Skills)
- Stakeholder Management (Soft Skills)
- Trade Association Representation (Soft Skills)
- Political Monitoring (Hard Skills)
- Internal Communication (Soft Skills)
- Thought Leadership (Hard Skills)
- Crisis Management (Soft Skills)
4. Director of Public Affairs, Silver Valley Consulting, Boise, ID
Job Summary:
- Develop, lead and oversee the positioning strategy of of clients leadership, including the delivery of all leadership-related external communication activities and initiatives.
- Execute the leadership positioning and content creation for the Chair, CEO, and other leadership including opportunity identification and due diligence, speech writing, development, media coaching, event curation, ghostwriting, etc.
- Actively pursue opportunities to strengthen leadership profiles in existing areas of operation, and identify new relevant and appropriate of board positions, affiliations, influencing, etc
- Establish and distribute public communications to protect and promote the reputation of clients Leadership (e.g. media releases, speeches, newsletters, social media communication, etc.).
- Oversee and monitor all media engagement needs for the Leadership including interviews, press conferences and coverage reports ensuring proper outreach of leadership messages.
- Promote leadership purpose on social media through managing social media content creation and monitoring and escalating any red flags that can harm leadership reputation.
- Act as an advisor to the Department Director and other organizational leaders across other functions to support in all external communication activities
- Ensuring that staff are clear on the requirements of the role that performance criteria and objectives are developed to maximize the potential of staff; and that constant constructive feedback is provided to improve individual and team performance
- Develop and execute a corporate PR strategy, align with and support the European regional business strategy, build and increase the client reputation and awareness among EU government and industry stakeholders
- Establish long-term strategic relationships with key government agencies/industry associations.
- Utilize and coordinate a variety of internal and external, local and global resources to ensure successful implementation
Skills on Resume:
- Leadership Positioning Strategy (Hard Skills)
- Content Creation (Hard Skills)
- Opportunity Identification (Soft Skills)
- Public Communications (Hard Skills)
- Media Engagement (Hard Skills)
- Social Media Management (Hard Skills)
- External Communications Advisory (Soft Skills)
- Corporate PR Strategy (Hard Skills)
5. Director of Public Affairs, Golden Prairie Initiatives, Topeka, KS
Job Summary:
- Assist in developing and implementing the corporation's public relations and communications strategies.
- Provide community, public and government relations counsel and support related to the construction of high-voltage electric power lines and substations.
- Handle challenging media and community relations assignments related to these construction projects.
- Serve as an official spokesperson for the corporation.
- Develop and maintain relationships with elected officials, media, government agencies, business leaders, civic groups, and GTC employees in order to maintain and enhance the corporation's reputation and the timely completion of construction projects.
- Write and edit communication materials to accomplish corporate objectives.
- Provide an editorial review of corporate communications materials.
- Determine strategies and tactics to raise awareness of electric transmission issues.
- Report to and provide support to the Director of External Affairs.
- Evaluate the political and regulatory environment of the EU and EU market countries, and provide advice to the senior leaders of the client for reference in the business decision-making process
- Anticipate, manage and mitigate public relations issues and crises to protect and promote the company's commercial interests.
Skills on Resume:
- Public Relations Strategy (Hard Skills)
- Community Relations (Soft Skills)
- Media Relations (Soft Skills)
- Spokesperson Role (Soft Skills)
- Relationship Building (Soft Skills)
- Content Writing (Hard Skills)
- Political Analysis (Hard Skills)
- Crisis Management (Soft Skills)