Ketchum Public Affairs practice works to harness and channel the influence of elected officials, regulators, nongovernmental organizations, influencers and the online community to help companies, associations, foundations and sovereign governments achieve their business and reputation objectives. The multinational team, with joint headquarters in Washington, Berlin, and Brussels, helps clients manage the dialogue between society, public policy and politics from the local to the international level.

We believe that the most effective public affairs campaigns complement our clients' public policy objectives with a combination of some or all of the following elements: opinion research, third party outreach and coalition building, grassroots and grasstops programs, political insight, traditional media relations, social media, and issue advertising. Whether the task requires using the latest technology to mobilize grassroots support, coalition building with third parties to ensure your allies are on board and on message, sophisticated media strategies and monitoring of the delivery of your message, or strategic planning followed by creative execution, Ketchum Public Affairs offers a range of services to find the right solution.

Overview of Job Function:

Serve as primary contact and team lead for a handful of public affairs accounts. Proven ability to set strategy; write, present and implement public affairs and communications plans. Responsible for supervision of account teams, staff utilization and development, revenue generation, income projections, expense control, and administrative functions related to executing the annual business plan and in meeting profit objectives.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as primary contact to a group of accounts; lead and direct all program efforts to ensure client satisfaction; bring a value-added approach to all issues and projects.


• Generate incremental business opportunities with existing client base.


• Maintain team billability and productivity requirements; monitor for account profitability.


• Function as key player in pursuing new business opportunities, participating in and/or leading the proposal and presentation processes.


• Work with office management to develop and implement company policies and procedures; reinforce Ketchum values, ethics, culture and critical success factors.


• Maximize utilization of team members through effective recruitment, employee goal setting, appraisals, development plans, etc.; work with human resources in dealing with personnel matters.


• Encourage and create a can-do, "get-it-great" working environment, reinforcing the importance and value of each team member's contributions.


• Demonstrate and develop presentation, negotiation and problem-solving skills; demonstrate ability to effectively develop full range of materials including media materials, byline articles, speeches, client correspondence and reports.


• Stay on top of PR trends in the industry; bring them to the attention of clients and associates, as appropriate.


• Cement relationships with clients and better understand their business; include other agency staff when appropriate.


• Work with financial manager to ensure client budgets are comprehensive, actual costs are monitored and approved, and billed account receivables are collected in a timely manner.

Minimum Qualifications:

Any combination of education and experience providing the required skills and knowledge for successful performance would qualify. Typical qualifications would be equivalent to:

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, English, Marketing or a related field. Master's degree in a communications field desirable


• At least nine years of public affairs, communications and /or corporate public relations experience, preferably including agency experience


• Broad-based exposure and demonstrated ability in all skill areas, including proposal planning, writing and presentations, media relations, and consultative selling


• Direct experience in building and managing teams comprised of professional and non-exempt personnel


• Interest/experience in the following issue areas a plus: healthcare; energy; technology; international trade