Overview

Organizations today face a barrage of potential reputational threats: political issues, cyber threats/data breaches, employee and shareholder activism, heightened regulatory scrutiny, litigious stakeholders, and much more. If not managed properly, these issues that can grow quickly to undermine stakeholder perceptions – and ultimately impact the bottom line. Ketchum is looking for a seasoned counselor to join our team as a Senior Vice President to help our clients navigate this increasingly perilous environment.

About the Job

This is an exciting opportunity to help our clients manage their reputations, including developing issues-management programs and crisis preparedness activities that support their business. The ideal candidate is someone with strong corporate communications, reputation management and crisis response experience with the ability to provide senior counsel and strategic planning for clients and agency account teams. This person should be a hands-on strategist as well as a proven leader with strong managing and mentoring experience. Given the expanding need and market for our services, we want an executive who is growth-minded and knows how to find, win, and drive business results.

• Serve as senior counselor for clients in the areas of issues and crisis management, corporate reputation, including developing strategies, providing counsel, and developing plans on an ongoing basis • Continually seek and drive new/incremental business opportunities; partner with account and new business teams to build business for New York and North America; play a leadership role in new business proposal development and presentations• Drive growth and long-term engagements with existing clients• Seek opportunities to develop new approaches to reputation management and position self within the agency, among clients and industry as a leader in the field who is sought for senior-level counsel

• Understand the modern issues landscape, including deep knowledge of digital and AI developments and their application to reputation management

• Strive for impeccable client service personally, and by driving the team to meet and exceed agency’s standards and client expectations• Maintain an in-depth knowledge of clients’ businesses and industries anticipating and addressing opportunities and issues • Take responsibility and hold team accountable for profitability for new and existing client business• Manage financial performance of client teams• Support client directors and/or senior counselors on each piece of business to incremental business and address client needs.

• Share knowledge with other Reputational Management practitioners throughout the agency to drive best practices and learning• Evaluate team employees’ performance and support their career development• Ensure staff utilization and promote staff-sharing across practices and offices

#LI-Hybrid

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years’ experience working in crisis communications, corporate communications, government relations or reputation management environment; minimum of 6 years supervisory experience

• Prior experience in strategic external communications and media relations activities, litigation communications and/or public affairs a definite plus• Demonstrated track record of building strong client relationships and delivering programs that exceeded anticipated results • Demonstrated ability to successfully manage teams to exceed client expectations

• Proven ability to help drive growth and win new/incremental business • Strong communication and presentation skills to effectively articulate ideas to clients, colleagues and others

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize critical assignments • Understanding of Digital/Social/Online communications tools

About Ketchum

As a global communications consultancy with 100 years of experience, Ketchum is a trusted partner who is equal parts creative and analytical. Ketchum is a place where all perspectives and points of view are welcome and encouraged. We are a collection of communications specialists, content creators, creatives, researchers, data analysts, media pros, digital strategists, issues and crisis counselors, and tech nerds. And we love when those worlds collide to create the very best teams and solutions for our clients. We work with the world’s leading brands, emerging start-ups, and everything in between. We are beyond proud to have created some of the most celebrated and award-winning campaigns in our industry. We’re just crazy enough to think we can impact the world – and how it responds to ideas – through communication.

We encourage our employees to be curious, brave, inspiring, and a force for good. Let’s talk. Come belong at Ketchum!

What we offer

• Workplace flexibility
• Robust benefits program, effective within 30 days of hire
• Paid maternity/paternity leave
• Family Forming Benefits
• Employee Recognition Program
• Generous paid time off includes vacation, wellness, and extended holiday schedule
• Various development opportunities to enhance personal and professional life
• Tuition reimbursement
• Monthly Cell Phone & Wi-Fi reimbursement

Interested? We’ve got an opportunity for you.

The salary range for this position is $180,000 to $230,000. This position may be bonus eligible depending on individual employee performance and Ketchum business performance. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, education, years of experience, past training, skills and abilities of applicant, internal equity and local geographic market data. A range of medical, dental, vision, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and/or other benefits also are available.