Executive Vice President, Corporate Issues

Associate 

Weber Shandwick’s Global Crisis team helps leading organizations across the world both manage breaking negative issues and events affecting reputation and develop the internal culture and infrastructure needed to predict, prepare, and navigate them effectively. From conspiracy theories, environmental incidents and multinational bankruptcies to executive controversies and sweeping product recalls to high-profile litigation and fake news, we live at the front lines of media, culture, and conversation. Whether it is a program affecting internal stakeholders or an external effort to protect or defend an organization’s reputation, we work together with colleagues from around the country and globe daily, supplying crisis counsel to clients across industries and sectors, making deep curiosity a requisite for this position.  

Candidate Qualities  

As an Associate, you will have the unique opportunity to help drive communications around these challenging and exciting projects. You will be a day-to-day leader among the team’s Associate-level staff, working directly with senior leadership to help drive research, develop materials, staff projects, scope work, manage vendors, track budget and balance multiple shifting priorities in real-time. The ideal candidate will have excellent writing skills and the ability to perform in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment. You will be intimately familiar with current events and news trends and be able to translate that knowledge into actionable insights for clients. This extends to social and digital communications: you must have true analytical fluency in this area. A strong academic record is necessary, and experience in issues management is a bonus – but candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. 

Our Team

Our team is a group of smart, analytical and hardworking people who care deeply about helping lead our clients through a crisis to make a positive impact on society. We are on the front lines of some of the biggest, most complex issues – and the nature of our work requires an ability and eagerness to juggle multiple responsibilities and work on multi-office client teams. You will have the opportunity to play a leading role in driving both ongoing client engagements and discrete projects. 

 

What You Will Be Doing   

• Serves as key team member to support a range of complex, high-profile corporate issues /crisis communications situations (i.e., cybersecurity issues, product safety issues and recalls, mergers and acquisitions, executive leadership changes, IPOs etc.)  
• Supports development of press releases, crisis plans, media strategies, reactive media statements, talking points, FAQs, memos, crisis simulations and other deliverables as needed; 
• Supports monitoring and triaging of client issues  
• Conducts pressing research on a wide range of issues, review and prepare executive summaries and/or analyses detailing clear and concise findings, distill complex and substantial amounts of information into concise summaries and insights; begin to propose strategic and actionable recommendations  

• Provides input during development of projects based on insights and knowledge of client preferences  
• Prepares for and takes part in client meetings, including accurately capturing notes, agenda action items, call recaps, updating trackers, timelines and status documents 
• Serves as role model to team members, producing high quality work and continually updating manager on activity progress 
• Actively builds own knowledge, contributes to inclusive team culture and consistently displays behaviors that support integration 
• Participates in our A-Team’s On-Duty rotational schedule covering evening and weekend hours, to handle critical client reports, ad-hoc research, and support emergent crises. 

 What We Are Looking For  

• Strong writing skills and meticulous attention to detail 
• Strong understanding of social analytics 
• Full analytical fluency in all social/digital platforms 
• Crisis communications, issues management, and/or public affairs experience 
• Sharp curiosity and an analytical mind   

• Ability to provide strategic and actionable recommendations based on research 
• Highly effective oral and written communication skills  
• Familiarity with corporate financials 
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and manage deadlines in a consistent manner 
• Resourceful, effective problem solver 

• Comfortable asking for help from and providing direction to team members 
• Ability to take ownership, manage and see projects through from start to finish  
• Proactive self-starter and a quick learner 
• Strong work ethic 

Basic Qualifications 

• 1-3 years of professional experience: in an agency/strategic consulting firm, political campaign or organization, law or similar setting 
• BA or BS, preferably in Political Science, history, journalism, International Relations or similar fields -Knowledge of basic PR skills and client service  
• Fluent in Microsoft Suite (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and proficiency in research, media and social monitoring platforms (e.g., Brandwatch, Sysomos, Cision, Muckrack, TV Eyes, Critical Mention, Lexis-Nexis) 

NYC Salary range: $52,000 – $60,000

Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

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The Weber Shandwick Toronto Office is seeking a Vice President, Corporate & Issues.

What we are seeking:

We are looking for a change agent to help us grow our C-Suite Group and support a wide array of high-profile clients with corporate reputation, crisis preparedness and live crisis and issues counsel and support.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience in brand and reputation building communications, managing executive visibility, media strategy, crisis communications and issues management. The candidate will have the opportunity to drive a broad range of corporate reputation campaigns across a variety of clients, while leading a team of practitioners and collaborating with Weber Shandwick’s network to develop strategic and creative client work. Previous agency experience is desired and you will have worked with clients across multiple industries

You will play an important role on our team, leading a broad range of projects and developing new business opportunities. You will be an emerging leader on the team and help mentor and grow the skill sets of emerging talent in our practice. You should be sharp strategist, have strong writing skills, be social and digital analytics savvy, and thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment. You can marshal teams and resources effectively and quickly and are entrepreneurial.

Our team:

The Weber Shandwick C-Suite Advisory team focuses on: Organizational Preparedness, Response, and Resiliency; Social Impact, ESG, & DE&I; Enterprise & Executive Leadership Strategy (incl. Geopolitical, Public Diplomacy, Public Health); Organizational Transformation & Employee Engagement; Corporate Marketing; Capital Market Insights and Financial Communications. It also collaborates closely with Weber-Shandwick teams and other parts of The Weber Shandwick Collective.  The nature of our work requires an ability and eagerness to juggle multiple responsibilities and work with multi-office teams. You will have the opportunity to play a leading role in launching a new advisory business and the growth and expansion of this team and offering.

What you will be doing: 

Client Support:

• Develop and grow positive relationships with clients, maintaining the company’s reputation in terms of delivery and quality
• Provide strategic counsel to clients where possible, being able to assess problems and define logical and effective solutions for clients 
• Lead the delivery of high-profile accounts across multiple markets
• Brief and inform account teams. Communicate expectations/goals to the team on an ongoing basis, helping to keep the team motivated by communicating clear tasks and actions
• Work successfully with partner agencies as part of a client integrated agency team, both internally at WS and externally
• Work effectively with finance colleagues to deliver accurate quotations for all client projects or new business work
• Write well-structured, persuasive content and help train other team colleagues to do the same
• Contribute innovative ideas for the client and new business work, inspiring ideation amongst team members
• Lead and support a range of issues and crisis communications situations for companies and organizations, including brand safety, product safety issues and recalls, adverse events, pricing and access issues, workplace culture, litigation, regulatory compliance issues, misinformation campaigns, DEI-related matters, investigative reporting, and more
• Develop and draft crisis plans, media strategies, reactive media statements, talking points, FAQs, memos, crisis simulations and other deliverables as needed
• Oversee and execute proactive media outreach and reactive media relations strategies in connection with issues and crisis management strategies as needed
• Provide regular counsel to clients and colleagues
• Keep client programs on schedule and ensure all deadlines are met within budget parameters
• Provide media and crisis training to clients
• Develop and deliver client presentations

New Business and Marketing:

• Help drive the growth of the C-Suite Group overall
• Participate in new business development for the team and collaborate among practice areas at the agency in support of broader new business pitches

Team Management:

• Take an active role in helping manage the team and problem solve
• Work with peers to further the mission, goals and culture of the C-Suite Group and the agency
• Promote team cooperation by actively seeking the opinions and views of team members of all levels
• Train and motivate emerging talent and help create opportunities for their growth

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field and/or 8-10 years of relevant experience in an agency/strategic consulting firm, political office, or corporate PR background desired.
• Agency experience (preferred)
• Experience directly counseling clients/senior ranking executives through a broad range of crises, issues and special situations
• Skilled crisis and issues media relations strategist and practitioner with top-tier media relations experience
• Experience working on Corporate reputation campaigns across industries
• You are both a creative and a strategic thinker, and a natural team leader
• Familiarity with the latest digital trends in social media strategy, tools, and analytics
• Experience with corporate reputation, brand safety/protection through integrated communications programs
• Thrives under pressure and can handle multiple projects in a demanding, deadline-oriented environment
• Exercises exceptional judgment when working with clients, colleagues and vendors.
• Communicates clearly, analytically and persuasively, both orally and in writing
• Pays close attention to detail and quality of work product
• Adept at solving problems and resolving conflicts
• Capable of mobilizing and motivating teams, anticipating needs and instilling confidence

The Weber Shandwick Collective recognizes that your health and wellbeing are a priority. This is why we offer a full suite of benefits including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• RRSP (with employer match)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Juice Money – $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – $50 monthly cell phone reimbursement
• MyDays – Flexible time off
• Short-Term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave Policy

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

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The Position: 

 

The Global Corporate Crisis and Issues Practice is seeking a Senior Manager in our New York office.  

 

What we are seeking: 

 

We are looking for a mid-level practitioner to help us grow our Global Crisis and Issues Practice and support a wide array of high-profile clients with crisis preparedness and planning activities, crisis simulations and live crisis response. You have extensive crisis communications and issues management experience, preferably across multiple industries, but with a greater focus on pharmaceutical, biotech, health system and other healthcare clients. Experience helping clients navigate cyberattack communications is a plus. 

 

You will play an important role on our team, helping lead a broad range of projects, develop new business opportunities, and mentor and grow the skill sets of emerging talent in our practice. The nature of the work also requires an ability and eagerness to juggle multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced deadline-oriented environment, both inside and outside traditional work hours. Candidates should have agency background, expertise in digital/social media and a demonstrated track record of supporting high-stakes crisis communications projects. 

 

Our team – the Weber Shandwick Global Crisis and Issues Practice: 

 

Our team is a group of analytical and hardworking people who care deeply about helping lead our clients through a crisis to make a positive impact on society. 

 

We help leading organizations manage breaking negative issues and events affecting reputation and develop the internal culture and infrastructure needed to anticipate, prepare and navigate them effectively. From cyberattacks, environmental protests, high-profile litigation and misinformation defense to sweeping product recalls, multinational bankruptcies and executive controversies, we live at the intersection of business, media, policy, culture and society.  

 

Our multi-disciplinary team of experts in crisis, public policy, culture, business and analytics know how to make sense of data to provide context and perspective and predict trends. We mitigate against vulnerabilities, provide real-time feedback and validate communications strategies to help clients navigate risk and reward in a complex and ever-changing world. 

 

To learn more: Crisis & reputation defense – Communications & PR (webershandwick.com) 

 

Compass for the Chaos: Compass for the Chaos | WS Crisis & Issues | Substack 

 

What you will be doing:  

 

• Support a range of issues and crisis communications situations for companies and organizations, including, but not limited to: 

• Misinformation Management 
• Product safety issues and recalls. 
• Geopolitical, political and societal issues 
• Regulatory compliance issues 
• Workplace culture matters 
• Cybersecurity and data breach issues 
• Litigation defense 
• DEI-related matters 
• Investigative reporting 

• Serve as a day-to-day client contact – flagging, triaging, and directly managing client issues as they arise. 
• Develop and draft crisis plans, media strategies, materials (e.g., reactive media statements, talking points, FAQs, stakeholder communications), memos, crisis simulations and other deliverables as needed. 
• Train and motivate emerging talent and help create opportunities for their growth. 
• Oversee and execute complex research and narrative intelligence projects to guide client strategy. 
• Provide regular counsel to clients and colleagues. 

• Keep client programs on schedule and ensure all deadlines are met within budget parameters. 
• Participate in new business development for the team and collaborate among practice areas at the agency in support of broader new business pitches that include a crisis and issues component. 

 

Qualifications: 

 

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and/or 5-7 years of relevant experience in an agency/strategic consulting firm, political campaign, or at a company in the healthcare sector. 
• Experience directly counseling clients/senior ranking executives through a broad range of crises, issues and special situations, with preference for those in the healthcare sector. 
• Experience with corporate reputation, brand management and protection through integrated communications programs. 
• Familiarity with the latest digital trends in social media strategy, tools, and analytics – including generative AI tools. 
• Experience creating issues and crisis preparedness programs (e.g., protocol, scenario plans, simulations drills, workshops and media trainings)  
• Experience with cybersecurity event and litigation matter communications. 
• Communicates clearly, analytically, and persuasively both orally and in writing. 
• Proficient understanding of best practices in corporate communications and crisis and issues management. 
• Skilled crisis and issues media relations strategist and practitioner with top-tier media relations experience. 
• Thrives under pressure and can handle multiple projects in a demanding, deadline-oriented environment. 
• Exercises exceptional judgment when working with clients, team members, and vendors. 
• Pays close attention to detail and quality of work product. 
• Adept at solving problems and resolving conflicts. 
• Capable of mobilizing and motivating teams, anticipating needs, and instilling confidence. 
• Experience delivering media and crisis training is a plus. 

 

About Weber Shandwick 

 

Weber Shandwick is a leading global communications network that delivers next-generation solutions to brands, businesses and organizations in major markets around the world. Led by world-class strategic and creative thinkers and activators, we have won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry. Weber Shandwick was named to Ad Age’s Agency A-List in 2020 and Best Places to Work in 2019. Weber Shandwick was also honored as PRWeek’s Global Agency of the Year in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, and PRovoke’s Global Agency of the Year in 2015, 2017 and 2019. The firm earned 25 Lions at the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Data-led, with earned ideas at the core, the agency deploys leading and emerging technologies to inform strategy, develop critical insights and heighten impact across sectors and specialty areas, including brand and B2B marketing, healthcare marketing, change management, employee engagement, corporate reputation, crisis management, data and analytics, technology, public affairs, social impact and financial communications. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com 

The Weber Shandwick Collective recognizes that your health and wellbeing are a priority. This is why we offer a full suite of benefits including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401k (with employer match)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Juice Money – $60 monthly reimbursement to be used towards purchases that nourish your health, mind, body, and soul
• MyDays – Flexible holiday schedules
• Short-Term Disability
• Paid Employee Family Leave
• Family Building Benefit

NYC Salary range: $100,000 – $115,000

Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; market considerations; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s background, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

Weber Shandwick is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Weber Shandwick recruits qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnic or national origin, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or citizenship status.

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