Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning

SENIOR MANAGER, PUBLIC AFFAIRS 

Weber Shandwick is seeking a curious, creative, and media-savvy Senior Manager to join our Public Affairs team in Washington, D.C., as part of Weber Advisory—a unit delivering trusted, agile C-suite counsel by blending communications expertise with cultural insights to accelerate stakeholder and business value. This role will focus on executing communications and public affairs strategies for corporate, public sector, and non-profit clients at the intersection of business, politics, policy, and media.

The ideal candidate is a public affairs professional with a passion for policy, advocacy, and communications. They bring a strong understanding of how Washington, D.C. operates, a proven track record of delivering effective public affairs campaigns, and experience thriving on high-performing teams in a fast-paced environment. This position will be based in our D.C. office on a hybrid schedule.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Support day-to-day execution of public affairs and communications strategy.  

• Develop and execute bespoke public affairs plans to meet clients’ policy, legislative, regulatory or reputational needs in a rapidly evolving environment. 

• Craft messaging, content, and advocacy materials that align with client objectives. 

• Research, analyze, and provide timely recommendations on a variety of legislative, regulatory, and political developments – and media trends – that impact clients. 

• Own key pieces of client projects requiring research, writing, analysis, and creative thinking. 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, serving as an integral part of ensuring we deliver our best work and exceed client expectations. 

• Integrate media strategy, paid and social media tactics, and stakeholder engagement to influence policy and legislative outcomes. 

• Support new business proposal development to expand the agency’s client base. 

DESIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE 

What We’re Looking For 

• 5-8 years of professional experience in public affairs or communications agencies, Capitol Hill, Executive Branch agencies, political campaigns, media, advocacy, or similar organizations. 

• Strong written and verbal communications, research, and critical thinking skills. 

• Proven track record of working on complex client accounts (or related issues) and delivering successful advocacy and media campaigns. 

• Fluency in social media and a strong understanding of the new media landscape. 

• A curiosity for and/or experience in AI tools for research, writing, and brainstorming ideas. 

• A voracious consumer of news, closely following national politics, public policy, and political culture. 

• Understanding of federal policymaking, political dynamics, and regulatory processes, as well as what breaks through the media landscape. 

• Ability to support and mobilize fast-paced, highly collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams. 

• A fast learner who can quickly get up to speed on any public affairs topic. 

• Resilient mindset, deep curiosity, and a healthy sense of humor. 

• Bachelor’s Degree. 

Additional Qualifications 

• A network of contacts and relationships across media, Hill staff, think tanks, and/or other DC stakeholders. 

• Experience working with new media – influencers, bloggers, Substack writers. 

• Experience working with clients and policy issues across multiple sectors and industries. 

SUBMISSION 

• CV 

• Cover letter optional 

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

Salary range: $81,000.00 – $98,000.00

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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Market Research Intern (Fall 2025)

 

An internship at KRC Research in Washington, DC is a perfect opportunity to become immersed in the field of opinion research and gain invaluable hands-on business experience. KRC interns work directly with project teams assisting with research design, execution, and analysis. All KRC Research internships are paid and include extensive training opportunities. We highly value our interns and their contributions. In fact, the vast majority of our entry level staff started their career at KRC as interns.

 

For more details from previous interns, take a look at the following blog posts, and please review our website for information about the qualitative, quantitative, and analytics research.

 

1. An Intern Answers the Questions that She Asked in Her Own KRC Interview
2. The KRC Internship Experience: An Insider’s Perspective

 

About KRC Research

KRC Research is a leading global strategic market research firm. KRC specializes in qualitative and quantitative public opinion research and analytics to drive strategy, start conversations, and measure success. Our work spans the healthcare, corporate, consumer, technology, and financial industries as well as non-profit and government sectors. We work with other agencies within The Weber Shandwick Collective (including Weber Shandwick, Powell Tate, and United Minds) and direct-to-KRC clients. KRC is headquartered in Washington, DC with staff across the U.S.

 

Qualifications

1. Strong preference for those who are a recent college graduate, graduate student, or current college senior. 
2. Must be able to work a minimum of 30+ hours per week, with a strong preference for those who can work full-time (40 hours per week). This internship will begin in September and go through December.
3. Must have superior analytical and writing skills, be a proactive communicator, and possess a keen eye for detail.
4. Strong preference for those with previous internship/work experience. (Experience in opinion research is not required.)
5. Should have an interest in market research including work with data, analytics, or data visualization.

 

To Apply

• Please submit each of the following: the online application, a resume, and a cover letter.

Washington DC Salary range: $20.00 – $20.00

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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Directeur·rice, Planification stratégique

Le ou la directeur·rice de la planification stratégique travaillera à l’élaboration de stratégies de communication percutantes destinées au marché du Québec. Le ou la candidat·e idéal·e est bilingue et possède un esprit perspicace qui s’imprègne de la culture, aime comprendre ce qui pousse les consommateur·rice·s à agir et cultive une passion pour les idées inattendues permettant de faire progresser les communications dans un marché nuancé. À ce poste, il ou elle participera à tous les éléments de la stratégie de marque et d’entreprise dans divers secteurs, notamment celui des soins de santé. Au cœur de cette fonction figurent la création et l’analyse des données et des tendances du marché, l’élaboration d’études de marché et la conception d’idées et de stratégies efficaces permettant de relever les défis auxquels sont confrontées les marques et les entreprises.

Responsabilités :

• Faire progresser les capacités à diriger des mandats spécifiques au marché – sous la supervision et avec les conseils d’un·e membre expérimenté·e de l’équipe.
• Afficher une prestance professionnelle et mature au sein de l’équipe et dans les relations avec la clientèle et faire preuve de solides techniques de présentation.
• Déceler de façon proactive les défis potentiels liés au plan de recherche et au brief créatif en formulant des recommandations d’amélioration.
• Initier et contribuer à la réalisation du processus stratégique, du plan de recherche au brief créatif. Codiriger des mandats pour la clientèle.
• Exploiter les données, les recherches et les rapports pour en tirer des idées et des enseignements.
• Développer une compréhension approfondie de la dynamique du marché d’un produit ou d’une marque, de l’état d’esprit de la clientèle, des actions de la concurrence et des tendances de l’industrie.
• Déterminer et formuler des idées qui conduiront à un changement de comportement.
• Cultiver des relations étroites avec le personnel, les partenaires internes et la clientèle, notamment en conseillant le personnel subalterne.

Expérience requise :

• Six à dix ans d’expérience en stratégie et planification des communications ou du marketing, idéalement au sein d’un service ou d’un environnement en communications, spécialisé dans la génération d’idées stratégiques au sein du marché québécois.
• Compréhension de la stratégie de marque culturelle et connaissance des relations publiques, du numérique et des médias sociaux.
• Expertise dans le secteur du marketing et des communications.
• Grande aisance dans l’utilisation des techniques et des ressources de recherche et dans la génération d’idées.
• Expérience avérée de l’analytique et de l’analyse de données (non seulement l’extraction de données, mais aussi leur manipulation).
• Aptitudes à faire des présentations claires et convaincantes en français et en anglais.
• Agilité dans le style de travail – capacité démontrée à travailler dans des délais serrés et à collaborer.
• Excellente communication verbale et écrite en français et en anglais, ainsi qu’une capacité à élaborer et à étayer des arguments.

 

Freelance Director, Strategic Planning

The Director, Strategic Planning will work to architect powerful business driving communications strategies for the Québec market. The ideal candidate is a bilingual, insightful thinker who is in-culture, loves to understand what drives consumers to act and is relentless about finding unexpected insights to drive communications forward in such a nuanced market. In this role, you will be involved in all elements of brand and corporate strategy across industries including healthcare. Key to this role will be creating and analyzing data and market trends, shaping market research, and developing impactful insights and strategies that solve brand and corporate challenges.

Responsibilities:

• Advances abilities to lead market-specific engagements – with supervision and guidance from a senior member of the team.
• Acquires professional, mature presence in the team and client relationship, and shows strong presentation skills.
• Proactively identifies potential challenges with the research plan, creative brief, making recommendations for improvement prior to completion.
• Initiates and helps to execute strategic process, from research plan to creative brief, for approval from more senior leads. Co-leads client projects/ assignments.
• Mine data, research, and intelligence reports for insights and implications.
• Develop an immersive understanding of a product or brand’s market dynamics, customer mindset, competitive actions and industry trends.
• Derive and articulate insights that will drive behavior change.
• Cultivate strong relationships with staff, internal partners, and clients including counseling junior staff.

Experience Requirements:

• 6-10 years of experience in marketing/communications strategy and planning ideally within a strategy department/communications environment specializing in strategic insight generation within the Québec market.
• Understanding of cultural brand strategy with familiarity of work within PR, digital and social media.
• Expertise in the marketing and communications industry.
• High level of comfort with research techniques and resources and insight generation.
• Demonstrated experience with analytics and analyzing data (not necessarily just pulling data but also manipulating it).
• Clear and compelling presentation skills in both French + English.
• Agility in working style – demonstrated ability to work against tight timelines and to work collaboratively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication in both French + English with the capability to construct and support arguments.

 

Salary range: $100.00 – $115.00 

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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