Strategist

ABOUT M&C SAATCHI WORLD SERVICES

M&C Saatchi World Services is a full-service marketing company renowned for using commercial advertising to solve the world’s toughest challenges. World Services is a specialty branch of M&C Saatchi Group, and we provide strategic communications, behavior change, and marketing support to Public Sector clients with special emphasis on the US Federal Government and State, Local, Tribal, & Territorial leaders.

THE ROLE

M&C Saatchi World Services is seeking a strategic and insight-driven Strategist to develop and execute communications approaches that shape audience understanding, influence behavior, and support mission objectives across a diverse portfolio of federal programs.

Working closely with communications, creative, stakeholder engagement, research, analytics, and account teams, you will transform audience insights and organizational priorities into compelling communications strategies that drive measurable outcomes. You will play a central role in campaign planning, message development, audience engagement, and performance evaluation, ensuring communications efforts remain aligned with stakeholder needs and organizational goals.

The ideal candidate combines strong strategic thinking with exceptional communication skills and a deep understanding of audience behavior. They are comfortable working across disciplines, collaborating with stakeholders, and translating complex challenges into clear, actionable communications solutions.

This is a hybrid role; however, the ideal candidate will live in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement integrated communications strategies that support organizational priorities, stakeholder engagement objectives, and mission outcomes.

• Translate audience insights, research findings, and organizational goals into effective communications approaches and messaging frameworks.

• Support the development and execution of communications campaigns across digital, social, stakeholder engagement, and traditional communications channels.

• Develop strategic briefs, messaging frameworks, communications plans, content strategies, and campaign recommendations.

• Assist in audience research, stakeholder analysis, environmental scanning, and trend monitoring to inform strategic decision-making.

• Collaborate with creative, content, media, analytics, and stakeholder engagement teams to ensure communications activities align with strategic objectives.

• Guide the development of creative, content, and production briefs that translate strategic intent into effective communications products.

• Support leadership communications, stakeholder engagement initiatives, public affairs activities, and mission-focused communications efforts.

• Evaluate communications effectiveness through performance metrics, audience insights, sentiment analysis, and engagement reporting.

• Develop presentations, reports, briefings, and recommendations that communicate strategic thinking and campaign performance to stakeholders.

• Ensure communications products maintain consistency across messaging, tone, audience needs, accessibility standards, and brand requirements.

• Identify opportunities for innovation, optimization, and continuous improvement across communications programs and engagement activities.

Key Attributes

• Experience developing communications strategies, stakeholder engagement plans, public affairs initiatives, or integrated communications campaigns.

• Strong understanding of audience analysis, strategic messaging, and communications planning methodologies.

• Experience translating research findings, audience insights, and performance data into actionable communications recommendations.

• Experience incorporating AI-enabled research, audience intelligence, and trend analysis tools into communications, engagement, and strategic planning efforts.

• Curiosity in technology landscape and how AI is changing communications.

• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and facilitation skills.

• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, compelling, and audience-focused communications strategies.

• Experience developing messaging frameworks, strategic briefs, communications plans, campaign recommendations, and stakeholder engagement approaches.

• Strong stakeholder-management and relationship-building abilities.

• Experience collaborating across communications, creative, research, analytics, stakeholder engagement, and program teams.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with the ability to evaluate communications effectiveness and optimize performance.

• Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders in fast-paced environments.

• Interest in geopolitics, international affairs, public affairs, development, or mission-driven communications is preferred.

• Experience supporting commercial brands and entities through the development of communication strategies preferred.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance, as required by the position.

• Degree or relevant experience in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, Political Science, International Relations, Public Affairs, Behavioral Science, or a related field preferred.

Eligibility Requirements:
• U.S. Citizenship: Must be a United States Citizen (required by government contract).
• Clearance Eligibility: Must be able and willing to obtain a U.S. Government Secret or Top Secret security clearance immediately upon employment.
• Background Screening: Must be willing to submit to a rigorous federal background investigation, which includes an in-depth review of personal finances, criminal history, employment history, and drug use.

The salary range provided reflects the anticipated compensation for this role across our Washington, DC and New York locations. Actual starting salary will be determined based on geographic location, relevant experience, skills, and other job-related factors.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT HERE

• Work on impactful programs supporting federal and defense-related initiatives.
• Collaborate with high-performing cross-functional teams across communications, digital and analytics disciplines.
• Opportunity to shape strategic public engagement initiatives at enterprise scale. • Flexible hybrid working environment.
• Exposure to complex, mission-driven stakeholder engagement challenges.
• Career development opportunities within a fast-growing global organization.

WHAT YOU GET

• We offer a competitive salary and a benefits package designed to support your health, family life, financial wellbeing, and growth.

Family & parental support
• 12 weeks’ full pay for Primary Carers and 6 weeks for Secondary Carers (after one year of service; return requirements apply for subsequent leave)
• Applies to birth, adoption, and surrogacy
• Up to 10 days’ paid fertility leave per year (5 per cycle)
• 2 days’ paid leave for new grandparents
• $2,500 annual interest-free parental loan
• $6,000 interest-free fertility treatment loan

Healthcare & wellbeing
• Choice of three medical plans (HSA at $0 cost; EPO 75% employer funded; PPO 65% employer funded)
• 70% employer-funded dental and vision coverage
• Generous paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, including an office closure between Christmas & New Year's
• Gym membership reimbursement and/or Wellhub subscription
• 401(k) with 4% employer match
• 24/7 mental health support through Self Space
• Social events, happy hours, professional development trainings, etc.
• Work from anywhere for up to 2 weeks per year (subject to approval)

Culture & development
• $300 annual cultural stimulation allowance (accrued monthly; available after 90 days)
• Weekly Thursday happy hour
• Mentorship and Buddy programs

ABOUT M+C SAATCHI WORLD SERVICES

M+C Saatchi World Services is a specialist division of M+C Saatchi Group, the world’s largest independent communications network. Our specialists work in office hubs across six continents, grounding our global expertise in local nuance.

We offer award-winning commercial communications capabilities, which are utilized by global organizations to address the world’s most complex problems across defence, development, diplomacy, homeland and national security, law and order, health, education, and the environment.

We work with clients that want to help the hardest-to-reach, hardest-to-influence audiences. This includes a range of Western Government departments, such as DOS and USAID; partner governments, including the U.K. and Australia; and prominent IGOs/NGOs such as the U.N.

We are a comms agency that works on behaviour change projects typically focused on issues related to Security, Defence and Stabilization. Whether it’s producing critically acclaimed feature films in Africa, to TV shows in the Middle East, to pop music videos in Asia, we have a record of leveraging creativity to access communities anywhere in the world.

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