EVP Issues and Crisis

Golin is seeking an Executive Director of Issues and Crisis to join our growing team. We are looking for an expert in leading Issues & Crisis management teams, with experience across multiple industry verticals, with deep expertise in being a true consultant to clients in proactive and real-time crisis situations. 

Please note: Preferred location is Chicago; however, we are open to considering qualified remote candidates in other locations.  

What You Have:

• 15+ years’ experience in an agency or in-house communications position.
• Command of best-in-class Issues and Crisis and Risk Mitigation practices from across multiple verticals.   
• Successful experience leading and managing teams and big brands through high-profile issues and crises.
• Leadership experience as a people manager, collaborator, and advocate, a voice for the team, your direct reports, and as a member of our Senior Leadership Team.  
• Proven experience growing an Issues and Crisis team/practice — you know how to sell this line of work in a new business pitch and grow revenue.
• Comfort and command as a senior client counselor in times of need.
• Expertise in training C-suite clients on Issues and Crisis work, including message development and delivery and tabletop simulations.
• Expertise developing and optimizing crisis management tools including crisis plans, scenario playbooks, risk assessments, crisis simulations, etc. You are always looking for ways to improve them and create new tools to stay in line with competition.
• Heightened knowledge around emerging news and societal issues and how to guide clients through these topics. 
• An analytical mindset to evaluate situations from different angles, with a solutions-oriented approach.
• Familiarity with a broad suite of social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and others.  
• Knowledge of data and analytics capabilities to augment issues management response.
• Experience working in highly regulated industries, business continuity, litigation communications, on political campaigns or with activist groups (e.g., environmental activists, food activists, etc.) a plus.

What You'll Do:   

• Lead the Issues & Crisis practice at the agency, reporting to the Corporate Practice leader at the HQ office. This means managing the team, creating, and implementing best in class processes for the team, delivering thought leadership and ultimate growth across the agency.
• Establish “ways of working” with the Issues & Crisis practice and other teams at the agency and across offices (North America and globally) to operate as efficiently and fairly as possible; and support the team in maintaining this process.  
• Participate in new business pitches and successfully sell our Issues & Crisis services to new clients; proactively identify and solicit new business opportunities through your network and research.
• Lead the development of communications strategy and content on behalf of a client or company confronted with a reputation-threatening crisis.  
• Serve as a trusted partner and senior counsel to executives across clients. 
• Constantly evaluate the products and services this team offers, and drive improvements where needed, as well as determine areas the team is falling behind and needs to invest.  
• Establish innovations to remain on the forefront of the industry and how the team will market itself.  
• Serve as a subject matter expert for Issues & Crisis across the agency and manage the team’s roles across those accounts.  
• Ability to manage and work in high-pressure, high-leverage situations.  
• Direct, mentor and lead the team in a fast-paced, demanding environment.  
• Manage budgets and staffing plans. 
• Spot trends, monitor for emerging or active issues and “see around the corner” to predict what might happen next.  
• Be the driver of or a key contributor to agency wide POVs about emerging issues.  

Why Work for Us?  

We are 1,600 bright and eager individuals collaborating in more than 40 cities around the globe. Some in offices, some working remotely. Regardless of our geographies, our passion for collaboration is the #1 reason clients and colleagues enjoy working with us.  

Collaboration isn’t new for us…it started 60 years ago when our founder insisted that personal egos be set aside for the greater good of the agency. He knew great work starts with inspired teamwork. And inspired teamwork is how we get clients and colleagues to join us and stay for decades, and how we launch brands, build careers, win awards like PR Week’s Global Agency of the Year – three years in a row - all while creating everlasting friendships.  

Together, we will make the best work of our lives and create change that matters. If this mission sounds like something you could wake up to every morning, then read on.  

About Golin 

We are a global public relations agency poised and staffing for the needs of today. Through our 60+ year history we have redefined the role of PR with best-in-class work that has earned worldwide attention and awards. Representing some of the biggest Fortune One brands, we offer a suite of services from content creation and production, diversity equity & inclusion strategy, influencer marketing, corporate strategy, and public affairs to name a few. To learn more about Golin visit: golin.com.

Salary Range: $185,000 - $350,000 

Golin has included the base salary range or hourly rate for this role. Actual compensation offered within the range will depend upon, among other factors: a candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience; actual ranges for current or former employees in the role; and market considerations.

Any request to schedule an interview and any legitimate offer of employment will only come from an authorized representative of Golin. We will never require an applicant to provide sensitive personally identifiable information in order to conduct an interview.

Golin is an Equal Opportunity Employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

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