Strategic Communications Director

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Job Title: Strategic Communications Director

Location with zip code: Onsite (M-F) NSF Arlington VA

Duration: Full Time:

Clearance Required: Active Secret or higher clearance

Role & Responsibilities:

Strategic Communications Leadership:

• Develop and execute a communications strategy aligned to the OPNAV N16 mission and vision.
• Advise OPNAV N16 leadership, on messaging, positioning, and engagement.
• Establish a visual-first, decision-support communications model.
• Align communications with OPNAV N16 execution cadence.
• Strategic Alignment.
• Align communications with Navy strategic objectives, warfighting priorities, and force modernization goals
• Translate technical and programmatic efforts into operational impact for fleet and mission readiness
• Ensure communications reflect DoW, DON, and OPNAV N16 priorities, policies, and messaging guidance
• Leadership Narrative & Strategic Translation.
• Translate leadership vision, mission, and strategy into a clear, unified communications narrative
• Ensure consistent expression across:
• Executive briefings
• Visual products and dashboards
• Governance materials
• Media and video communications
• Operationalize strategy into repeatable communication outputs
• Ensure all communications reinforce priorities, decisions, and outcomes
• Maintain a single, consistent strategic narrative across all teams and workstreams
• Executive Engagement (OPNAV / Pentagon-Level)
• Prepare communications for OPNAV Flag/SES leadership
• Support executive briefings, testimony preparation, and high-level decision forums
• Ensure alignment with Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), and Joint Staff guidance
• Integrated Content & Messaging Strategy
• Oversee development of executive briefings, technical documentation, governance products, and stakeholder messaging.
• Ensure outputs are clear, concise, actionable, and aligned.
• Visual & Media Communications Leadership.
• Drive visual storytelling as the primary communication method.
• Oversee development of infographics, diagrams, dashboards, and videos
• Ensure all products reflect and reinforce leadership intent and priorities
• Public Affairs & External Coordination
• Coordinate with OPNAV and other Public Affairs Offices
• Synchronize messaging across internal communications, public release materials, and media engagement
• Team Leadership & Workforce Management.
• Lead a tiered team spanning intake, creation, and production.
• Ensure all outputs are strategically aligned and narratively consistent.
• Process Improvement & Governance.
• Establish intake, prioritization, and workflow processes.
• Standardize templates and communication artifacts.
• Implement performance metrics and feedback loops.
  
  

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor s degree in Communications, IT, Public Affairs, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience supporting OPNAV staff, Fleet commands, DoW or other Federal Agency headquarters
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven ability to support executive-level communications.
• Strong ability to translate technical concepts into mission and operational impact.
• Excellent written, visual, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to operate in high-tempo operational environments.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master s degree.
• 10 years of experience in strategic communications within United States Navy, DoW, or Federal environments
• Navy organizational structure and fleet operations.
• Experience working with CHINFO / Public Affairs.
• Background working in Information Technology environments.
• Prior military or civilian service within Navy or DoW organizations.
  
  

Preferred Certifications:

• Certifications are not required but are strongly valued when they demonstrate expertise in strategic advisory, communications leadership, and execution within mission-driven defense environments.
• Strategic Communications & Executive Advisory (Highest Priority)
• Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP )
• Communication Management Professional (CMP )
• Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)
• Graduate-Level Strategic Communications
• Graduate certificates in Strategic Communications or Public Leadership
• Core Competencies
• Strategic Thinking & Enterprise Alignment
• Executive Communication & Advisory
• Strategic Narrative Development & Translation
• Visual Storytelling & Information Design
• PMO & Governance Integration
• Leadership & Team Development
• Stakeholder Influence
• Change Communication
• Operational Execution
• Navy / DoD Mission Alignment
• Warfighting Communication Translation
• OPNAV & Headquarters-Level Communication Support
• Operational Security (OPSEC) Awareness
• Reporting Structure
• Client-side reports to: CIO / Deputy CIO
• Company side reports to PM / APM as assigned
• Direct Reports: Technical Writer, Visual Communications Specialist, Executive Designers, Production Designers
• Impact of the Role
• The Strategic Communications Director is essential to how the organization translates strategy into execution in support of Navy and DoW missions.
• By converting leadership mission and vision into consistent, high-quality communications products, this role:
• Ensures leadership intent is clearly understood across all levels.
• Creates a unified narrative across programs and mission areas.
• Accelerates executive decision-making.
• Strengthens alignment between strategy and operational execution
• Directly supports fleet readiness, warfighting capability, and modernization outcomes
• Bottom line: This role ensures that leadership strategy is not just communicated but brought to life, operationalized, and aligned to mission execution across the Navy enterprise.
  
  

Required Clearance:

• Secret or higher clearance.
  
  

About our Company: -

22nd Century Technologies, Inc., is one of the fastest growing IT Service Integrator and Workforce Solution companies in the United States. Founded in 1997, 22nd Century Technologies is a Certified National Minority Business Enterprise with 6,000 people including 600 Cyber SMEs nationwide supporting our customers in all 50 states, Canada, and Mexico. With HQs in Somerset, NJ and Mclean, VA, 22nd Century has 14 offices throughout the United States. As part of our unrelenting focus on quality and compliance, 22nd Century Technologies delivery is based on Certified Matured Processes including CMMI L3 Dev & SVC, ISO 20000, ISO 27001, and ISO 9001 quality processes. With a strong focus on the public sector, 22nd Century currently holds government contracts with 14 out of 15 Federal Executive agencies including DoD, 37 other Federal agencies, 50 States, 115 Local agencies, and 37 School Districts. In the last three years, we have expanded our services to Fortune 500 and other commercial clients and currently support 80 commercial clients.

Recognized among Best Company to Work For by Forbes, 22nd Century Technologies, Inc., consistently exceeds our clients expectations by focusing on their absolute satisfaction with jobs while keeping our employees motivated. 22nd Century Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer" and s & all other parties authorized to work in the US are encouraged to apply."

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.