Description

 Public Affairs Associate

DC, Atlanta, Houston, Des Moines, or Oklahoma City Office

About The Firm

Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc. (Cornerstone) is a full-service, bipartisan consulting firm specializing in federal and state government relations, public affairs and strategic communications and advisory services. Utilizing a shared philosophy and complete team approach, Cornerstone has offices in 12 states with more than 150 professionals and stands as one of the industry’s most effective and respected consulting firms. Our team is dedicated to helping our clients effectively tell their story. We are a group of senior professionals with diverse experience in public relations, business, media and government. We help our clients anticipate and navigate the complexities that occur at the intersection of policy, politics, and public perception to achieve their desired objectives.

Recognizing the ability to better serve our clients, the firm established a public affairs and strategic communications practice, in April 2017 to integrate with the existing government relations and regulatory strategy services. Now with a presence in Atlanta, Houston, Oklahoma City, and Washington, DC, we give clients a complete offering that fosters collaboration and increases the resources available to achieve success. We specialize in developing and implementing public affairs strategies that complement government affairs initiatives and amplify communications efforts with local audiences; garner national media attention; advance an organization’s public policy goals; train leaders for press engagement; and organize and execute public events. We provide bespoke counsel, develop and implement thoughtful communications strategies, advise on messaging and reputation management, overcome crises, and assist in building long-term engagement plans.

Summary/Objective

Cornerstone seeks a full-time Associate to support senior staff professionals with content creation and client services management. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Producing written copy on a wide variety of issues. Copy includes press releases, social media posts, internal and external memos, op-eds, newsletters and briefings.
• A base-level understanding of public affairs and client services.
• Working with team members to manage short and long-term deadlines and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Managing multiple social media accounts and understanding digital metrics.
• Developing and maintaining media lists.
• Conducting media research and identifying opportunities within a news cycle.
• Targeting and executing media pitching opportunities
• Event management
• Staffing senior members in high-level meetings with materials, notetaking, and logistical planning.
• Internal and external information gathering and interpreting.
• Tracking client due outs, developing client reports, and communicating with team members to ensure deliverables arrive on time.
• Providing administrative support for business development.
• Developing a curiosity about the needs, goals, and context of each client.
• Assistance with scheduling, preparing call agendas, and various other administrative tasks as needed.
• Executing research and creating content for a wide range of client communications; and
• Support as needed for senior staff.

Qualifications

Competencies

The ideal candidate for this position is a skilled multi-tasker, who is reliable and is committed to consistently meeting deadlines. Key qualities for candidates in this position include:

• Proactiveness: Works independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexibility: Able to work early mornings and evenings.
• Dependability: Arrives to work on time, follows instructions, pays attention to detail, responds promptly, and solicits feedback to improve performance.
• Adaptability: Able to adapt to changes in the work environment on a day-to-day basis, comfortable with ambiguity, and manage relationships with multiple client service professionals in the office.
• Time Management: Thrives in a fast-paced environment and can manage competing priorities.
• Communication: Possess strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Teamwork: Able to work within a team, is approachable and willing to help others.

Key Requirements

The ideal candidate for this position is someone who has a bachelor’s degree, background in communications, journalism or public relations and has a strong interest in public affairs, media, and writing. `The candidate must have at least 2-4 years of work-related experience. Excellent writing, organizational, and communication skills are essential, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment is vital.

Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, and Excel), Microsoft Teams, and Adobe Acrobat are required.