Director, Public Affairs

About Us

As a women-led, Sacramento-based public affairs firm, Lucas Public Affairs is known for its high-level reputation, issue management, and strategic communication campaigns. On every project, we lead with smart strategy, diversity of thought, and deep-rooted connections to get the right people to care about issues that define California’s future.

LPA is also a member company of Public Policy Holding Company, Inc., providing us with the unique ability to collaborate with both domestic and international leading government relations and public affairs firms to best serve client needs, and to provide employees with the benefits that come from working in a publicly traded company (London Stock Exchange).

Position Overview

The Director is a strategic partner to senior leadership, responsible for account management, client team performance, and account team supervision and development. The Director is responsible for ensuring client expectations are met and that the client service team is on-time and on-strategy for completing strategic communications program deliverables and commitments. The Director is also responsible for providing continual mentorship and guidance to the account teams. This role requires occasional travel to attend client meetings and/or events.

As a Director, you will:

• Spearhead public affairs/strategic communications key client account activities, work deliverables and strategic planning; be independently accountable for implementation of public affairs strategies.
• Support new business initiatives, departmental growth, and company marketing and branding; be forward-thinking on expanding past existing scope of client work and requests.
• Lead client meetings; develop and present proposals, manage strategic plans, disseminate client memos/correspondence, and deliver client performance reports.
• Develop and monitor account team activity against client budgets and project team hours for accounts.
• Deliver integrated programs (owned, earned, and paid); consistently meet billable and capacity targets.
• Approve and disseminate press releases, fact sheets, news advisories, and social content.
• Simultaneously manage multiple client reports and deliverables; manage client expectations of deliverable due dates.
• Provide continual feedback, mentor, and assist with the professional development of account teams; consistently check in with team to ensure deliverables are on time, in-budget, and high quality.
• Support the supervision and delegation of tasks to junior staff including but not limited to tracking news clips, maintaining and updating key client files, documenting client updates, and other essential client support activities; oversee quality of work deliverables and professional development targets.
• Contribute to the firm’s culture, through agency initiatives & events to support a collaborative and collegial work environment.
• Perform other duties as needed to achieve departmental and company goals.

To be successful, you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree with a major in public affairs, government relations, journalism, or related degree field
• A minimum of 6 years of experience in public affairs, government affairs/lobbying, journalism, or related experience
• Proven success in developing, implementing, and executing successful strategic communications programs
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, drive performance, and foster a positive work environment
• Industry knowledge and experience, including a broad knowledge of concepts related to multiple industries, such as: energy, higher education, public health, tourism, technology, health care, insurance and transportation
• Strong knowledge and understanding of California’s political and public affairs environment, regulatory issues, and the news media
• Demonstrate social and digital media enthusiasm and have proven success delivering innovative ways to leverage the latest trends and platforms
• Proven track record of implementing/executing strategic communications programs
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects and collaborate with senior level staff
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills (e.g., verbal, written, and over the phone)
• Superior organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

We prefer that you have:

• Agency experience, specifically in public affairs/public policy, is highly preferred

Schedule

• Typical office hours - Monday through Friday, 8:30-5:30
• Hybrid - Mi nimum of three days per week in the Sacramento office

What We Offer

• Competitive vacation and sick policies, allowing you to take time off as needed and maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Competitive Medical/Dental/Vision coverage for employees and families
• 401K plan with traditional and Roth options
• $100 monthly phone stipend and company paid parking
• Company paid basic life insurance of $50,000, long-term disability, and short-term disability coverage
• Professional development, mentoring, and community engagement opportunities
• Company paid access to a wide range of health and well-being resources and services including telephonic counseling, legal advice, and other services

Compensation

$110,000 - $149,000 annual salary

Core Values | Philosophy

Our core value as a strategic partner is defined not by what we do, but by what we help our clients achieve. We are a diverse, talented and well-connected team that is 100% committed to delivering results. Put simply, we are problem solvers who are unequivocally committed to our clients’ success.

Diversity Commitment & Vision

LPA is an equal opportunity employer. LPA recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law. At LPA, we have a strategic vision: to be a diverse and inclusive community of passionate, talented people dedicated to delivering creative solutions for our clients. We believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, political affiliation, and all the other enriching characteristics that make us different and inform our point of view.

Additional Information

While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk or hear, both in person and by telephone; use hands repetitively to handle, feel, or operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; and lift up to 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

To Apply

Please visit our website at Lucas Public Affairs at