Strategic Communications Task Lead

Barbaricum is seeking an experienced Strategic Communications Task Lead to lead strategic communications initiatives under the Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) Outreach and Digital Enterprise Services (MODES) contract. You will support research-informed messaging, audience insight-driven communications, narrative development, and time-sensitive communications efforts that enhance MC&FP's ability to inform, engage, and support the global military community.

Responsibilities:

• Lead execution of strategic communications initiatives informed by research, analytics, audience insights, and MC&FP priorities.
• Coordinate messaging, narrative development, campaign planning, and communications products across channels to optimize reach, consistency, and effectiveness.
• Lead Strategic Communications planning processes to ensure cross-team communications campaigns and activities are integrated, audience-informed, and aligned with MC&FP objectives.
• Establish project and program management approaches that support team coordination, track progress, manage resources, and align communications activities with program priorities.
• Develop proposals and recommendations with senior leadership to enhance the quality, reach, and mission impact of Outreach and Engagement activities.
• Support performance monitoring by working with team leaders and managers to establish metrics that measure the effectiveness and success of engagement and campaign activities.
• Collaborate with Policy, Events and Partnerships, Leadership and Organizational Development, and other functional teams to communicate practical policy and practice insights to target audiences.
• Develop and maintain a strong applied understanding of MC&FP audiences, stakeholder needs, and communication channels.
• Manage time-sensitive, high-profile, pilot, or special project communications efforts, ensuring timely delivery of accurate and effective communications products.
• Prepare and support high-profile promotional events, leadership messaging, campaign materials, briefings, talking points, and other strategic communications deliverables.

Required Skills:

• Strong knowledge of strategic communications, public relations, audience analysis, campaign planning, research-informed messaging, and communications performance measurement.
• Ability to translate research, analytics, audience insights, and program results into compelling narratives, messaging strategies, and communications products.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including presentation, public speaking, briefing, editing, and executive-level messaging capabilities.
• Ability to persuade, negotiate, and advance or resolve issues through clear, strategic, and audience-focused communication.
• Strong writing and editorial skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences in a concise and understandable manner.
• Experience coordinating communications campaigns across multiple teams, channels, stakeholders, deadlines, and competing priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to develop polished communications products, briefings, reports, and presentation materials.
• Strong multitasking, time-management, and organizational skills, with the ability to meet deadlines and advance multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work effectively with senior leaders, functional teams, policy professionals, event teams, partnership leads, and communications personnel.
• Sound judgment, attention to detail, and ability to manage time-sensitive communications in a mission-focused environment.

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications, Public Policy, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in organizational strategic communications, public affairs, communications campaign management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic communications plans, campaign messaging, audience-informed narratives, communications products, and performance measures.
• Experience supporting executive communications, high-profile promotional events, special projects, pilot initiatives, or time-sensitive communications efforts.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams to align communications, policy, events, partnerships, stakeholder engagement, and organizational priorities.
• DoD Secret Security Clearance.