Media Strategy & Engagement Manager 2

Northrop Grumman is looking for a Media Relations Manager to support the company’s Corporate functional senior executives. In this role, the Media Relations Manager serves as a leader on the company’s Media Strategy & Engagement team responsible for developing, planning, executing, and measuring earned media and external engagement strategies in alignment with the company’s business priorities and thought leadership objectives. Your communications expertise will play a critical role in continuing to position the company as an innovation and technology leader.

This position location is located at Northrop Grumman’s headquarters in Falls Church, VA with options for hybrid work.

The Media Relations Manager is the primary communicator responsible for supporting Corporate functional senior executives in their engagements with media and other external stakeholders. In this role, the Media Relations Manager develops, supports and executes strategies that align with and support the company’s overall media engagement strategy to shape the understanding of our company priorities, enhance customer engagement events and more.

The manager is also responsible for leading a team that plans, coordinates, prepares, tracks, measures and reports on media and other events in which the company's functional subject matter experts participate. This responsibility also includes preparation of the spokesperson, ensuring all logistics are secured, and directly engaging with reporters and public affairs officers, when necessary.

In this role, the manager leads the development of preparatory materials to support the company's earnings release cycles and partnering to develop and execute the executive media strategy to support the same. ​

The manager also collaborates closely with other communicators and functional leaders across the company to lead media training and provide additional support to media engagements. As part of this responsibility, the manager may also write and edit news content, as required. ​

The Media Relations Manager also leads our team of reviewers to ensure content for external stakeholder use is accurate, impactful and ready for external audience consumption.

This leader is a mentor throughout the Communications team and helps develop media and public relations professionals across the company.​

How you will make a difference:

• Prepare and position company-wide subject matter experts for strategic external engagement opportunities as well as proper public release of related materials

• Analyze and share regular results and metrics on media relations efforts, use the data to help make informed decisions about engagement opportunities, timing and placement, aligned to achieve intended communications and business goals.

• Stay informed on industry news and flag issues and trends for appropriate internal stakeholders, correct inaccuracies and act as a company spokesperson, developing and maintaining relationships with key reporters to help shape and manage coverage for enterprise innovation and technology priorities.

• Lead, mentor, and develop media and public relations professionals across the company.

Skills for success:

• An ability to interact with executive leadership confidently and independently.

• High level of attention to detail and risk conscious mindset.

• Experience demonstrating strategic thinking, planning and decision-making.

• Comfort with change in a fast-paced, empowered work environment with strong collaboration and alignment to company priorities.

• Proven success in leading people as direct reports and when matrixed for projects.

• Experience developing and executing strategic media relations communications plans to achieve business objectives and advance thought leadership.

• An ability to identify and leverage news cycles to advance company thought leadership in priority focus areas; execute media engagements and support internal media training, messaging sessions.

• A commitment to quality work and accountability for results

• Effective AP writing and editing skills, with an ability to draft all types of news content from news releases and news features to long form articles for placement on owned channels.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum of 10 years of experience in media relations, communications, public relations, or public affairs for a medium- to large-sized organization OR Master’s degree and minimum of 8 years of experience in media relations, communications, public relations, or public affairs for a medium- to large-sized organization OR Associate's degree and a minimum of 12 years of experience in media relations, communications, public relations, or public affairs for a medium- to large-sized organization OR High School Diploma and 14 years of experience in media relations, communications, public relations, or public affairs for a medium- to large-sized organization.

• Experience leading people.

• Demonstrated knowledge in the developing, deploying and activating strategic media & communication campaigns with measurable business impact.

• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time; travel may include intra-office within the DC metro area, as well as other sites, in support of the business, as needed.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a large, matrixed and/or geographically dispersed organization.

• Experience developing productive relationships with executives and reporters.

• Experience in technology, aerospace, defense or other science-related business or government/political field.

• Familiarity with defense and aerospace industry reporters.

• Sound judgement in decision making and leadership actions with capabilities to drive storytelling through creative and/or other disruptive methods, ideas & approaches.

• Experience with Zignal Media Monitoring & Measurement tool and MuckRack reporter database tools.

Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO/AA and Pay Transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.