Director of Communications - Perkins Eastman

Life at PE:
Perkins Eastman is a global design firm with expertise that covers all aspects of the built environment. With studios in 24 locations worldwide, we design for people to enhance the human experience, and leave a lasting and positive impact on people’s lives and the world we inhabit. This is captured in our ethos of “Human by design”

We are an integrated firm with a professional roster that consists of architects, interior designers, planners, urban designers, landscape architects, graphic designers, construction economists, environmental analysts, resiliency experts, traffic and transportation engineers, and several other professional disciplines.

Our culture is collegiate and collaborative, we thrive on teamwork. We believe that the talent we attract is our greatest asset.

The Opportunity:

Perkins Eastman is seeking a talented and creative Director of Communications to join our dynamic team. The role is to lead and develop the communications team to amplify and promote Perkins Eastman’s brand across all relevant media.

As Director of Communications, this individual’s responsibility will be to develop and implement effective communication strategies that enhance our organization's brand image and engage both internal and external stakeholders. The Director of Communications is a key position within the firm and as such needs to be a team player working alongside firm leadership and partnering with the other department directors.

We are looking for a proactive, detail-oriented, and forward-thinking Director of Communications who can effectively convey our organization's message to a wide range of audiences. They will lead and build the Communications team in its global work. Elevating and celebrating Perkins Eastman’s brand and many accomplishments through media coverage, social media postings, speaking engagements, honors and awards, and events are all integral to this position.

Primary Responsibilities:

Business Strategy

• Develop and implement comprehensive communication strategies that align with organizational goals and values.
• Cultivate and sustain strong relationships with media outlets and stakeholders to promote organizational initiatives and achievements, targeting relevant publications and journalists to boost brand visibility.
• Manage submissions for awards, including FAIA submissions, and surveys, providing accurate and impactful entries that highlight our organization's achievements and strengths.
• Pitch PE thought leaders for speaking engagements.
• Organize events in different studios for occasions like panel discussions, conferences, parties, and tours.
• Proactively work in collaboration with cross-functional teams to gather information, identify communication needs, and provide guidance on effective communication practices.
• Monitor and analyze communication metrics to assess the effectiveness of communication and provide recommendations for optimization.
• Stay current with industry trends and best practices in communication, branding, and digital marketing.

Strategic Communication Plan

• Create engaging content that communicates the firm's message globally and enhances brand awareness across various platforms and mediums, including social media, press releases, marketing materials, newsletters, stories, blog posts, videos, and infographics.
• Work closely with Co-CEOs and Executive Leadership on crafting internal and external messages.
• Collaborate with Marketing Director and Marketing Team to ensure consistent messaging and branding across all communication channels.
• Oversee all communications publications, including producing a weekly internal newsletter that triggers social media posts and press mentions on the website.
• Oversee the organization's ever-evolving PE website content, social media presence and proof reading posts and all the firmwide accounts, confirming accuracy, relevance, and user-friendliness.
• Oversee the firm’s crisis communication plan and work with Executive Leadership to respond to any issues.

Leadership

• Leading the communication team and fostering a positive and creative work environment.
• Engaging in regular touchpoints with the Instagram Ambassadors for each studio

• Oversee the Knowledge Resource Training team for the ongoing growth of our internal website.

Other

• Monitor multiple mailboxes for news inquiries, frequent questions, and outreach to each of our 24 studios.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field.

• Demonstrated expertise in a Director of Communications or equivalent position, with a minimum of 8 years of experience.
• A minimum of 5+ years of leadership, including a successful track record of developing teams, people and getting business results
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and presentation skills
• Outstanding organizational and planning abilities
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Proficient in using various communication tools and platforms.
• Familiarity with design software and content management systems is a plus.
• Knowledge of current trends in communications and branding.

Type: This full-time position will be in Perkins Eastman’s New York City studio. The hybrid position will include four days in the studio, and one day working remotely. This role is firmwide.

What we offer you:

• Robust medical, dental and vision coverage
• 401k Options
• Life Insurance
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Professional Development
• Competitive salary

Compensation may vary based on the job level and your geographical work location. Perkins Eastman is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and a participant in the U.S. Federal E-Verify program. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.