Role Overview / Position Summary
The Associate Director – External Communications & PR is a critical leadership role in the marketing function, responsible for building the Incedo brand, promoting our CEO's brand, and sharing the Incedo story globally through a strong external communications and public relations lens. This role will drive Incedo's external visibility through media relations, CEO branding and reputation management, CEO communications, thought leadership, analyst relations, social media, corporate events, and impactful, coherent content and messaging. The ideal candidate will be a driven and engaged senior professional with a proven track record of building and leading brand and PR programs globally, including hands-on experience managing PR in the United States. The position will report into the Head of Marketing and will work closely with the CEO's office, HR team and marketing team.
Key Responsibilities:
- Drive a comprehensive and high-quality external communications, media and public relations program that will catapult Incedo's brand awareness, visibility and positioning in the US.
- Own and manage relationships with key media, journalists, industry analysts and influencers across India and the US, securing high-impact press coverage and speaking opportunities.
- Develop and execute strategies to enhance the CEO's thought leadership, including speaking engagements, bylines, and interviews with top media and influencers in India and the US.
- Monitor and manage the CEO's reputation, addressing any issues that may arise and ensuring a positive public image across markets.
- Lead crisis communications and issues management, developing proactive PR strategies and rapid-response plans to protect and strengthen corporate reputation.
- Build and execute a US-focused PR strategy and press strategy, leveraging prior hands-on experience managing PR agencies, journalists and media relationships in the United States.
- Develop and manage relationships with PR agencies (India and US), negotiating scope, tracking deliverables and measuring ROI on external communications spend.
- Lead the marketing efforts for the CEO's books, including launch strategies, promotional activities, publisher coordination, media & influencer outreach and event planning.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive social media and digital PR strategy to increase brand awareness, engagement and share of voice.
- Oversee the creation of high-quality external-facing content (press releases, media kits, thought leadership articles, bylines, award submissions) to enhance the corporate brand.
- Plan and execute external corporate events, conferences, award ceremonies and media briefings that elevate Incedo's brand presence in India and the US.
- Leverage AI tools and platforms (e.g., generative AI writing assistants, AI-based media monitoring, sentiment analysis and social listening tools) to improve the speed, quality and measurement of PR and communications output.
- Champion the adoption of AI-driven workflows within the communications team — including AI-assisted content drafting, press release generation, media list building and coverage analytics — to drive efficiency and scale.
- Track and report on PR and external communications effectiveness using AI-powered analytics and media intelligence tools, translating data into actionable insights for leadership.
- Mentor the marketing team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture. Provide guidance and support to team members to achieve marketing objectives.
- Manage the marketing budget and allocate resources effectively to maximize ROI.
Qualifications and Skills:
- MBA degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field.
- 12-16 years of experience in B2B external communications and PR, with a proven track record of success in leadership roles.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience managing PR programs, media relationships and press strategy in the United States is required.
- Strong understanding of external communications, media relations, PR, CEO communications and branding, digital marketing, social media, content marketing and corporate events.
- Working knowledge of AI tools for communications and PR (e.g., generative AI for content drafting, AI-based media monitoring and social listening platforms) and a demonstrated interest in applying AI to improve PR outcomes.
- Excellent strategic thinking and analytical skills.
- Proven ability to lead and inspire a team.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent communication and content skills - a solid writer, content creator and skilled in articulating complex concepts in a simplified way.
- A doer, an ambitious and positive professional with strategic thinking.
- A curious, creative, data-driven, detail oriented individual with strong analytical capabilities.
- Ability to work independently and drive multiple initiatives simultaneously at speed.
- Excellent people and management skills to interact with staff, colleagues, cross-functional teams and third parties.
