Outreach & Engagement Program Manager (Secret clearance)

Outreach & Engagement Program Manager

At ICF Next, we are fearless in finding new ways to solve problems, relentless in making sure it pays off for our clients and committed to making a positive change in the world. Join our community of mission-driven creatives, communicators, strategists, and technologists to challenge the status quo.

The Outreach & Engagement Program Manager will lead the planning, execution, and oversight of outreach and engagement initiatives to advance organizational goals. This role is responsible for managing day-to-day operations of the outreach and engagement team, driving program strategy, and ensuring high-quality delivery across all communications and engagement activities. The Program Manager will serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, providing guidance on schedules, staffing, performance, and program innovation.

Job Location: Must live in the Washington, DC area to travel occasionally to the client office.

*If you accept this position, you should note that ICF does monitor employee work locations blocks access from foreign locations/foreign IP addresses and prohibits personal VPN connections.

What You Will Do:

• Lead a multidisciplinary team of strategic communications professionals.
• Develop and maintain O&E strategic plans, brand guidelines, message architectures, and editorial calendars aligned to Government priorities.
• Ensure brand consistency, accessibility, and compliance (e.g., Section 508, Plain Language) across all communications and creative outputs.
• Conduct brand and message testing; iterate based on stakeholder insights and performance data.
• Map stakeholder audiences, define engagement objectives, tactics, channels, and touchpoint plans.
• Oversee development of multi-format content (e.g., fact sheets, toolkits, videos, motion graphics, one-pagers, FAQs, newsletters, blogs, press materials) tailored to priority audiences.
• Manage media monitoring, issues scanning, sentiment analysis, and regular reporting to Government.
• Provide status reports, performance dashboards, and briefing materials per contract.

What You Will Bring With You:

• Candidate must have an active Secret clearance or higher.
• Possess a current PMI Project Management Professional certification or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III Program Management.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of experience managing government communications, corporate communications, or marketing communications, including stakeholder management and maintaining internal and external relationships.
• At least five (5) years of experience in Outreach & Engagement (O&E) management, covering brand and content development, public relations, strategic planning, and web/social media operations.

What We Would Like You To Bring With You:

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree related to O&E, public relations, marketing, communications, or other field related to work under this requirement.
• A minimum of five years of experience leading content development and creative services, including visual design, multimedia content production, and digital accessibility compliance.
• A minimum of five years of experience developing targeted campaigns for a user base of 1M or more.
• Experience managing teams on federal/state/local government or highly regulated programs; familiarity with government review/approval processes.
• Proficiency with content and analytics tools (e.g., social publishing suites, web analytics platforms, social listening, dashboarding).

Professional Skills:

• Highly effective analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interface effectively at all levels of the business.
• Organized, detail oriented and able to prioritize and multi-task.

ICF is a global advisory and technology services provider, but we're not your typical consultants. We combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge technology to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change, and shape the future.

We can only solve the world's toughest challenges by building a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer. Together, our employees are empowered to share their expertise and collaborate with others to achieve personal and professional goals.

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Reasonable Accommodations are available, including, but not limited to, for disabled veterans, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation, please email Candidateaccommodation@icf.com and we will be happy to assist. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

At ICF, we are committed to ensuring a fair interview process for all candidates based on their own skills and knowledge. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate or assist with responses during interviews (whether in-person or virtual) is not permitted. However, we understand that some candidates may require accommodation that involves the use of AI. If such an accommodation is needed, candidates are instructed to contact us in advance at Candidateaccommodation@icf.com.