Senior Director, Counter Disinformation Unit Full Time

Edelman

About Edelman’s Crisis & Risk Practice:

Edelman’s Crisis & Risk practice is one of the largest and most respected in the world. With over 180 practitioners in 65 countries, we address some of the most complex reputational issues for clients worldwide. Issues that the team handles include corporate malfeasance, societal matters, litigation, ethics and integrity, security risks (e.g., physical and data), product and service risks (e.g., safety, health) and financial.

About the Opportunity:

Edelman is establishing a new Counter-Disinformation Unit (CDU) to provide deeper expertise in this growing area of reputational risk. It will build on the success that Edelman’s Digital Crisis team has had in this space in recent years.

The CDU will help clients anticipate, build resilience against, respond to, and recover from misinformation and disinformation attacks, ranging on a spectrum from organic consumer misperceptions through to weaponized state-backed disinformation and influence operations.

Working as part of a Global team and reporting to the Head of Crisis & Risk, EMEA as well as the Head of Global Digital Crisis, The Head of Counter Disinformation, EMEA will be responsible for developing the CDU strategy and offer against an agreed set of objectives. This individual will work across a wide range of Edelman teams to introduce, deliver, and execute the offer. The CDU team will also be supported by a research resource responsible for providing up to date analysis and strategic insights that will help inform a multi-channel crisis response strategy for our clients as they combat these disinformation risks.

This role will also play a key role in shaping the longer-term vision for the Crisis & Risk specialism considering the growing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and the shifting media landscape.

Given the CDU is a rapidly evolving offering from Edelman, there is significant scope to develop the strategy, targets and operating principles. We would also expect this role to take the lead in evolving and deepening the capabilities of the team in this area.

The role requires someone who is comfortable in a constantly changing landscape.In return, you will play an integral part in leading accounts thatareat the center of some of the most relevant discussionsin the world today.

Responsibilities:

• Work with other regional CDU leads to develop a global Counter Disinformation offering to service the growing needs of Edelman clients (existing and new).
• Serve as the lead adviser on mis and disinformation issues in EMEA serving high-profile and culturally relevant clients, working closely with other senior leaders in the company to counsel public, private sector, and NGO clients on complex issues.
• Advise on countering sensitive content issues including digital harassment, doxing, hostile activism, and hateful content.
• Drive pipeline and defined revenue growth in counter-disinformation and misinformation work within EMEA.
• Lead the marketing of the CDU internally within Edelman and externally in the region.
• Lead/participate in new business pitches to potential clients.
• Inform and develop proactive and reactive strategies and cross-channel tactical plans to counter or mitigate anticipated, emerging, and acute information threats.
• Identify and assess risks with a systems mindset, contextualizing emerging trends and threats with relevant geopolitical, cultural, or societally specific nuances.
• Develop and deliver disinformation response plans, client-side training, and simulations to build readiness and resilience against disinformation campaigns.
• Partner with other Edelman teams including strategy, creative, social media, influencer, performance marketing, predictive analytics and more to ensure seamless integration of counter-disinformation strategies within broader reputation and crisis management programs and context.
• Work with best-in-class academics, technology partners and practitioners to ensure Edelman’s counter-disinformation work remains in line with evolving best practices in the industry.
• Support project management and financial tracking across multiple client projects.
• Share knowledge and experience with other members of the Crisis & Risk team to embed the skills into all members of the team over time.

Qualifications:

• Significant experience working specifically in counter-disinformation roles, e.g. intelligence (preferably in military intelligence, government, or private security sector), international geopolitical, cybersecurity, or human rights functions.
• Strong experience in strategic communications and/or related fields.
• Extensive experience conceptualizing, drafting, and presenting strategic and tactical communications plans to address geopolitical, information (IO), cyber and/or violent actor behaviours and activities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of the application of digital communications and marketing techniques, strategies and tactics in disinformation, crisis, issues, or reputation management contexts.
• Experience analysing and mitigating high-impact threats from a diverse range of online threat actors.
• Understanding of psychological and behavioural science as it pertains to combatting disinformation and misinformation issues.
• Proven track record of managing and executing short-term and long-term projects under high pressure and time constraints.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams of direct and indirect reports on high-profile, high-pressure projects.
• Understanding of performance marketing strategies (notably audience identification/segmentation, targeting using paid media channels).
• Experienced in system dynamics thinking, thinking critically, and qualifying assessments with data driven communications skills.
• Experience working with a team spanning multiple locations/time zones.
• Proven business development experience with a track record of pitching and closing new business.

Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. Our honors include the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for PR; Advertising Age’s 2019 A-List; the Holmes Report’s 2018 Global Digital Agency of the Year; and, five times, Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Data & Intelligence (DxI) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, lifestyle).

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