Crisis Communications and Reputation Management Associate Director

Crisis Communications and Reputation Management Associate Director

• Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Job : R-1090038

Apply prior to:
February 16th, 2026

You want more out of a career. A place to share your ideas freely — even if they’re daring or different. Where the true you can learn, grow, and thrive. At Verizon, we power and empower how people live, work and play by connecting them to what brings them joy. We do what we love — driving innovation, creativity, and impact in the world.

Our V Team is a community of people who anticipate, lead, and believe that listening is where learning begins. In crisis and in celebration, we come together — lifting our communities and building trust in how we show up, everywhere & always. Want in? Join the #VTeamLife.

The mission of the Verizon Communications Associate Director is to drive excellence in managing crises as well as reputation management, brand protection and enhancement. This role will offer guidance and the direct handling of intervention with our internal partners and the media on a variety of crises, breaking news events, reputational issues, and more.

An ideal candidate must have the ability and willingness to work and manage a variety of corporate reputational issues, and the will and skill to respond to any breaking or unexpected issues. In addition, this person must be able to make difficult decisions under pressure using critical‑thinking skills, and demonstrate strong leadership and interpersonal skills to motivate and organize teams. This position will create campaign‑style external and internal communications plans for special projects, planned and unforeseen events.

This Communications Associate Director must act like a journalist in their own right — one who thrives and enjoys building and maintaining relationships with reporters, bloggers, influencers and others. This person must have a desire to work on corporate reputational issues, political and policy issues, cyber and corporate security functions and more. This role also supports all business units in the U.S. and abroad.

Responsibilities will include:

• Managing responses to crisis activations, including facilitating meetings.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key media members, including broadcast and print reporters, editors, and other thought leaders/influencers; existing and extensive media relations.
• Developing crisis and executive messaging.
• Developing social media guidance.
• Partnering with Legal and HR teams, including the Labor Relations team on contract negotiations for union workers.
• Building and designing campaigns: identify and bring together agencies and individual experts in a variety of backgrounds for short or long term brand protection initiatives.
• Monitoring and evaluating competitive media intelligence, suggest counter strategies and opposition narratives.
• Preparing corporate business leaders as spokespeople with comprehensive background materials and staff media interviews.

You’ll need to have:

• Bachelor's degree or four or more years of work experience.
• Eight or more years of relevant experience required, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
• Experience in corporate communications, public relations, cyber and corporate security, or crisis communications.
• Experience working and communicating with C‑suite and senior executive clients.
• Flexibility in working non‑traditional hours.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%.

Even better if you have one or more of the following:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or advertising.
• Experience in working, creating and/or managing a political campaign on a State or Federal level.
• Experience as a TV, radio or print journalist in a top 50 market.
• Experience or having worked for a Federal or State regulatory or legislative body, including Congress, the FCC, a state legislature or a Governor’s office.
• Experience in the Communications industry, technology or software.
• Experience pitching and maintaining relationships with reporters.
• Curated digital Rolodex of media contacts.
• Outstanding…