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Account Director- Public Sector (Strategic Federal Accounts)

Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States
 

 

At Cision, we believe in empowering every individual to make an impact. Here, your voice is heard, your ideas are valued, and your unique perspective fuels our collective success. As part of our global team, you'll thrive in an environment that champions curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, all while making meaningful contributions to the brands we accelerate. 
 
Join us in shaping the future of communication and building authentic connections that matter. Whether you're solving complex problems or driving bold innovations, your growth is our success, and together, we’ll create the conversations of tomorrow. 
 
Empower your impact at Cision. Be seen, be understood, be you. 

We are a leading provider of media intelligence, narrative analytics, and strategic communications solutions supporting organizations across the public and private sectors. Our services bring together earned, owned, and social media insights to help organizations understand the information environment, shape narratives, and make informed decisions in real time. 

Within the public sector, we partner with government agencies and public institutions to support mission-critical use cases—including media monitoring, crisis communications, stakeholder engagement, and performance measurement. Our solutions are designed to operate in complex, high-stakes environments where clarity, speed, and accuracy matter. 

We take a platform + partnership approach, combining technology with expert support to deliver outcomes. By integrating data, analytics, and advisory services, we help our clients move from reactive monitoring to proactive, intelligence-driven communications strategies. 

Our team operates at the intersection of technology, media, and public sector mission—working closely with clients and partners to solve complex challenges and drive measurable impact. 

The Account Director is responsible for growing and expanding strategic federal relationships, serving as a senior advisor to government stakeholders and aligning solutions to mission priorities, policy initiatives, and large-scale transformation efforts. 

This role is expected to drive expansion within existing federal accounts, influence strategic direction, and build long-term partnerships that translate into sustained revenue growth and impact. 

This is a relationship-led, strategy-first role—combining executive-level engagement, public affairs fluency, and business development discipline. The Account Director works across agency leadership, communications teams, and partner ecosystems to position solutions within broader initiatives such as modernization, infrastructure, and policy implementation. 

This role plays a key part in shaping how agencies communicate, engage stakeholders, and operationalize mission-critical initiatives. 

What You'll Do 
  • Own revenue growth, retention, and expansion across a portfolio of strategic federal accounts'
  • Serve as a senior strategic advisor to agency stakeholders, aligning communications, narrative intelligence, and engagement strategies to mission priorities
  • Develop and execute enterprise account strategies that expand presence across agencies, departments, and initiatives  
  • Identify and drive expansion opportunities tied to policy priorities, legislative initiatives, and agency modernization efforts  
  • Build and maintain relationships with senior leaders and decision-makers, including Public Affairs, Communications, Policy, Digital, and Executive Leadership  
  • Translate complex initiatives (e.g., infrastructure, climate, energy, digital modernization, national security) into actionable communications and intelligence strategies  
  • Lead renewal strategy and long-term account planning, ensuring continuity while positioning for multi-year growth  
  • Partner with internal teams to deliver executive briefings, strategic counsel, and integrated solutions  
  • Support and shape capture efforts tied to expansion opportunities, including RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs 
  • Partnership & Ecosystem Strategy
    • Engage system integrators (SIs) (e.g., Accenture Federal Services, IBM, Deloitte, Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, SAIC, GDIT), aligning solutions within broader transformation and policy-driven initiatives  
    • Engage channel and contract partners (e.g., Carahsoft, Accenture Federal Services, Booz Allen Hamilton, Four Inc., SHI) to support procurement strategy and aligning solutions within broader transformation and policy-driven initiatives 
    • Collaborate with partners to embed solutions within:  
      • large-scale federal programs  
      • agency modernization efforts  
      • change management and communications initiatives  
    • Execute across key federal motions, including:  
      • Supporting SIs as a subcontractor within transformation programs  
      • Aligning on joint pursuits and co-sell strategies  
      • Positioning within policy-driven or legislatively funded initiatives (e.g., infrastructure, energy, digital transformation)  
      • Maintain awareness of federal priorities, policy landscape, and procurement pathways  
      • Monitor account health, stakeholder alignment, and program outcomes to identify growth opportunities and risks proactively  
      • Maintain disciplined execution across account planning, forecasting, and expansion pipeline management  
What You'll Bring 
  • Bachelor’s Degree required (Master’s preferred in Communications, Public Policy, or related field)
  • 7+ years of experience across public sector, consulting, public affairs, or strategic communications, with exposure to revenue ownership or business development  
  • Demonstrated success in advising senior government stakeholders and driving outcomes across complex initiatives  
  • Experience working within or alongside federal agencies, consulting firms, or public affairs organizations 
  • Familiarity with policy-driven environments, including legislative priorities, agency initiatives, and stakeholder engagement strategies 
  • Experience partnering with system integrators (e.g., Accenture Federal Services, IBM, Deloitte, Booz Allen Hamilton) and navigating prime/subcontractor dynamics within federal environments 
  • Proven ability to translate complex policy or transformation efforts into actionable strategies and solutions 
  • Strong executive presence with the ability to engage credibly at the senior leadership level 
  • Preferred experience supporting or contributing to large-scale transformation or modernization programs within federal agencies 
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills across earned, owned, and social media landscapes 
  • Willingness to travel to client locations 20%–40% for in-person meetings and relationship development  
As a global leader in PR, marketing and social media management technology and intelligence, Cision helps brands and organizations to identify, connect and engage with customers and stakeholders to drive business results. PR Newswire, a network of over 1.1 billion influencers, in-depth monitoring, analytics and its Brandwatch and Falcon.io social media platforms headline a premier suite of solutions. Cision has offices in 24 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA and APAC. For more information about Cision's award-winning solutions, including its next-gen Cision Communications Cloud®, visit www.cision.com and follow @Cision on Twitter.
 
Cision is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees can be their authentic selves and perform at their best. We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion is vital to driving our culture, sparking innovation and achieving long-term success. Cision is proud to have joined more than 600 companies in signing the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge and named a “Top Diversity Employer” for 2021 by DiversityJobs.com.
 
Cision is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or other protected statuses.
 
Cision is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Cision will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact hr.support@cision.com
 
Please review our Global Candidate Data Privacy Statement to learn about Cision’s commitment to protecting personal data collected during the hiring process. 

For Individuals based in New York, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and California, Cision is required to disclose a salary range for this role. This compensation range is specific to these states, however base pay may vary depending on a range of relevant factors. The OTE range for this role is $200K–$250K 

 

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