Public Affairs Specialist

Position Title: Public Affairs Specialist
Location/ Schedule : Washington DC-On-site with ability to flex work nights/weekends as needed (Not onsite for nights/weekends)
Contract Length- 3 Months with the possibility of 6 months

Overview:
The Public Affairs Specialist plays a versatile role in supporting the agency’s public affairs and communications efforts. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong judgment and the ability to quickly identify, prioritize, and respond to emerging issues in a fast-paced environment. This role requires experience managing media inquiries, drafting clear and compelling public-facing content, and supporting executive-level communications with professionalism and discretion, along with a solid understanding of the media and digital landscape.
Key Responsibilities:
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• Issue Recognition, Timeliness and Prioritization:
  • Ability to quickly identify, assess, and prioritize significant and emerging issues relevant to the agency and administration.
  • Demonstrated ability to deliver accurate, high-quality work under tight deadlines, with strong attention to detail.
• Media Inquiry Management:
  • Experience in tracking, triaging, and preparing responses for incoming media inquiries in a timely and organized manner.
  • Basic knowledge of traditional and social media influencer landscape.
• Writing Proficiency:
  • Proven experience drafting, editing, and finalizing content for press releases, statements, talking points, and social media platforms, tailored to a variety of audiences.
  • Skill in clearly communicating the goals, priorities, and initiatives of the Administration through all public-facing materials.
• Professionalism and Decorum:
  • Demonstrated understanding of the political environment, with the ability to navigate law enforcement sensitive issues including matters of national security, and represent the agency’s interests appropriately.
  • Experience working professionally and with discretion with executive-level leadership, maintaining confidentiality, and exercising sound judgment at all times.
  • Ability to work collaboratively within a fast-paced team environment and maintain professionalism in all interactions.
• Digital Literacy:
  • Familiarity with social media management tools, analytics, and best practices for maximizing engagement and reach.

Qualifications:
Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Political Science, Public Affairs, or a related field.
• A minimum of 2–5 years of professional experience in public affairs, communications, media relations, journalism, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and editing press releases, statements, talking points, and social media or digital content for public-facing audiences.
• Experience supporting or coordinating responses to media inquiries in a fast-paced or high-visibility environment.
• Familiarity with government, public sector, or highly regulated environments is preferred.
• Experience working with senior leadership or executive stakeholders, exercising discretion and sound judgment.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.

 

Benefits at Red Carrot:    

At Red Carrot, we empower you to be a leader. We attract and develop talent from all backgrounds because we believe there’s strength in diversity, offering different perspectives and skills. Together, we can solve our client’s biggest challenges. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package.     

• Training and Development – Tuition reimbursement and professional trainings for eligible employees.
• Healthcare – Top-tier medical, dental, vision, life insurance and long-term disability coverage.     
• 401(k) Plan – 401(k)-retirement and Roth plan with company matching and no vesting period.     
• Profit Sharing – Discretionary profit-sharing plan to all eligible employees after one year of employment.          
• Paid Time Off – Provides flexible work hours, paid time off, and 11 federal holidays.   

About Us:

Red Carrot is an award-winning, woman-owned small business built for the complexity of federal government work. We partner with clients to advance their goals — powered by a team fueled by passion, backed by intelligence, and grounded in expertise.

From day one, we've applied industrial engineering principles and data analytics to solve complex problems with precision. Our approach is research-centric, data-informed, and audience-oriented — and it's how we deliver work that actually moves the needle.

We exist to strengthen the organizations and communities we serve through trusted, purposeful communication. That's not a tagline — it's the standard we hold ourselves to on every engagement.

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, with a strong and growing presence in Washington, D.C., our team works with clients across the country. Distance doesn't dilute our service. We build capacity where our clients need it, delivering Strategic Communications, Customer Experience, Management Consulting, and Human Capital Solutions that fit their mission — and their moment.

We're the partner organizations turn to when communication challenges are real, the stakes are high, and the work has to matter.