Fractional VP, Integrated Communications

Fractional VP, Integrated Communications Role Overview This is not an account-specific consulting role. You'll work across the agency as a senior communications leader who elevates the quality of thinking and earned media work, develops the team, and serves as a trusted senior counterpart to the Founder & CEO. You'll begin at approximately 30-40 hours per month, with the opportunity to expand as the agency and client portfolio grow. Key Responsibilities Senior Client Leadership Serve as senior strategic counsel across DripComm's client portfolio Build trusted relationships with founders, CEOs, CMOs, and senior marketing leaders Provide proactive counsel on communications strategy, brand positioning, cultural relevance, reputation, and business-driving visibility Participate selectively in high-priority client meetings, strategic planning sessions, campaign development, and quarterly planning Lead difficult client conversations and escalations with confidence, diplomacy, and sound judgment Serve as senior agency coverage when the Founder & CEO is unavailable Earned Media + Editorial Strategy Elevate DripComm's earned media strategy across beauty, wellness, fashion, lifestyle, business, and consumer categories Identify feature-worthy narratives beyond traditional announcements and product launches Develop strategies for long-form features, profiles, trend stories, thought leadership, expert commentary, data-driven stories, and other high-value earned opportunities Review and elevate priority pitches, messaging, press releases, thought leadership, and other editorial materials Help teams determine when a client-proposed story isn't the strongest story and identify a more compelling angle Bring strong media instincts and relevant senior editorial relationships to the agency Jump into pitching selectively when a story, relationship, or high-value opportunity benefits from senior involvement Creative + Integrated Strategy Lead and participate in creative brainstorms across PR, influencer, affiliate, partnerships, experiential, retail, and cultural activations Push the team beyond expected PR ideas toward campaigns that can genuinely earn attention Connect communications strategy to clients' broader brand and business objectives Help identify cultural moments and emerging conversations where clients have a credible right to participate Ensure earned media and influencer strategy work together rather than operating as separate disciplines Team Leadership + Development Provide senior oversight and mentorship to the Account Manager and broader client services team Coach team members on strategic thinking, feature development, pitching, writing, client counsel, and prioritization Help the AM grow as an account leader without simply taking over their responsibilities Establish clear expectations around what should be solved independently at each level of the team Review work strategically without becoming an unnecessary approval bottleneck Help build a culture of accountability, creativity, ownership, and excellent client service Agency Leadership + Growth Partner directly with the Founder & CEO on agency priorities, resourcing, client health, and growth Help identify operational or staffing issues before they affect client work Support new business strategy, proposals, pitches, and prospective client conversations selectively Help strengthen DripComm's positioning as an integrated communications agency Contribute to the systems and leadership infrastructure required for DripComm's next stage of growth Required Qualifications 10+ years of PR, communications, integrated marketing, or earned media experience, with significant agency experience strongly preferred Director, VP, SVP, or equivalent senior leadership experience Demonstrated ability to oversee multiple client accounts simultaneously Deep experience developing earned media strategies and securing meaningful national and top-tier coverage A track record of developing features and narratives, not simply executing announcement-driven PR Strong media relationships across relevant consumer, beauty, wellness, fashion, lifestyle, business, and/or health categories Experience counseling founders, executives, and senior marketing leaders Exceptional writing, editing, messaging, and storytelling skills Strong creative and cultural instincts Experience mentoring AM-, AE-, and junior-level communications professionals Understanding of integrated communications spanning PR, creators/influencers, affiliate, events, partnerships, and cultural marketing Ability to quickly understand unfamiliar industries and identify the strongest story Excellent judgment, confidence, and executive presence Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort operating within a growing independent agency We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate specific long-form, feature, and top-tier media wins and clearly explain the role they personally played in securing them. Work Arrangement & Compensation Fractional leadership position Approximately 30-40 hours per month initially Target rate: competitive commensurate with experience Hours may expand alongside agency revenue and client growth Potential to evolve into a larger leadership position as DripComm scales, based on agency needs, performance, and mutual fit #J-18808-Ljbffr Gofractional