Director, Strategic Communications

Description

Job Summary

The Director, Strategic Communications is a member of CLIA’s Strategic Communications team and supports the development and execution of integrated communications strategies that advance CLIA’s mission, protect and promote the cruise industry’s license to operate responsibly, strengthen the industry’s reputation, and reinforce CLIA’s role as the voice of the global cruise industry.

Reporting to the Vice President, Strategic Communications, the Director works within CLIA’s collaborative operating model, working with relevant functional and channel leads to support shared planning, early coordination, clear ownership, and integrated execution across workstreams. These workstreams focus primarily on media relations, conference and event content strategy and communications, content alignment, stakeholder engagement, and communications planning for major CLIA initiatives. This role helps ensure CLIA’s media engagement, events, conferences, executive visibility, member-facing programs, and strategic initiatives are supported with clear objectives, compelling messaging, coordinated content, and effective communications plans in coordination with the owners of related and complementary functions and channels, including Digital/Social, video production, Research, Graphic Design, regional communications, Government Affairs, Maritime Policy, and Membership & Events.

Membership & Events retains responsibility for event strategy, operations, logistics, registration, sponsorship management, event budgets, vendor coordination, and related execution. The Director leads assigned conference and event content, messaging, speaker preparation, promotional materials, and post-event communications in alignment with CLIA’s industry priorities, organizational objectives, the approved event strategy, and broader advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and member-value goals.

The Director works closely with colleagues across Strategic Communications, Maritime Policy, Government Affairs, Membership & Events, Research, Digital and Social Media, Graphic Design, regional teams, cruise line members, Executive Partners, vendors, consultants, and external stakeholders. The role requires strong strategic judgment, excellent writing and editing skills, strategic planning ability, project leadership, creativity in event marketing, and the ability to manage complex, cross-functional communications work.

Essential Job Functions

Media Relations and Reputation Support

• Lead assigned media relations strategies and support broader media efforts that strengthen CLIA’s voice, credibility, and share of voice on issues affecting the global cruise industry.
• Develop and execute proactive and reactive media strategies, including media outreach, reporter engagement, pitch development, press materials, statements, Q&As, briefing documents, backgrounders, and media lists.
• Monitor media narratives, emerging issues, and reputational risks, and recommend communications approaches that support accurate, balanced, and timely coverage.
• Support the preparation of CLIA executives, Board members, member representatives, and other spokespeople for media interviews, press briefings, panels, and public-facing engagements.
• Work with the SVP, Vice President, and other communications colleagues to ensure media messaging is aligned with CLIA’s broader reputation, policy, advocacy, research, and stakeholder engagement priorities.
• Coordinate with Digital and Social Media colleagues to amplify earned media coverage, develop media-related content, and support integrated paid, earned, shared, and owned communications strategies.

Conference and Event Content Strategy and Communications

• Lead assigned communications, event marketing content, and program content-alignment work for assigned CLIA conferences, events, executive engagements, member programs, stakeholder meetings, and special initiatives, in alignment with the approved event strategy.
• Work with Membership & Events, Government Affairs, Maritime Policy, Research, Digital and Social Media, Graphic Design, regional teams, and external partners to align event content with CLIA’s industry priorities, organizational objectives, audience needs, and approved event strategy.
• Help shape event themes, session topics, panel concepts, speaker objectives, audience takeaways, messaging, and content flow in coordination with Membership & Events, Government Affairs, Maritime Policy, regional teams, Strategic Communications leadership, and other relevant subject-matter experts.
• Help develop and coordinate event positioning, session descriptions, speaker briefing materials, promotional content, run-of-show materials, talking points, presentations, post-event content, and related communications materials.
• Ensure conference and event content advances CLIA’s reputation, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, member-value, and partnership objectives and connects directly to broader organizational priorities.
• Coordinate communications deliverables associated with sponsorships, Executive Partner engagement, member programs, and other stakeholder-facing initiatives to ensure alignment with CLIA’s strategic priorities, brand, and messaging standards.
• Partner with Membership & Events and other event owners, who retain responsibility for event strategy, logistics, registration, sponsorship management, budgets, vendor coordination, and event operations.
• Support content and communications planning for major industry moments and initiatives, including Seatrade Cruise Global, Cruise Forward, Cruise Caucus, regional summits, State of the Cruise Industry, Environmental Technologies and Practices releases, educational platforms, and other priority programs.

Content Strategy and Message Development

• Develop and implement content strategies for assigned campaigns, events, initiatives, media opportunities, executive communications, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Draft and edit messaging, talking points, fact sheets, backgrounders, web content, newsletters, articles, presentations, event materials, scripts, briefing documents, stakeholder materials, and other communications products.
• Translate complex industry, policy, research, sustainability, destination stewardship, workforce, health and safety, economic impact, and reputational issues into clear, credible, and compelling communications.
• Work with Research and subject-matter experts to incorporate accurate data, proof points, and insights into communications materials.
• Support the development of shared messaging resources, toolkits, content libraries, and communications materials for CLIA staff, members, partners, and regional teams.
• Help maintain consistency of CLIA’s messaging across audiences, channels, regions, events, and initiatives.
• Coordinate with the Director, Digital Strategy & Video Production, and the social and digital content lead on digital, social, and video components early in the planning process on approach, including purpose, audience, message, format, production needs, distribution, timing, and measurement.

Executive and Stakeholder Communications

• Support assigned executive communications for CLIA leadership, including speeches, presentations, talking points, remarks, interview preparation, correspondence, video scripts, internal messages, and other executive-level communications.
• Develop materials for the CEO, SVP, Vice President, senior leadership, Board members, committee leaders, and designated spokespeople in external and internal engagements.
• Support stakeholder communications for cruise line members, Executive Partners, travel trade members, policymakers, ports and destinations, tourism organizations, industry partners, academic institutions, media, and other audiences, in coordination with the appropriate relationship owners and workstream leads.
• Help identify and develop opportunities to use stakeholder voices, third-party experts, member examples, partners, and credible external validators to reinforce CLIA’s messages and strengthen reputation.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to ensure stakeholder-facing materials are accurate, aligned, useful, and delivered on time.

Issues, Reputation, and Rapid Response Support

• Support the SVP, Vice President, and media relations team in developing messaging, statements, Q&As, briefing materials, backgrounders, and other materials for issues management, reputation protection, and rapid response.
• Monitor assigned issues and stakeholder developments, identify communications needs, and recommend messaging, media, or content approaches as appropriate.
• Support rapid-response communications by preparing accurate, timely, and aligned materials for internal and external use.
• Coordinate with Government Affairs, Maritime Policy, Legal, Research, regional teams, and subject-matter experts to ensure issue-related materials are accurate and appropriately reviewed.

Team Leadership and Project Management

• Lead and coordinate assigned communications projects, including timelines, roles, responsibilities, materials, review processes, approvals, vendor coordination, and follow-up.
• Work collaboratively across Strategic Communications and with other CLIA departments to support integrated planning, efficient workflows, and clear ownership of deliverables.
• Support the Vice President and SVP in strengthening department processes, editorial planning, media relations workflows, content development, event communications planning, and project coordination.
• Lead assigned workstreams consistent with CLIA’s collaborative operating model, including clear ownership, shared planning, early involvement of relevant workstream leads, and respect for functional and channel expertise.
• Coordinate assigned projects with colleagues whose functional, channel, or subject-matter responsibilities the work affects.
• Manage assigned vendors, consultants, agencies, and freelancers as needed to support communications deliverables, in coordination with the relevant workstream, functional, and/or channel lead.
• Provide guidance to assigned team members and colleagues supporting media relations, content, events, and communications projects.
• Provide general support to the Strategic Communications team and assist with other duties and special projects as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The position may supervise one direct report and may manage consultants, agencies, vendors, freelancers, or other external partners.

Requirements

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of strategic communications, media relations, content strategy, event communications, stakeholder communications, reputation management, policy-related communications, and integrated marketing communications.
• Excellent writing, editing, messaging, presentation, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong media judgment and understanding of proactive and reactive media relations.
• Ability to translate complex industry, policy, technical, research, and reputational issues into clear, compelling, and audience-appropriate communications.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines, contributors, approvals, vendors, and deliverables.
• Ability to develop communications plans, messaging frameworks, executive materials, stakeholder resources, media materials, and content strategies that support clear objectives.
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments, regions, member companies, external partners, and stakeholder groups.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trust, manage by influence, and navigate complex organizational dynamics.
• Sound judgment, discretion, professionalism, and ability to handle confidential, sensitive, or high-pressure situations.
• Strong understanding of paid, earned, shared, and owned communications channels and how content should be adapted across channels and audiences.
• Ability to use research, data, and insights to strengthen messaging, content, media relations, and stakeholder communications.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365, presentation tools, collaboration platforms, and communications project management tools.

Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, business, political science, or a related field.
• Eight (8) or more years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, media relations, corporate communications, association communications, marketing communications, public relations, advocacy communications, event communications, or related experience.
• Experience developing media strategies, communications plans, messaging, content, executive materials, presentations, and stakeholder communications for complex organizations or issues.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience in a trade association, global organization, regulated industry, travel, and tourism, maritime, transportation, hospitality, advocacy, agency, or member-service environment.
• Experience working with executives, boards, committees, member companies, policymakers, media, external partners, or senior stakeholders.
• Experience supporting communications related to legislation, regulation, sustainability, destination stewardship, issues management, crisis response, or license-to-operate challenges.
• Experience developing communications and content strategies for major events, conferences, partnerships, awards, educational programs, or member-facing initiatives.
• Supervisory, vendor-management, agency-management, or project leadership experience preferred.

Work Environment

This position is based in CLIA’s Washington, D.C. office as part of a hybrid work environment (3-days onsite - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).

The role requires regular interaction with executives, staff, members, regional colleagues, consultants, vendors, media, partners, and external stakeholders, both in person and virtually.

The work environment is moderately quiet, consistent with a professional office setting that includes private offices, meeting rooms, and small team workstation areas.

The role may require occasional availability outside normal business hours to support urgent issues, media response, executive communications, events, or time-sensitive communications.

Required Travel

• About 10–20% domestic and international travel.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Other Duties

The Director, Strategic Communications may support other communications strategies and related initiatives for the organization. This job description does not contain a comprehensive listing of every activity, duty, or responsibility required for the role. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Reasonable Accommodation

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

EEO Statement

CLIA provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.