Manager - External Communications (Advertising)

About the Job

Primary purpose:

Tallgrass is seeking a high-capability operator to serve as a hybrid creative and media activation leader - who can both develop compelling content and effectively deploy them in market. The ideal candidate combines strong creative instincts with disciplined media execution and audience targeting expertise. This individual will develop and produce creative content across digital, radio, print, and television platforms; design data-driven audience targeting strategies; execute media placements; and actively manage campaigns for performance, optimization, and measurable impact.

Responsibilities:

Creative Development:

• Develop and execute integrated advertising and advocacy campaigns.
• Write scripts for television, radio, and digital video.
• Develop messaging frameworks and campaign concepts.
• Create or oversee development of digital, print, and social creative assets.
• Coordinate video production and external vendors as needed.

Media Strategy & Execution:

• Design and implement paid media plans across digital, OTT/CTV, broadcast, radio, and print.
• Execute audience targeting strategies, including geofencing and demographic targeting.
• Manage platform execution (Meta, LinkedIn, Google, programmatic, etc.).
• Track performance metrics and optimize campaigns in real time.
• Manage campaign budgets and vendor relationships.

Strategic Integration:

• Align paid media efforts with Government & Public Affairs strategy.
• Support project-level communications in multiple states.
• Assist in rapid-response and issue-driven campaign development when needed.
• Perform other duties as required.

Job Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in one of the following (or closely related): Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Advertising, Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communications; Political Science/Public Affairs (especially helpful for advocacy/issue work); Digital Media, Film/Video Production (helpful for multi-platform creative).

Experience/Specific Knowledge:

Creative & Content Production:

• Experience developing integrated advertising and advocacy campaigns across multiple channels.
• Strong knowledge of message frameworks, campaign concepting, and audience-driven storytelling.
• Demonstrated ability writing for broadcast formats:
  • TV scripts, radio scripts, and digital video scripts.
• Working knowledge of end-to-end creative production:
  • Creative briefs, storyboards, revisions/approvals, and production timelines.
• Experience coordinating video production and managing external creative vendors (production houses, freelancers, agencies).

Paid Media Strategy & Activation:

• Hands-on experience building and executing paid media plans across:
  • Digital (social/search/display), programmatic, OTT/CTV, broadcast TV, radio, and print.
• Knowledge of audience targeting and segmentation, including:
  • Geofencing, demographic targeting, interest-based targeting, lookalike modeling (platform-dependent).
• Platform familiarity executing campaigns in tools such as:
  • Meta Ads Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, Google Ads/YouTube, DSP/programmatic platforms (as applicable).
• Knowledge of campaign measurement:
  • KPIs (reach, frequency, CPM, CPC, CTR, video completion rate, conversions), tracking, and optimization methods.
• Experience managing budgets, pacing, and vendor relationships with accountability for performance.

Public Affairs / Advocacy Integration:

• Understanding of aligning communications with Government & Public Affairs objectives.
• Experience supporting communications and paid media across multiple states/markets.
• Familiarity with rapid-response or issue-driven communications cycles (fast turnaround creative and deployment).

Certifications, Licenses & Registrations:

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and a driving record satisfactory to the company and its insurers (for travel).

Competencies, Skills & Abilities :

• Integrated campaign planning (message → creative → targeting → deployment → optimization).
• Creative direction and brand stewardship to ensure consistency across channels.
• Media planning and buying with sound channel selection, flighting, and budget allocation.
• Audience strategy: building segments, testing hypotheses, and refining targeting based on results.
• Performance optimization: A/B testing creatives, adjusting bids/budgets, managing frequency and fatigue.
• Excellent writing and editing (broadcast scripts and digital copy).
• Strong stakeholder management (internal partners, leadership, public affairs teams).
• Effective vendor management (briefing, timelines, deliverables, negotiation).
• Ability to translate complex issues into clear, persuasive public-facing messaging.
• Data literacy: interpreting dashboards, extracting insights, making decisions from performance trends.
• Project management: timelines, dependencies, approvals, and multi-market coordination.
• Budget management: pacing, forecasting, reconciliation, and ROI-minded decision-making.
• Strong attention to detail for trafficking, specs, compliance, and QA.
• Ability to concept, write, and oversee production of creative assets across TV, radio, print, and digital.
• Ability to activate campaigns directly in major ad platforms and manage them day-to-day.
• Ability to build targeting strategies (including geofencing) and adjust based on performance.
• Ability to optimize in real time using performance indicators and experimentation.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under tight timelines, including rapid-response needs.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Government & Public Affairs and support multiple states/markets simultaneously.
• Ability to own outcomes-tying creative and media execution to measurable impact.

Physical Demands:

All of the physical requirements listed below are those that may be necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Sitting, standing, walking or moving throughout facility; driving; talking; seeing (specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus); hearing; feeling; bending or stooping; squatting or crouching; reaching; kneeling; pushing; pulling; lifting up to 25 lbs.
• Minimal safety hazards; general office working conditions.
• Must be able to sit for prolonged periods of time.
• The employee is regularly required to use hands to type, touch, handle, or feel. The employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to walk and climb or balance. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Working Conditions:

• The successful candidate will be required to clear a drug screen and a complete background check, including credit report for certain positions, after an offer has been extended and prior to being employed.
• Required to carry a cell phone and be available to respond during working and non-working hours.
• Travel to other domestic locations may be required.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• No.

PREFERRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

Above the minimum requirements; not required but advantageous in this position:

• Experience in the Energy, Oil or Gas industries preferred.

Other responsibilities:

• The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed. This position may perform other duties as assigned.