[Hiring] External Communications Consultant @Conduent

Role Description

Conduent is seeking a strategic, hands-on communications professional to help strengthen the company’s external reputation, increase media visibility and communicate its business transformation, technology capabilities and client impact to key audiences. The Senior Manager, Public Relations & External Communications will lead the day-to-day execution of Conduent’s public relations program, developing compelling storylines, building relationships with journalists, generating earned-media opportunities and translating business priorities into relevant external narratives.

This role will partner closely with business leaders, subject-matter experts, Marketing, Investor Relations, Legal and other stakeholders to identify newsworthy stories, develop executive visibility opportunities and support proactive and reactive communications. The ideal candidate combines strong strategic judgment with excellent writing, media relations expertise and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, complex corporate environment. This is a highly hands-on role for someone who can both shape the strategy and personally deliver the work.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute proactive PR plans aligned with Conduent’s business strategy, transformation priorities and reputation objectives.
• Identify compelling storylines that demonstrate Conduent’s industry expertise, technology capabilities, innovation, client outcomes and business impact.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with business, technology, trade and industry journalists to generate meaningful earned-media coverage.
• Develop targeted media pitches, press releases, contributed articles, executive bylines, Q&As, media briefs and other external communications materials.
• Proactively identify opportunities to position Conduent and its leaders in relevant industry conversations, including business transformation, AI-enabled operations, customer experience, healthcare, financial services and public-sector services.
• Manage media outreach from story development through pitching, follow-up, interview coordination and coverage tracking.
• Evaluate media opportunities based on audience relevance, credibility, business value and potential reputational impact.
• Develop external messaging, talking points, briefing materials and interview preparation for the CEO and other senior leaders.
• Build executive thought-leadership programs, including contributed articles, speaking opportunities, interviews and relevant industry commentary.
• Translate complex business, technology and operational topics into clear, differentiated narratives for external audiences.
• Partner with leaders and subject-matter experts to surface insights and develop original perspectives that can earn media interest.
• Help maintain consistent corporate messaging, company descriptions, key messages and proof points across external communications.
• Review and strengthen external content to ensure clarity, accuracy, differentiation and alignment with company priorities.
• Partner with Marketing on integrated storytelling, campaign amplification and the use of earned and paid media to extend the reach of priority content.
• Identify opportunities to repurpose business developments, client wins, research, events and internal expertise into external stories, subject to client permissions and disclosure requirements.
• Monitor relevant media coverage, industry developments and emerging issues affecting Conduent and its businesses.
• Prepare concise media coverage reports, executive updates and analysis of communications effectiveness.
• Support the development of reactive statements, media responses, Q&As and communications plans for sensitive or emerging issues.
• Coordinate with Legal, Security, business leaders and external advisers on issues requiring careful review, rapid response or specialized counsel.
• Help maintain media response protocols, approval workflows, contact lists and other core PR processes.
• Work closely with Marketing, Investor Relations, Legal, ESG, business leadership and internal communications to ensure coordinated external messaging.
• Partner with external PR agencies and specialist advisers on defined projects, major announcements, crisis communications and other high-priority needs.
• Establish clear briefs, deliverables, timelines and performance expectations for agency partners.
• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the external communications operating model.
• Establish practical measures of PR performance, including relevant earned-media coverage, message inclusion, quality of outlets, executive visibility and engagement with priority audiences.
• Track results against communications objectives and use insights to refine storylines, outreach strategies and channel selection.
• Maintain a forward-looking PR calendar tied to company announcements, business milestones, industry events and thought-leadership opportunities.
• Provide regular reporting on progress, media opportunities, risks and results to communications leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing or a related field.
• Typically 7–10+ years of experience in public relations, corporate communications, media relations or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated success generating earned media through proactive pitching and strong journalist relationships.
• Experience working with B2B, technology, business services, consulting, financial services or other complex corporate organizations.
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling and message-development skills.
• Experience developing executive thought leadership, media briefing materials and external communications for senior leaders.
• Strong judgment in handling sensitive issues, media inquiries and reputational risks.
• Ability to understand complex business and technology topics and translate them into clear, relevant stories.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage competing priorities with minimal supervision.
• Experience working with external PR agencies and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively in a global organization with geographically dispersed teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a publicly traded company and understanding the coordination required among Corporate Communications, Investor Relations and Legal.
• Familiarity with crisis communications, cybersecurity issues or other sensitive corporate matters.
• Experience supporting executive visibility at industry conferences, media events and business announcements.
• Familiarity with media monitoring, coverage analytics and social listening tools.
• Experience communicating AI, digital transformation, customer experience or technology-enabled business services.

Requirements

• A more proactive and consistent earned-media program tied to Conduent’s business priorities.
• Stronger relationships with relevant journalists and increased opportunities for meaningful media coverage.
• Clearer, more differentiated corporate storytelling and stronger message inclusion in priority coverage.
• Increased executive visibility through relevant interviews, thought leadership and speaking opportunities.
• Faster, more coordinated responses to media inquiries and emerging issues.
• Improved visibility into PR performance, agency effectiveness and communications return on investment.
• More efficient use of external agency resources by bringing routine PR planning, writing, pitching and execution in-house.

Benefits

• Health and Welfare Benefits: Our health and welfare benefits can be tailored to fit your needs and start on the first day of employment.
• Retirement Savings: We support you as you invest in your future.
• Employee Discounts: We offer you access to a vast selection of global, national, and local discounts on merchandise, services, travel, and more.
• Career Growth Opportunities: We help you thrive, so together, we can grow. We provide opportunities to advance your career with a vast portfolio of businesses and a global footprint.
• Training: Earn while you learn and continue to grow with access to award-winning learning platforms throughout your Conduent career.
• Great Work Environment: We are proud of our award-winning culture and the recognition we’ve received for our diversity efforts.