Account Director- Public Sector (Strategic Federal Accounts)

Cision
United States, Virginia, Tysons Corner
Mar 21, 2026
At Cision, we believe in empowering every individual to make an impact. Here, your voice is heard, your ideas are valued, and your unique perspective fuels our collective success. As part of our global team, you'll thrive in an environment that champions curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, all while making meaningful contributions to the brands we accelerate. Join us in shaping the future of communication and building authentic connections that matter. Whether you're solving complex problems or driving bold innovations, your growth is our success, and together, we'll create the conversations of tomorrow. Empower your impact at Cision. Be seen, be understood, be you. We are a leading provider of media intelligence, narrative analytics, and strategic communications solutions supporting organizations across the public and private sectors. Our services bring together earned, owned, and social media insights to help organizations understand the information environment, shape narratives, and make informed decisions in real time. Within the public sector, we partner with government agencies and public institutions to support mission-critical use cases-including media monitoring, crisis communications, stakeholder engagement, and performance measurement. Our solutions are designed tooperatein complex, high-stakes environments where clarity, speed, and accuracy matter. We take a platform + partnership approach, combining technology with expert support to deliver outcomes. By integrating data, analytics, and advisory services, we help our clients move from reactive monitoring to proactive, intelligence-driven communications strategies. Our teamoperatesat the intersection of technology, media, and public sector mission-working closely with clients and partners to solve complex challenges and drive measurableimpact. The Account Directoris responsible forgrowing and expanding strategic federal relationships, serving as a senior advisor to government stakeholders and aligning solutions to mission priorities, policy initiatives, and large-scale transformation efforts. This role is expected todrive expansion within existing federal accounts, influence strategic direction, and build long-term partnerships that translate into sustained revenue growth and impact. This is arelationship-led, strategy-first role-combining executive-level engagement, public affairs fluency, and business development discipline. The Account Director works across agency leadership, communications teams, and partner ecosystems to position solutions within broader initiatives such as modernization, infrastructure, and policy implementation. This role plays a keypartin shaping how agencies communicate, engage stakeholders, and operationalize mission-critical initiatives. What You'll Do Ownrevenue growth, retention, and expansion across a portfolio of strategic federal accounts' Serve as asenior strategic advisorto agency stakeholders, aligning communications, narrative intelligence, and engagement strategies to mission priorities Develop and executeenterprise account strategiesthat expand presence across agencies, departments, and initiatives Identifyand driveexpansion opportunitiestied to policy priorities, legislative initiatives, and agency modernization efforts Build andmaintainrelationships withsenior leaders and decision-makers, including Public Affairs, Communications, Policy, Digital, and Executive Leadership Translate complex initiatives (e.g.,infrastructure, climate, energy, digital modernization, national security) intoactionable communications and intelligence strategies Leadrenewal strategy and long-term account planning, ensuring continuity while positioning for multi-year growth Partner with internal teams to deliverexecutive briefings, strategic counsel, and integrated solutions Support and shapecapture effortstied to expansion opportunities, including RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs Partnership & Ecosystem Strategy Engagesystem integrators (SIs)(e.g., Accenture Federal Services, IBM, Deloitte, Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, SAIC, GDIT), aligning solutions within broader transformation and policy-driven initiatives Engagechannel and contract partners(e.g., Carahsoft,Accenture Federal Services, Booz Allen Hamilton,Four Inc., SHI) to support procurement strategy andaligning solutions within broader transformation and policy-driven initiatives Collaborate with partners to embed solutions within: large-scale federal programs agency modernization efforts change management and communications initiatives Execute across key federal motions, including: Supporting SIs as asubcontractorwithin transformation programs Aligning onjoint pursuits and co-sell strategies Positioning withinpolicy-driven or legislatively funded initiatives(e.g., infrastructure, energy, digital transformation) Maintain awareness offederal priorities, policy landscape, and procurement pathways Monitor account health, stakeholder alignment, and program outcomes toidentifygrowth opportunities and risks proactively Maintain disciplined execution acrossaccount planning, forecasting, and expansion pipeline management What You'll Bring Bachelor's Degree required (Master's preferred in Communications, Public Policy, or related field) 7+ years of experience across public sector, consulting, public affairs, or strategic communications, with exposure to revenue ownership or business development Demonstrated success inadvising senior government stakeholdersand driving outcomes across complex initiatives Experience working within or alongside federal agencies, consulting firms, or public affairs organizations Familiarity with policy-driven environments, including legislative priorities, agency initiatives, and stakeholder engagement strategies Experience partnering with system integrators (e.g., Accenture Federal Services, IBM, Deloitte, Booz Allen Hamilton) and navigating prime/subcontractor dynamics within federal environments Proven ability to translate complex policy or transformation efforts into actionable strategies and solutions Strong executive presence with the ability to engage credibly at the senior leadership level Preferred experience supporting or contributing to large-scale transformation or modernization programs within federal agencies Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills across earned, owned, and social media landscapes Willingness to travel to client locations 20%-40% for in-person meetings and relationship development As a global leader in PR, marketing and social media management technology and intelligence, Cision helps brands and organizations to identify, connect and engage with customers and stakeholders to drive business results.PR Newswire, a network of over 1.1 billion influencers, in-depth monitoring, analytics and itsBrandwatchandFalcon.iosocial media platforms headline a premier suite of solutions. Cision has offices in 24 countries throughout the Americas, EMEA and APAC. For more information about Cision's award-winning solutions, including its next-gen Cision Communications Cloud, visitwww.cision.comand follow @Cision on Twitter. Cision is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees can be their authentic selves and perform at their best. We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion is vital to driving our culture, sparking innovation and achieving long-term success. Cision is proud to have joined more than 600 companies in signing theCEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledgeand named a "Top Diversity Employer" for 2021 byDiversityJobs.com. Cision is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, seeking to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or other protected statuses. Cision is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Cision will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact hr.support@cision.com Please review ourGlobal Candidate Data Privacy Statementto learn about Cision's commitmentto protecting personal data collected during the hiring process. For Individuals based in New York, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, and California, Cision is required to disclose a salary range for this role. This compensation range is specific to these states, however base pay may vary depending on a range of relevant factors. The OTE range for this role is $200K-$250K