Associate Director, Strategy; Program Manager

Who We Are: LINK is a fast-growing Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) that leverages human-centered design to support strategy, innovation, communication, change, and branding within the federal government and adjacent industry partners. At LINK, we partner with engineers, futurists, and thought leaders to untangle complexity, discover opportunity, and communicate clearly with visual stories. 

Let us be your partners in change.

Location: We are actively hiring in the Washington D.C. area. 

About the Opportunity

The Associate Director; Strategy serves as a senior strategic practitioner responsible for leading complex engagements, advising senior client stakeholders, and developing high-impact strategic solutions that drive measurable outcomes. This role partners closely with clients to understand organizational challenges, identify opportunities for value creation, and translate complex information into actionable strategies and recommendations.

As a trusted advisor, the Associate Director; Strategy shapes strategic direction, guides problem-solving efforts, and synthesizes research, stakeholder perspectives, and organizational priorities into clear, compelling narratives and executive-level deliverables. This role influences outcomes through expertise, thought partnership, and strategic leadership while contributing to the development of team members and the continued evolution of the Strategy competency.

The Associate Director; Strategy serves as a role model for strategic excellence, helping elevate the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of strategic work across engagements while maintaining a strong focus on client success.

The Program Manager (PM) is accountable for the overall success of assigned contracts and client engagements. The PM oversees program delivery, client relationships, financial performance, staffing coordination, risk management, and contract execution to ensure successful outcomes for both clients and LINK. Acting as a trusted advisor and consultant, the PM works closely with clients, project teams, and internal stakeholders to establish strategic direction, create business value, and deliver impactful solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communication, English, Business, Public Policy, or a related field. 
• 12+ years of experience in strategic communications, consulting, organizational transformation, program management, strategy, or a related field. 
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance. 
• Strong expertise in strategic planning, organizational transformation, communications, and stakeholder engagement. 
• Well-versed in a variety of strategy disciplines and able to select the appropriate approach for a given challenge. 
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities. 
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex information into clear insights, recommendations, and actionable plans. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with senior leaders, clients, and cross-functional teams. 
• Demonstrated ability to balance multiple priorities and deadlines while maintaining high standards of quality and client service. 
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex engagements and influence executive decision-making.
• Capable of mentoring and coaching others. 
• Approaches work with optimism, openness to new ideas, and a collaborative mindset.

Responsibilities

Associate Director; Strategy responsibilities include:

Client Partnership & Strategic Advisory

• Partners directly with clients to define missions, visions, strategic goals, and measurable KPIs/OKRs aligned to enterprise priorities.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to senior leaders by framing complex challenges, conducting current-state assessments, and translating ambiguity into actionable strategies and implementation roadmaps.
• Leads strategic planning efforts, including executive workshops, stakeholder engagements, scenario planning activities, and initiative prioritization efforts.
• Synthesizes research, stakeholder inputs, organizational priorities, and business objectives into executive-level recommendations and strategic direction.
• Oversees multiple workstreams or engagements, ensuring strategic alignment, quality, and measurable impact across efforts.
• Identifies opportunities to create tangible business value and helps shape future work that supports client success and long-term engagement growth.
• Provides strategic guidance that enables informed decision-making in complex and evolving environments.

Communication Strategy, Storytelling & Execution

• Develops compelling strategic narratives, executive-level presentations, communication strategies, and decision-support products.
• Shapes messaging frameworks that align leadership vision, organizational priorities, and stakeholder needs.
• Designs content structures, information hierarchies, and storytelling approaches that communicate complex information with clarity and impact.
• Collaborates with creative teams to develop high-quality visual products that support strategic objectives and audience understanding.
• Establishes standards for strategic communication products and provides guidance that improves quality and consistency across engagements.
• Guides development of executive-ready materials that support alignment, decision-making, and organizational action.

Change Management & Organizational Transformation

• Develops and implements change management strategies, stakeholder engagement approaches, communications strategies, and adoption roadmaps.
• Designs governance frameworks, operating models, and implementation approaches that enable sustainable transformation outcomes.
• Facilitates executive and cross-functional working sessions that drive alignment, accelerate decision-making, and address organizational barriers.
• Establishes feedback mechanisms and performance measures that support continuous improvement and long-term success.
• Evaluates organizational progress and refines strategic approaches based on stakeholder feedback, performance data, and emerging needs.

Team Development & Competency Growth

• Mentors teammates through coaching, knowledge sharing, and constructive feedback.
• Contributes to performance management activities through development feedback, observations, coaching, and participation in performance discussions.
• Participates in interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and talent development efforts.
• Models LINK values and reinforces a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.
• Shares tools, frameworks, best practices, and lessons learned that improve the quality and consistency of strategic work across engagements.
• Contributes to development of competency tools, approaches, and frameworks that support strategic excellence and operational consistency.
• Provides guidance to teammates navigating ambiguity, complexity, and change within client engagements and strategic initiatives.

Program Manager responsibilities include:

Client & Program Leadership

• Serve as the primary point of accountability for contract performance, client satisfaction, financial health, and delivery success.
• Maintain strong client relationships and serve as a trusted advisor to client stakeholders.
• Collaborate with clients to understand challenges, define priorities, manage expectations, and identify opportunities to create additional value.
• Lead strategic planning activities and establish program priorities, objectives, and delivery approaches.
• Identify opportunities to extend existing work and support business development efforts within client organizations.

Team Leadership & Coordination

• Establish delivery priorities and provide direction to project teams in support of contract objectives.
• Oversee onboarding, offboarding, and transition activities for project team members.
• Provide coaching and feedback focused on delivery excellence, client satisfaction, and team effectiveness.
• Coordinate with Competency Managers and contribute project performance observations and feedback to support employee development and performance management processes.

Delivery & Operational Excellence

• Oversee program budgets, team utilization, schedules, staffing plans, risks, subcontractor performance, and deliverable quality.
• Establish and maintain project management processes, Agile cadences, reporting mechanisms, and communication rhythms to ensure effective delegation of tasks, workload management, and on-time delivery.
• Ensure successful execution of contractual requirements, deliverables, reporting obligations, and period of performance requirements.
• Monitor program health and proactively identify risks, issues, and opportunities requiring leadership attention.
• Coordinate invoicing, reporting, travel, security, and operational activities necessary to support successful contract execution.
• Document and share lessons learned, best practices, and operational improvements that strengthen delivery effectiveness.

Work Schedule

• 3+ days per week at the client site
• Full time, 40 hours per week
• Some travel required to attend relevant events and conferences, and participate in LINK team events

Salary: LINK is committed to offering competitive compensation. While the salary range for this position is $127,000 - $182,000, your final offer may be adjusted based on factors such as experience and location.

Benefits:

• $100 monthly internet/cell phone stipend
• $150 monthly commuter stipend for eligible participants
• LINK sponsored healthcare benefits including medical, dental, vision
• Company-paid Short Term Disability Insurance
• 401K with employer contribution of up to 4%
• 11 Federal Holidays per year 
• 15 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) per year 
• Paid Holiday Time Off (Christmas Eve through the New Year) 
• Annual bonus plan participation
• Annual profit sharing participation
• $2,000 Learning and Development program reimbursement
• Technology package that includes a LINK-owned MacBook Pro, monitor, mouse and keyboard

LINK is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state, local, and federal law.

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact Human Resources to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.