Communications Specialist

ReqID: HOU
0000DS

Joining Arup

At Arup we’re dedicated to shaping a better world. Our purpose, shared values and collaborative approach have set us apart for over 75 years. We solve the world's most complex problems and deliver what seems impossible, with curiosity and creativity. We’re a thriving and growing organization which offers you many possibilities to shape a better world, and your future.

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, our Marketing, Communications, and Business Development (MCBD) team enables Arup to build and protect our reputation, deepen client relationships, win quality work, and attract top talent. This role will be key in achieving our strategic market and client ambitions. We are seeking an External Communications Specialist to join our MCBD function.

The External Communications Specialist plays a key role in enhancing and protecting Arup’s brand and reputation. You will lead and contribute to the creation of strategic content and communications campaigns that tell Arup’s story and secure media coverage aligned with regional market priorities. Your work spans mass media outlets—news agencies, newspapers, broadcast—as well as trade titles of strategic importance, with amplification across Arup’s owned channels.

You will collaborate closely with regional and global media relations colleagues, business leaders, marketers, and partners to drive earned media efforts and support leadership visibility and expert positioning. You also serve as conduit to for crisis communications and reputation management, connecting the business with the team’s expert guidance when needed.

• Develop and execute earned media programs aligned with Arup’s market-facing goals, integrating them into broader MCBD campaigns.
• Drive and coordinate external communications efforts to elevate Arup’s visibility in priority media outlets and other strategic channels.
• Support the advisory of regional marketers, business leaders, and partners on maximizing the newsworthiness of announcements and research.
• Bring, build and maintain relationships with journalists to secure impactful coverage.
• Localize and amplify global media initiatives to optimize relevance and reach in the South geography.
• Collaborate on global campaign planning and execution, supporting corporate and leadership media activity as needed.
• Contribute to the creation of strategic media assets (press releases, toolkits, Q&As, visuals) to support global storytelling.
• Ensure message consistency and local relevance in partnership with the wider communications team.
• Prepare senior leaders for media engagements, offering counsel on risk navigation and message delivery.
• Monitor media coverage and share insights on Arup’s visibility, reputation, and opportunities.
• Liaise with legal to identify and manage emerging reputation risks.
• Share regional context, metrics, and best practices with the global external communications community.
• Collaborate with PR agencies and external suppliers to ensure high‑quality delivery.

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.

You will have the opportunity to do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

You are a strategic and driven external communications professional with a talent for translating technical content into compelling stories for external audiences. You have experience proactively identifying media opportunities and you know how to tell and land stories that resonate.

• Undergraduate degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Architecture / Built environment / Design studies, Urban planning, Liberal Arts or related field.
• Membership of a relevant professional body is encouraged.
• Minimum of 3 years of external communications experience with a focus on PR/media relations. Media relationship experience across Texas and Latin America, a plus.
• Experience in working in a Communications or media relations/PR team with an experience in AEC…