Deputy Director, Partnerships

Please note:

This role is contingent upon a contract award. While it is not an immediate opening, we are actively conducting interviews and extending offers in anticipation of the award.

At ICF Next, we are fearless in finding new ways to solve problems, relentless in making sure it pays off for our clients, and committed to making a positive change in the world. Join our community of mission-driven creatives, communicators, strategists, and technologists to challenge the status quo.

ICF Next is seeking a Deputy Director, Partnerships to support a major federal public health communications program. This role supports the development and implementation of partnership strategies that expand the reach and impact of national public health communication campaigns. The successful candidate will manage one or more assigned partnership portfolios, cultivate strategic stakeholder relationships, coordinate engagement activities, and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to help achieve campaign objectives.

Working closely with campaign leadership, communications specialists, digital and social media teams, and client stakeholders, this individual will help ensure partnership strategies are integrated throughout campaign planning, implementation, and evaluation while supporting effective coordination with external partners and stakeholder organizations.

Location

Hybrid in the Washington, DC area with commute as needed to client and ICF offices. Required travel to the Atlanta, GA area for meetings, workshops, conferences, and presentations as needed.

Responsibilities:

• Support the development and implementation of partnership strategies that extend the reach and impact of national public health communication campaigns.
• Manage assigned partnership portfolios by cultivating relationships, coordinating outreach, facilitating partner activities, and supporting campaign objectives.
• Build and maintain relationships with federal agencies, national organizations, professional associations, healthcare organizations, advocacy groups, state, territorial, tribal, and local public health agencies, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and other strategic stakeholders.
• Coordinate implementation of annual partnership plans, engagement activities, and outreach efforts aligned with campaign objectives.
• Develop partner engagement materials, presentations, briefing materials, toolkits, webinars, and other communications resources.
• Coordinate partner briefings, webinars, meetings, and technical assistance activities to strengthen collaboration and campaign participation.
• Maintain partnership contact information, engagement records, activity tracking, and stakeholder communications.
• Track partnership activities, engagement metrics, and stakeholder feedback; contribute to partnership reporting and recommend opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with communications, creative, media, digital, social media, and outreach teams to maximize partner engagement and campaign reach.
• Represent ICF Next during meetings, conferences, webinars, and stakeholder engagements as a liaison between the client and partner organizations.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.
• U.S. Citizenship required (required by the federal government for this position).
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Health, Public Policy, Marketing, Business, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
• Eight (8) or more years of professional experience managing strategic partnerships, stakeholder engagement, external affairs, communications, or public health outreach programs.
• Three (3) or more years of experience leading partner engagement activities or managing stakeholder portfolios.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Communications, Public Administration, Business, or a related discipline.
• Five (5) or more years supporting federal clients, including HHS, CDC, FDA, NIH, or other public health agencies.
• Experience supporting national public health, health promotion, or behavior change communication campaigns.
• Experience coordinating partner briefings, webinars, workshops,…