Senior Communications Planner

Leidos currently has a contingent opening for a Senior Communications Planner to work between our Reston, VA office and the customer site in Falls Church, VA. This is an exciting opportunity to use your experience helping the Defense Health Agency mission. In this mission we deliver strategic communications planning, campaign execution, and senior leader support that advances enterprise priorities across DHA Headquarters and the Military Health System.

The Senior Communications Planner will help drive synchronized, high-impact communications supporting senior leaders, headquarters initiatives, workforce communications, crisis response, special observances, and major enterprise campaigns. This role is ideal for a skilled communications professional who can translate complex healthcare and defense priorities into clear, coordinated, multi-channel messaging and guide communications efforts from concept through assessment.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead communications planning efforts in support of DHA Headquarters activities and designated portfolio requirements.
• Research, plan, manage, execute, and assess the effectiveness of communications plans and broad communications campaigns.
• Serve as the Senior Communications Team Lead for DCPAD, leading efforts required to support and deliver communications planning requirements.
• Attend meetings with senior leaders, program managers, and subject matter experts to identify communications opportunities and recommend actions to the government communications lead.
• Coordinate requests for communications support from DHA leaders, program offices, and experts across the assigned portfolio.
• Track portfolio actions, emerging issues, and future communications requirements, while keeping the Government informed of relevant developments.
• Prepare communications plans and recommend tactics using government-approved processes and procedures.
• Provide cradle-to-grave campaign and plan management, including synchronization of multi-platform, multi-channel delivery across media, social media, news, websites, customer messaging, graphics, video, outreach, and email communications.
• Draft senior leader talking points, media question-and-answer documents, information papers, decision papers, public affairs guidance, executive summaries, and related communications materials.
• Draft news articles, news releases, and initial social media content; coordinate review with subject matter experts and leadership; and support delivery to target audiences.
• Coordinate with communications team members on upcoming initiatives, account activity, and integrated messaging efforts.
• Follow and help improve DCPAD campaign and communications planning SOPs.
• Ensure communications metrics and analysis are built into planning and execution; collect and compile data to evaluate campaign and plan effectiveness.
• Develop and organize communication toolkits for DHA subordinate organizations and stakeholders, and track toolkit usage and impact.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Public Affairs, Journalism, English, Marketing, or a related field, and 6+ years of professional experience in strategic communications, public affairs, or communications planning.
• Demonstrated experience researching, developing, and executing communications plans and enterprise-level campaigns.
• Experience supporting senior leaders and developing executive-level communications products such as talking points, information papers, decision papers, and public affairs guidance.
• Strong writing, editing, and message development skills across multiple communications formats, including articles, news releases, digital content, and social media.
• Experience coordinating with diverse stakeholders, including leaders, program managers, subject matter experts, and cross-functional communications teams.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, identify emerging communications issues, and execute in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Experience measuring communications effectiveness and using metrics to inform planning and execution.
• Knowledge of communications planning processes, campaign integration, and synchronized multi-channel delivery.
• Ability to support crisis communications, internal communications, and enterprise-level strategic messaging initiatives.
• U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain any required security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior military or civilian service is preferable.
• Experience supporting the Defense Health Agency, Military Health System, DoD, or other federal health or defense organizations.
• Experience working in healthcare communications, military public affairs, or headquarters-level strategic communications environments.
• Familiarity with SOP development, communications governance, and enterprise communications toolkits.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.