Senior Associate Director, Financial Communications (Private Capital)

Senior Associate Director, Financial Communications (Private Capital)

We are seeking a Senior Associate Director to help grow APCO's Capital Markets and Financial work with private capital clients across asset classes, including private equity, private credit, infrastructure and real assets, as well as supporting their portfolio companies. This is a senior client-facing role for a sophisticated operator who serves as a primary counselor to private investment firms, IR teams, and portfolio company leadership across the full lifecycle of private markets activity, from fundraising and platform investments through bolt-ons, value creation, and exits.

The work moves quickly, the stakes are high, and the situations are often material and non-public. We’re looking for someone with deep private markets knowledge, sharp advisory instincts, commercial acumen, and the judgment to give the right counsel under real-time pressure.

This position is based in APCO's New York office.

Responsibilities

• Serves as a senior client lead and trusted counselor to private capital clients, including GPs, CCOs, IR leads, and portfolio company CEOs and CFOs, building trusted relationships and anticipating client needs.
• Brings strong advisory and consulting instincts to the work, frames decisions clearly, and gives senior clients counsel they can act on
• Quarterbacks integrated, multi-disciplinary teams across communications, public affairs, regulatory, crisis, and digital workstreams
• Develops and executes communications strategies across the private markets lifecycle: firm positioning and brand building, fund launches and final closes, platform acquisitions, add-on transactions, recapitalizations, exits and IPOs of portfolio companies, LP communications support, and ESG/responsible investing narratives
• Leads media strategy and execution with top-tier business/financial media and key industry trades
• Counsels clients through sensitive moments including activist campaigns, take-privates, contested transactions, regulatory inquiries, portfolio company crises and reputational issues, including on-site support as situations require
• Partners with APCO's public affairs, regulatory, and crisis colleagues to bring integrated counsel on policy and political dynamics affecting private capital
• Oversees complex client engagements from strategy through execution, maintaining accountability for quality, deliverables, timelines, staffing, budgets, scopes of work, and account profitability
• Drives new business across the private capital ecosystem, including RFP responses, pitches and proactive prospecting; cultivates relationships, identifies opportunities to expand existing client relationships, and contributes to thought leadership that strengthens APCO’s market position
• Builds and mentors team members; helps shape the practice's growth trajectory and go-to-market strategy

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in a related field. Graduate degree preferred
• 8–12 years of relevant experience in financial communications, with substantial direct experience advising private capital firms, and/or their portfolio companies. Agency, in-house sponsor communications/IR, or business journalism transitioning into communications all considered
• Established and actively maintained relationships with senior reporters and editors covering private markets, M&A, and capital markets at top-tier outlets
• Experience supporting a range of private markets situations, including fund launches, platform deals, exits, take-privates, IPOs, activist defense, restructurings, regulatory matters and crises
• Demonstrated ability to originate new opportunities, grow existing client relationships and contribute meaningfully to new business; an established network within the private capital ecosystem strongly preferred
• Sophisticated understanding of GP/LP dynamics, fund structures, deal mechanics, and sponsor reputational drivers
• Experience across sectors such as technology, financial services, healthcare, industrials, or energy and infrastructure is a plus
• Familiarity with the policy and regulatory environment shaping private capital, including CFIUS, antitrust, tax and SEC regulation, is a plus
• Exceptional writing, analytical and presentation skills, with the ability to distill complex issues into clear counsel for senior audiences
• Detail-oriented, responsive to a rapidly changing environment, able to manage multiple complex projects under tight deadlines, and proactive in anticipating client needs, solving problems and setting priorities
• Discretion and judgment appropriate to handling material non-public information
• Strong commercial acumen, professional polish, client-service orientation and an entrepreneurial, collaborative approach
• Willingness to travel as client situations require

What Sets APCO's Capital Markets Practice Apart

• A strategic partner through the entire corporate and deal lifecycle. From IPOs and M&A to shareholder activism, restructurings, and financial litigation, we advise companies, investors, and institutions in the moments that matter most. Our experience spans legal, media, political, financial, and regulatory domains, giving us the agility and precision to manage sensitive, high-stakes situations.
• Integrated capabilities that go beyond traditional financial PR. Our work is backed by APCO's leadership in crisis and risk management, government affairs, regulatory, brand and digital strategy, ESG, and transformation consulting. Our acquisitions of Camarco and Gagen MacDonald deepen our C-suite advisory, capital markets counsel, and change management expertise, so clients get one integrated answer across communications, policy, and people.
• Real connectivity between Wall Street and Washington. Our public affairs heritage and bench of former regulators, policy advisors, and campaign strategists means we bring sophisticated counsel at a time when policy and regulation — CFIUS, antitrust, tax, SEC rules, and the politicization of capital — are shaping financial outcomes more than ever.
• Global reach with local impact. With professionals across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and MENA, we deliver local insights with global coordination. Our team includes former financial journalists, bankers, fund managers, equity sales professionals, sell-side analysts, regulators, policy advisors, and campaign strategists — a multidisciplinary bench built for dynamic environments.

What we bring you?

At APCO, you will have the opportunity to work on meaningful client challenges alongside talented colleagues across our global network. We invest in our people through learning and development programs, mentorship, coaching, and ongoing opportunities to build new skills and experiences.

APCO offers a collaborative and inclusive environment where individuals are encouraged to bring curiosity, empathy, boldness, and inclusivity to their work. In addition to competitive compensation and benefits, APCO provides workplace flexibility, global collaboration opportunities, and a culture that supports professional growth and career

Compensation Range

The US base salary for this position ranges from $172,000/year to $202,000/year. Our compensation range for this role is inclusive of several US geographic markets. APCO targets an employee's pay within this range to be based on several factors, which include but are not limited to relevant education, skills, job-related knowledge, qualifications, work experience, credentials, internal equity and/or geographic location.

In addition to base salary, APCO offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, well-being and financial security of our employees and their families. Benefits for eligible US employees include medical and prescription drug coverage, dental and vision coverage, health and dependent flexible spending accounts, life and disability insurance, a 401(k) retirement savings plan, employee assistance and wellness resources, commuter benefits, additional voluntary benefit options and a generous holiday schedule with a flexible time off plan.

Careers at APCO

Through our recruitment, hiring and retention efforts, APCO is committed to building teams who bring the best possible expertise and robust perspectives to our clients. We embrace differences in experience, viewpoint and ideas, starting with our values and extending to our behaviors, policies and practices. We aim to create a positive work experience and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, national origin, citizenship, native language, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, religion, age, veteran status, neurodivergence, mental or physical disability, medical history, pregnancy, political belief or affiliation or any other characteristic protected by law.

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