Strategic Comms Specialist - Federal GovCon Career in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This is a solid mid-level communications role in the Federal contracting space — a niche that offers stability and consistent demand but comes with its own career dynamics worth evaluating carefully.
Compensation context: No salary is listed, which is common for GovCon (government contracting) positions. For a Strategic Communications Specialist with 3+ years' experience supporting Federal events, market rates typically range from $65,000–$90,000 annually depending on the contract vehicle and agency. HHS-adjacent contracts tend to be mid-range. Candidates should ask directly about the contract period of performance, as GovCon roles can be tied to short-term contracts.
Skills you'll develop:
- Federal government communications workflows and approval processes — a highly transferable skill within GovCon
- Section 508 accessibility compliance — increasingly valued across all public-sector digital work
- Event marketing through enterprise platforms (email campaigns, branded landing pages)
- Writing for multi-stakeholder audiences: executive, regulatory, and industry
Green flags: No clearance required lowers the entry barrier; remote work offers flexibility; HHS is a large, well-funded agency with ongoing event needs.
Red flags: GovCon roles depend on contract renewals — job security is tied to the contract lifecycle, not just performance. The role is relatively narrow (event communications only), so career growth may require proactively expanding scope. No mention of professional development benefits or growth path.
Best for professionals looking to build Federal communications credentials or transition into the government consulting sector.
Company Summary
Arlo Solutions (Arlo) is an information technology consulting services company that specializes in delivering technology solutions. Our reputation reflects the high quality of the talented Arlo Solutions team and the consultants working in partnership with our customers. Our mission is to understand and meet the needs of both our customers and consultants by delivering quality, value-added solutions. Our solutions are designed and managed to not only reduce costs, but to improve business processes, accelerate response time, improve services to end-users, and give our customers a competitive edge, now and into the future.
Position Description
Arlo Solutions is seeking a Strategic Communications Specialist to plan and execute communications and marketing for Acquisition Workforce Training Conference and Industry Day events supporting HHS ASFR/OA. Working under the direction of the Meeting and Events Manager, the Specialist develops event communications strategies, drafts Government-approved messaging, and helps drive registration, attendance, and engagement across Federal and industry audiences.
Location: Remote
Clearance: None
Responsibilities and/or Success Factors
Communications Planning
- Develop event communications plans and communications calendars, delivered within 30 calendar days of award and updated as event schedules evolve.
- Align messaging and timing with event milestones, registration windows, and Government priorities.
Content Development
- Draft invitations, registration confirmations, reminders, speaker communications, event information, and follow-up messaging for Government review and approval.
- Develop or refresh fact sheets, information papers, talking points, event guides, social media draft content, and web-ready content as directed.
- Prepare comprehensive digital event guides for in-person and virtual attendees, including dates, times, locations, session descriptions, and meeting links.
- Support preparation of speaker biographies, briefing materials, and presentation content.
Event Marketing and Platform Communications
- Build and manage email campaigns and branded event site content through the event management platform.
- Coordinate targeted outreach to prospective attendees, registered participants, speakers, industry partners, and small-business audiences.
- Draft post-event communications, including thank-you messages, survey invitations, and follow-up materials.
Quality, Approvals, and Accessibility
- Ensure all communications are Government-approved before release, with zero unauthorized public release.
- Coordinate copy editing and quality review for accuracy, clarity, grammar, and style.
- Ensure all products are Section 508 conformant before submission for final acceptance.
Measurement and Reporting
- Track communications effectiveness using registration, attendance, survey, and web and social metrics provided or approved by the Government.
- Contribute communications results and recommendations to post-event summaries, lessons learned, and status reports.
Minimum Qualifications Including Certificates
- Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or a related field.
- Three or more years of experience in strategic communications, marketing, or public affairs, preferably supporting events.
- Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to adapt tone for executive, Federal, and industry audiences.
- Experience managing email campaigns and digital communications through event or marketing platforms.
- Ability to manage multiple deliverables across a review and approval process.
- Eligibility to work in the United States and ability to successfully complete an HHS background investigation.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience supporting Federal agencies or Government-industry engagement events.
- Familiarity with Section 508 accessibility requirements and plain language guidelines.
- Experience with social media content development and communications metrics.
AAP Statement
We are proud to be an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and as such, we evaluate qualified candidates in full consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, disability status, protected veteran status, and any other protected status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this role fully remote or is there an office requirement?
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