Senior Consultant, Crisis Communications

About Atmos

Atmos is one of Australia and New Zealand's leading legal and advisory firms dedicated to providing cyber, privacy and digital risk services.

In a world of looming risks and crises, we are the protective sphere around our clients.

We empower all businesses great and small to move through uncertainty with clarity and confidence, using insight to transform challenges into opportunities.

As a team, we are united by a culture of deep collaboration, working closely together to do what is needed. We act as trusted partners and advisors, offering a full-service approach that enables our clients to build resilience.

A collective force of intelligence and legal expertise, we're reshaping the very fabric of guidance and protection in a digital age.

Together, we are not only stronger, but also better prepared.

About the role

Working across both Atmos First Response and Atmos Cyber Advisory teams, our communications team plays a vital role in helping our clients prepare for and navigate all types of cyber, privacy and digital law events.

As crisis communications advisors, our team makes a meaningful impact, providing our clients with market-leading crisis, reputation and communications management guidance and support.

As a Senior Consultant, you will be a trusted advisor to clients, taking ownership of crisis communications workstreams and delivering high-quality strategic counsel with increasing independence. You will play a hands-on leadership role within the team, directly managing and mentoring a Consultant, Crisis Communications, while also contributing to the growth and development of our communications practice.

This role would suit a communications professional with a minimum of 5-7 years of experience in crisis communications, media, PR, or in-house communications, ideally with some exposure to cyber incident response, privacy events, or issues management in complex, high-pressure environments. A strong interest in continuing to deepen specialist expertise in cyber and digital crisis communications is essential.

Our work is fast-paced and no two days are the same. In this senior role, you will be expected to work alongside the wider First Response team and the Director of Communications to lead client engagements, shape strategic direction on active incidents. You will also be expected to contribute to and support the development of new communications products and offerings in our cyber advisory and readiness space. This gives you the opportunity to make a significant and visible contribution to successful client outcomes and the continued growth of the team.

You will work with clients large and small across all sectors, as well as partners, lawyers, technical specialists and threat intelligence consultants across our network of offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

Responsibilities

First Response

• Lead and coordinate prompt, strategic communications support for clients navigating the reputational and communications challenges arising from cyber incidents.
• Develop and deliver internal and external communications strategies and supporting materials for a range of cyber incidents, providing clear strategic rationale and recommendations to clients.
• Take ownership of and manage large-scale communications and notification campaigns to individuals affected by cyber incidents, including oversight of quality, messaging consistency and timely delivery.
• Provide senior-level media management support and guidance, including media monitoring, reactive media statements, spokesperson preparation and, where appropriate, direct media liaison on behalf of clients.
• Act as a key point of contact for clients during active incidents, building trusted relationships and ensuring a calm authoritative advisory presence.
• Coordinate and collaborate effectively with legal, technical and threat intelligence teams to ensure communications advice is integrated and aligned with broader incident response efforts.

Cyber Advisory

• Support the delivery of client-facing advisory engagements, including leading the development of cyber incident communications preparedness materials such as crisis communications plans, playbooks and stakeholder mapping frameworks.
• Support with the design, develop and facilitate cyber incident crisis communications training sessions and preparation for simulation exercises for client teams, including executive-level audiences.
• Identify opportunities to enhance and expand Atmos's communications advisory offerings, contributing to the development of new products, methodologies and service propositions.
• Contribute to thought leadership initiatives, including articles, insights, presentations and webinars that position Atmos as a leader in cyber crisis communications.

People & Team

• Directly manage and mentor one Consultant, Crisis Communications, providing day-to-day guidance, constructive feedback, and support for their professional development.
• Assist the Director, Crisis Communication, with workload planning, team development, resource allocation and quality assurance across the team's engagements.
• Foster a collaborative, supportive and high-performance team culture consistent with Atmos values.

Key skills and experience

• A minimum of five years' experience in crisis communications, media, public relations, or in-house communications, with demonstrated progression in responsibility and capability.
• Proven experience leading or significantly contributing to communications responses in high-pressure, time-sensitive crisis or issues management situations.
• A passion for writing, communications and media, with a strong portfolio demonstrating the ability to produce high-quality strategic content for diverse audiences and stakeholders across a range of platforms.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to confidently present to and advise senior client stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience translating complex topics and jargon into clear, digestible and audience-appropriate content.
• Strong strategic thinking and sound judgement, with the ability to assess situations quickly, identify risks and provide well-reasoned recommendations.
• Experience managing, mentoring or coaching junior team members, with a genuine interest in developing others.
• An ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment, with a flexible mindset and demonstrated problem-solving abilities.
• An ability to work well within multi-disciplinary and cross functional teams, navigating a variety of priorities and helping set clear plans for action.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills, with the ability to lead and manage multiple concurrent client engagements and competing priorities.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills, combined with the confidence and self-direction to manage workstreams independently.

Desirable

• Prior experience in or exposure to cyber incident response, data breach communications, privacy events, or technology-related crisis management.
• Experience working within or alongside legal, advisory, or professional services environments.
• Familiarity with Australian and/or New Zealand privacy and data breach notification frameworks.
• Experience designing and facilitating crisis simulation exercises or executive training.
• Existing media relationships relevant to the Australian and/or New Zealand market.