Senior Communications Officer, Media & Public Affairs

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Communications Officer, Media & Public Affairs based in the United States.** This is a senior communications leadership role focused on shaping how an organization’s work is understood across media and broader public conversations. You will own the strategy for media relations, thought-leader engagement, public forums, events, and other earned communications opportunities. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution, requiring strong judgment in both planned initiatives and fast-moving, high-stakes situations. You will build trusted relationships with journalists, influential voices, subject-matter experts, and other external stakeholders while identifying opportunities to expand reach and understanding. As the function grows, you will develop its people, systems, processes, and operating model while remaining personally involved in its most consequential work. You will also advise senior leaders, prepare experts for public appearances, and represent the organization directly when appropriate. This is an opportunity to build and lead an evolving communications function where precision, credibility, intellectual rigor, and thoughtful decision-making are central to success. ### Accountabilities - Set and execute the strategy for media relations, thought-leader engagement, online communities, public forums, events, and other earned communications opportunities, determining where and when to participate. - Build and maintain high-trust relationships with journalists, editors, podcast hosts, event organizers, thought leaders, subject-matter experts, and other influential external stakeholders. - Identify, develop, and pitch substantive stories, speaking opportunities, events, and thought-leadership initiatives that increase understanding of complex ideas and organizational work. - Own inbound media engagement, including rapid-response situations that require close coordination with subject-matter experts and careful judgment regarding messaging, escalation, and reputational risk. - Monitor emerging issues across media and public conversations, establish readiness for sensitive situations, and lead external communications responses when necessary. - Advise senior leadership on media opportunities, external relationships, public engagement strategies, and communications risks. - Prepare executives and subject-matter experts for interviews, speaking engagements, events, and other public appearances. - Serve as a spokesperson in selected interviews, events, and public forums, communicating complex perspectives accurately, clearly, and credibly. - Evaluate and shape external communications partnerships, recommending which opportunities to pursue and determining the most effective way to participate. - Collaborate with partners and stakeholders on press releases and other media-facing communications involving shared initiatives or work. - Manage and develop an initial team of one or two communications professionals while building the systems, relationships, and capabilities needed to scale the function. - Contribute to broader communications strategy and major cross-functional initiatives alongside other communications leaders. - Maintain a high standard of factual accuracy, transparency, precision, and appropriate communication of uncertainty across all external activities. ### **Requirements** - 10+ years of significant experience in media relations, thought leadership, public affairs, public engagement, or closely related communications functions, including substantial ownership of work from strategy through execution. - Demonstrated experience leading communications in complex, high-stakes environments where credibility, accuracy, and sound judgment are critical. - Proven track record of building or substantially rebuilding a communications function or team, including hiring, developing, and managing people. - Recent hands-on experience personally producing or substantially shaping high-quality communications work, in addition to strategic leadership responsibilities. - Exceptional communications judgment, with the ability to evaluate audience, context, timing, substance, opportunity, reputational considerations, and risk. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex ideas clear, compelling, accurate, and appropriately nuanced. - Strong understanding of how journalists, influential voices, events, public forums, and media channels shape perceptions of organizations and ideas. - Demonstrated ability to build meaningful external relationships, identify valuable opportunities, represent an organization publicly, and respond effectively when timelines are short and information is incomplete. - Experience advising executives and senior decision-makers on communications strategy, media engagement, public opportunities, and reputational considerations. - Intellectual curiosity and the ability to quickly understand sophisticated research, data, and complex subject matter, even without prior experience in the relevant field. - Ability to create communications that succeed through substance, clarity, and credibility rather than exaggeration or embellishment. - Strong alignment with values centered on truth-seeking, transparency, accuracy, intellectual rigor, and thoughtful communication. - Ability to develop strong points of view while remaining open to challenge, new information, and better ideas. - Self-directed and proactive approach, with the ability to create structure, establish priorities, anticipate risks and opportunities, and make sound decisions with limited oversight. - Collaborative leadership style and strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to coordinate across teams, resolve disagreements, and improve the quality and clarity of shared work. - Willingness to remain hands-on in a relatively small and growing function rather than focusing exclusively on high-level management. - Ability to work with substantial overlap with U.S. working hours if based internationally. ### **Benefits** - Annual compensation of **$250,000 for candidates based in the New York City or San Francisco Bay Area**. - Annual compensation of **$225,000 for candidates based in other U.S. locations**. - International compensation determined based on location. - Potential consideration at the **Communications Director** level for an exceptional candidate, with greater responsibilities and compensation. - Flexible working arrangements, including flexible hours, remote work, and optional office-based work. - Option to work from offices in Oakland, California, or Brooklyn, New York City. - U.S. visa sponsorship considered where applicable, with potential relocation support of up to 100% on a case-by-case basis. - Fully funded health, dental, vision, and life insurance, including 100% premium coverage within the U.S. for employees and dependents. - **Four weeks of paid time off** per year. - **16 weeks of fully paid parental leave**. - Ergonomic home office equipment or coworking space memberships. - 403(b) retirement plan. - Opportunity to lead and build an emerging communications function with significant strategic ownership. - Regular opportunities to collaborate with senior communications and organizational leadership. - Attendance at approximately three week-long team retreats each year, with additional domestic or international travel as needed. - Opportunity to work on communications challenges involving complex research, public-interest issues, and high-impact initiatives.