Senior Communications Officer, Strategic Communications

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, Strategic Communications based in the United States.** The Senior Communications Officer, Strategic Communications will lead the development of messaging and narratives that make complex, research-driven work clear, accurate, and compelling. This role carries end-to-end responsibility for an emerging strategic communications function within a rapidly growing organization. You will translate research, funding decisions, and ideas into communications tailored to different audiences, channels, and contexts. The position combines hands-on communications leadership with team building, strategic advising, and ownership of high-impact cross-functional initiatives. You will work closely with senior leaders, fundraising and communications colleagues, external partners, and a growing internal team. The role requires exceptional judgment, intellectual curiosity, and a commitment to communicating what is known and unknown with precision and transparency. This is an opportunity for an experienced communications leader to build an important function, shape institutional narratives, and influence how a mission-driven organization communicates at significant scale. ### Accountabilities: - Own the application of brand positioning, messaging, and guidelines across teams, channels, and partnership communications. - Develop and maintain messaging and narrative frameworks that make complex research, funding decisions, and organizational ideas accessible without compromising accuracy, rigor, or transparency about uncertainty. - Translate complex and technical subject matter into clear, relevant messages tailored to priority audiences. - Partner with fundraising teams on donor communications strategy and lead donor-facing communications requiring new or customized messaging. - Lead complex, cross-functional communications initiatives, including major partnership campaigns and high-priority projects involving external partners and funded organizations. - Serve as a strategic communications advisor to senior leaders and teams, providing clear recommendations on audiences, framing, opportunities, risks, and timing. - Lead internal assessment of emerging issues that may affect the organization and develop appropriate positioning and messaging in collaboration with relevant teams. - Partner with media and public affairs colleagues on issues requiring coordinated external communications and risk management. - Own the strategic direction and institutional messaging for the organization’s website while collaborating with communications colleagues on execution. - Develop and oversee the internal communications strategy and major internal communications initiatives to help a growing organization remain informed and aligned. - Set the strategy, systems, processes, and priorities for the strategic communications function. - Manage and develop one or two team members initially while determining how the team’s capabilities, structure, and resources should evolve over time. - Hire, coach, and develop communications professionals while maintaining high standards for quality, precision, and effectiveness. - Personally own the most complex and consequential communications work and remain hands-on in the development and production of high-impact communications. - Collaborate with other communications leaders to establish shared priorities, coordinate major initiatives, and strengthen organization-wide communications. ## Requirements - 10+ years of significant experience developing institutional narratives and messaging, advising senior leaders, communicating complex or technical material, and leading cross-functional communications initiatives. - Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of communications functions or major strategic communications work, rather than primarily serving as a contributor or advisor. - Proven experience building or substantially rebuilding a communications team, function, or capability, including hiring, developing, and managing people. - Recent hands-on excellence in communications, with examples of work personally produced or substantially shaped within the past few years. - Exceptional communications judgment, including the ability to assess audience, context, risk, timing, and the underlying substance of a message. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex ideas clear, compelling, factual, and appropriately nuanced. - Strong ability to develop direct, engaging communications that succeed through substance and clarity rather than exaggeration or embellishment. - Demonstrated ability to understand complex research, data, and technical subject matter and communicate it accurately. - Experience advising executives and senior decision-makers directly on communications strategy, positioning, messaging, and risk. - Experience with organizational positioning, brand strategy, donor communications, web strategy, and internal communications is desirable, though extensive experience in every area is not required. - Strong intellectual curiosity and the ability to rapidly develop expertise in unfamiliar subject areas. - Ability to establish a strong point 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, and make thoughtful decisions in an evolving environment. - Strong anticipatory skills, including the ability to identify communications opportunities, risks, bottlenecks, and needs before they become obvious. - Collaborative leadership style with the ability to build strong relationships, resolve disagreements, manage dependencies, and improve the quality of work across teams. - Strong alignment with mission-driven values centered on truth-seeking, transparency, accuracy, and thoughtful communication. - Ability to work with substantial autonomy and make consequential decisions with limited oversight. - Willingness to remain hands-on and personally accountable for communications outcomes while leading a small and growing team. ## Benefits - Annual compensation of $250,000 for candidates based in New York City or the San Francisco Bay Area. - Annual compensation of $225,000 for candidates based in other U.S. locations. - Potential consideration for an exceptional candidate at the Communications Director level, with greater responsibilities and compensation. - Primarily remote work within the United States, with international employment considered on a case-by-case basis. - Flexible working arrangements, including flexible hours, remote work, and optional office-based work. - Optional access to offices in Oakland, California, and Brooklyn, New York City. - Visa sponsorship may be available for U.S.-based candidates who require a work visa, subject to government requirements and eligibility. - Potential relocation support of up to 100% of relocation expenses on a case-by-case basis. - Fully funded health, dental, vision, and life insurance for U.S.-based employees and eligible dependents. - Four weeks of paid time off per year. - 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave. - Ergonomic home workstation support or coworking space memberships. - 403(b) retirement plan. - Opportunity to build and lead an emerging strategic communications function with significant organizational impact. - Regular collaboration with senior leadership and other communications leaders. - Three week-long team retreats each year, with additional domestic or international travel possible but not expected to be a regular part of the role. - Flexibility around travel obligations for employees with family or other personal commitments. - Opportunity to work in a mission-driven environment focused on maximizing positive impact through rigorous research, transparency, and effective allocation of resources. - Flexible start-date arrangements for candidates who need a moderate delay due to personal or professional circumstances. ##