Head of Communications

Moonshot believes that marginalized people in society — including people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, Disabled and LGBTQIA+ people — must be centered in the work we do. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other communities who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or marital status. We know a diverse workforce will enable us to understand drivers behind violent extremism and online harms in an in-depth way and do better work to counter them.

About the role:

Moonshot is currently recruiting a Head of Communications to oversee Moonshot’s global communications efforts, including the day-to-day communications, branding, media and government relations functions for the company. 

Moonshot’s offices are based in Washington, DC. We offer flexible work options including hybrid and remote. Candidates from across the US will be considered. If based outside of Washington, DC occasional travel to Washington, DC may be required.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Responsible for planning and executing external communications efforts and public relations.
• Working with the CEO to develop and implement an ambitious communications and branding strategy covering North America, European Union, and other key geographies.
• Collaborate with Moonshot’s Head of Design to ensure Moonshot’s work and values are communicated effectively to the right stakeholders.
• Expand and strengthen our strategic use of the website and social media channels, and day-to-day oversight of all of Moonshot’s public facing outlets.
• Cultivate press relationships and increase our representation in top-ranked media outlets.
• Increase Moonshot’s visibility among potential clients, partners, peer organizations, and other influencers in government, tech and private sector.
• Work with Moonshot’s leadership and project teams to improve external communications of Moonshot’s work and its relevance and impact globally.
• Make recommendations and provide guidance to program teams to develop communications for a range of online and offline channels, including written materials, media pitches, social media, speaking engagements, and other activities as needed.

Requirements

Essential:

• Directly relevant experience managing a global communications effort or large-scale, multi-faceted communications projects.
• Demonstrated results in public relations, corporate communications, social media, and news media cultivation.
• Clear storytelling capabilities. Proven experience extracting ideas and using them to shape stories.
• Ability to convey complex ideas concisely and compellingly to a range of external audiences.
• Skilled at identifying newsworthy stories across a complex organization, with a proven track record of successfully pitching stories and subject-matter experts to journalists and external audiences.
• Experience partnering on business development and fundraising efforts.
• Knowledge of U.S. and/or international media landscape, and established networks with relevant media organizations.
• Thorough understanding of the changing communications landscape, including proven knowledge of media research tools, SEO strategies, and digital platforms for publishing, listening, engaging, and analyzing.
• Excellent leadership skills and proven ability to build trusting relationships across an organization.
• Experience supervising staff, with consideration for staff cohesion and welfare.
• Demonstrable ability to work under pressure, taking action and getting things done, both in managing your own workload and that of others.
• In addition, we require and will check on candidates' eligibility to work in the US alongside vaccination status. Candidates will be expected to undertake and pass any relevant security clearance procedures per the needs of clients. 

Desirable:

• Prior experience in a mission-driven environment.
• Experience balancing domestic and international portfolios.
• An interest in online harms (including violent extremism, disinformation, gender-based violence, human trafficking, among others) and evidence of relevant professional experience.
• Inquisitiveness and adaptability, particularly in relation to new technology and the use of social media for research.
• Solid experience defining and using metrics to measure performance and impact.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and executing crisis communications plans.
• Experience working in international organizations.

Benefits

Benefits ​package:​

• 15 ​days​​ paid​ ​leave​ ​annually plus federal holidays. 
• Private ​healthcare​ ​package,​ including​ ​coverage​ ​for​ ​partners​ ​and​​ children.
• Employee Assistance Program providing access to mental health support.
• Generous ​maternity​ ​and​ ​paternity​ leave. 

Salary: $100,000 - $120,000 depending on skills and experience.