Director of Strategic Communications

WestEd is a nonpartisan, nonprofit agency that conducts and applies research, develops evidence-based solutions, and provides services and resources in the realms of education, human development, and related fields, with the end goal of improving outcomes and ensuring equity for individuals from infancy through adulthood. WestEd has more than 800 staff across the US including a dozen offices nationwide, from Massachusetts, Georgia, and Washington, DC, to Arizona and California, with its headquarters in San Francisco. WestEd’s annual operating revenues exceed $170 million.

Throughout WestEd’s over 50 year history we have maintained a strong commitment to staff diversity. Individuals of different ethnicities, races, abilities, gender identities, and sexual orientations, as well as from different cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, work at all levels of the organization. We value the range of perspectives provided by this diverse workforce and the ways in which those perspectives enrich and inform our agency and the work we do. Read more about WestEd’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Currently, all staff at WestEd are working from home until further notice. Although a remote option may have been listed as one of the location options for this position, the default location for all WestEd positions is in one of WestEd’s offices. However, candidates may submit a request to work from home.

All WestEd employees are required to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. New employees will be required to provide proof of full vaccination no later than their first week of work. If you want to be considered for a medical or religious exemption, you will have an opportunity to provide appropriate documentation.

Position Overview

WestEd seeks a compelling storyteller and strategist who, as the Director of Strategic Communications, will provide thought partnership with leaders at all levels of the organization to actively promote WestEd’s expertise, knowledge dissemination, and audience engagement.

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide active thought partnership and counsel, guiding colleagues through strategic communication planning, campaign strategy, and execution; build connections and linkages across divisions to ensure alignment and a coherent institutional presence.
• Collaborate and lead the development of core messages for WestEd overall, content areas, and related services and research (value proposition, impact, expertise).
• Work collaboratively with leaders across the agency to identify priorities for strategic marketing and communications at both the programmatic and agency levels by understanding areas for growth, trending topics in media, and pressing challenges in the field.
• Create a public relations strategy that allows WestEd leaders to cultivate and enhance meaningful relationships with high-level external audiences, including policymakers, journalists, foundation leaders, and key influencers.
• Develop and deploy effective strategies to showcase WestEd expertise, services, and research in new, modern, compelling ways to strategic audiences.
• Analyze key outcome metrics for our outreach efforts and use results to guide and improve ongoing and future efforts.
• Continue to educate staff on the importance of the WestEd brand and how to maintain it through their own work.
• Collaborate with division and project embedded strategic communicators to ensure alignment and coherence with agency goals and to share and learn from each other’s visibility efforts, campaigns, and initiatives.
• Lead the development of tools and resources to help empower program staff to effectively disseminate their work.

The Career Opportunity

This Opportunity Offers The Chance To

• Play a critical role in articulating WestEd’s expertise and knowledge contribution to the field;
• Expand WestEd’s influence with policymakers, organization leaders, and practitioners;
• Strengthen education and human development systems and organizations by effectively disseminating new knowledge and evidence-based practices;
• Partner with leaders across a growing organization;
• Contribute to the strategy development of a growing organization;
• Partner with a passionate team that is committed to improving the lives of children, youth, and adults.

The Ideal Candidate

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess The Following Professional Profile

• At least 15 years of communications and/or marketing experience; ideally serving in an “in-house” leadership role for some of those years;
• Excellent facilitation, listening, and writing skills to help teams develop and refine core messages;
• highly collaborative workstyle;
• Strategic insight and experience developing and executing strategic communications plans;
• Ability to lead through the influence of others, including executives and communicators in Divisions, by serving as a trusted advisor and thought partner who has deep contextual knowledge and communications experience;
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Deep technical skills grounded in communicating research and innovative practices in clear, actionable language that is tailored to key audiences;
• A strong track record of managing a variety of key initiatives concurrently;
• Flexibility and a willingness to respond to issues as contexts and events change;
• Ability to work productively with diverse colleagues and clients from across the organization and across the nation in a collaborative, team-orientated fashion.

Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

SALARY AND BENEFITS: Salary for this role is competitive, set at a WestEd level J, and commensurate with experience. WestEd offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as Life, AD&D and Disability insurance. We also offer various retirement plan options and Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare, and commuter expenses. WestEd offers generous paid holidays and paid time off (PTO), among other benefits.

Committed to the diversity of race, ethnicities, perspectives, and opportunities, WestEd offers a variety of social and professional learning communities, such as Employee Resources groups, the Data Intelligence, Insights, and Innovation PLC, and the WestEd Parent Community, just to name a few. We hope you’ll consider joining us to build better schools, communities, learning pathways, and more!