Your Role

The Senior Program Officer for Pathways and Data Communications will help achieve the foundation’s goals in U.S. education by developing and deploying sophisticated communications strategies that include media engagement, message development, editorial planning, and content creation, as well as developing and leading all aspects of supporting investments such as advocacy grants and media grants. This role will work closely with foundation leadership voices, grantees, and partners and requires a high level of creativity, critical thinking, and diplomacy. This role sits within the U.S.-focused part of the Global Policy and Advocacy (GPA) division and, as such, works closely with federal and state policy-focused program officers. It also serves as the communications partner for two strategies (Pathways and Data) in US Program, a separate division focused on making programmatic investments that move good ideas, practices, and tools forward in the field. This role is at times tasked with using communications tactics to weave together policy priorities and program goals.

What You’ll Do

• Coordination and engagement with colleagues across the Foundation, specifically program partners in Pathways and Data strategies, state leads, policy and government relations teams, grantees, and other external partners.

• Coordination of communications priorities and activities, maintaining communications calendar and providing progress updates.

• Collaboration with colleagues around communications needs and key inflection points tied to policy priorities (such as legislative sessions, research releases, etc.), especially in the foundation’s focus geographies.

• Strategic planning and collaboration with earned media lead to advance data and pathways priorities and generate positive coverage.

• Develop and lead all aspects of communications grants to advance pathways and data priorities (including grants to nonprofit media outlets, grants to organizations that the foundation wants to empower as messengers, and contracts with service providers, among others) and advise program investments that include communications components.

• Creation of written and other materials (e.g., fact sheets, briefings, newsletters, messaging) for internal and external use.

• Development of messaging and other support for director speaking and media opportunities.

• Generation of creative ideas to amplify the foundation’s data and pathways priorities using a variety of communications tools (e.g., video development, public opinion research, event and conference activation).

Your Experience

We are looking for a skilled communications professional with extensive experience and roots in the education field and with issue-based advocacy and communications. Specifically, the effective candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree with 7+ years of experience incommunications, experience in non-profit, advocacy, or political communications.

• Experience working in philanthropy is preferred, as well as experience working on issues such as education pathways and/or data privacy.

• Deep understanding, experience and expertise in U.S. education, specifically student transitions between high school and postsecondary education and careers, including a sophisticated understanding of the varied perspectives on related issues at the state and national levels.

• Strong experience in communications planning and execution, including materials development.

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.

• Proven expertise in leading sophisticated projects involving multiple partners, completing each in a timely manner with outstanding attention to detail.

• Familiarity with education data issues, such as privacy and emerging uses of artificial intelligence.

• Familiarity with philanthropy (either as a funder or grant recipient) and with policy and advocacy work, at the state and/or federal level.

• Willingness to travel up to 20%.

*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.