HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS

Position Purpose

A versatile position within a dynamic nonprofit that helps communities recover after disasters and gets children back in school.  The role is full-time and is key in positioning AH&H as one of the pre-eminent disaster relief and education focused humanitarian aid organizations in the world. The Head of Communications leads the organization’s communications strategy, ensuring clear, compelling storytelling that amplifies mission impact, strengthens brand reputation and aligns internal and external messaging.  This role oversees the development and execution of integrated communications across digital platforms, media relations, and brand channels, translating leadership priorities and field insights into narratives that drive visibility, engagement, audience growth and donations.

This role is based in the United States.

Reporting Relationships

• Reports to  Chief Engagement Officer
• Roles reporting to position  Digital Marketing Manager, Internal and External Content Creators
• Approximate number of reports  4 - 6

Essential Functions

Strategic Communications & Storytelling

• Translate leadership’s communications and content strategy into compelling, high-quality storytelling across all channels, including social media, blog, website, email and digital advertising platforms.
• Develop and implement a measurement framework to track performance across socials, website, email, and digital campaigns, aligning metrics with organizational goals.
• Develop and execute comprehensive strategies that guide the organization’s internal and external messaging, public relations efforts, and brand reputation.
• Maintain a close, real-time understanding of AH&H’s field operations to accurately reflect day-to-day activity in our communications. Convert this insight into powerful, authentic narratives centered on people and impact, prioritized and executed across three core operational areas:
  • Emergency response activations,
  • Ongoing recovery program efforts,
  • Long-term strategic organizational initiatives
  • Dynamically balance these priorities based on organizational needs, ensuring team capacity and creative budget are allocated effectively to support timely and impactful communications

Editorial Strategy  & Content Leadership

• Lead the development and management of the annual editorial calendar, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities while maintaining the agility to respond to evolving programs and emerging opportunities.
• Facilitate regular newsroom meetings to coordinate storytelling priorities and maintain real-time visibility and alignment with evolving programs and on-the-ground developments.
• Serve as the final editorial reviewer for all creative assets - including video, photography, design, blogs, email campaigns and social media content - ensuring quality, accuracy, and brand consistency.
• Apply a strong creative vision and editorial standard to maintain excellence before and after publication.
• Prepare customized updates and high-level reports for co-founders, board members and executive leadership as needed.

Media Relations & Public Visibility

• Build and maintain strong relationships with media outlets, journalists, and PR partners to strengthen the organization’s public presence.
• Identify and proactively pitch stories aligned with program priorities and emerging field developments.
• Serve as the primary liaison for media coordination, ensuring professional engagement and seamless communication with external partners.
• Prepare and support organizational spokespeople for media engagements, providing messaging guidance, briefing materials, and logistical coordination.

Vendor & Agency Management

• Cultivate relationships with creative agencies, digital advertising vendors, and other specialized service providers.
• Serve as point of contact for influencer partnerships.
• Manage scope of work, budgets, timelines, and deliverables for outsourced communications and marketing initiatives.
• Ensure vendor partnerships deliver high-quality work on schedule and meet defined performance metrics and KPIs.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Represent the Communications team in internal disaster response briefings and other cross-departmental coordination meetings.
• Partner closely with the Development team to support donor engagement and communications aligned mission priorities.
• Develop tools, templates and communications guidance that enable departments to manage routine messaging independently.
• Ensure Communications team remains focused on its core mandate: elevating the organization’s external storytelling, public visibility and brand impact.

Position Requirements

• Related Experience:  At least 10 years of progressive experience in communications, media, or public relations, ideally within a global, mission-driven, or nonprofit organization. Demonstrated success leading integrated communications strategies across multiple channels (web, social, email, and press). Proven track record with story telling, managing high-visibility media relations, and digital advertising campaigns. 
• Special Competencies/Certifications
  Strong leadership and people management experience. High proficiency with content and project management tools including Notion, Google Workspace, Slack, Canva, ActiveCampaign (or comparable email marketing tool), Zeck and WordPress/Gutenberg (or comparable CMS). Demonstrated success collaborating with external vendors or agencies for media, design and digital advertising projects.  Skilled in using data and analytics to measure communications performance and inform future strategy.  Culturally sensitive and globally minded, capable of representing AH&H’s mission authentically across diverse regions and contexts.  Must thrive in a fast-paced, high pressure environment, maintaining clarity, composure and creativity under tight deadlines.  Mindset & approach: A natural storyteller with a curious, observant mind, someone who constantly looks beyond their own corner to understand the broader context and connect the dots. A creative thinker who refuses boilerplate communications, crafting unique narratives and approaches that genuinely stand out. Relentlessly meticulous, with an almost insatiable appetite for making sure everything is in the best possible shape before it goes out into the world. AI-native and eager to learn, experiment, and explore how new tools can elevate and accelerate our communication efforts.
  
  

Working Conditions and Physical Demands 

• Home office environment

• Constantly operates computer
• Travel up to 25% of the time
• Living in communal environment while on program
• High stress situations in an immediate post-disaster environment
• Comfortable with flexible, non-traditional work hours during response periods, including evenings and weekends

Compensation & Benefits 

• Compensation commensurate with experience. Typical starting salary is $85,0000 annually based on skills and experience, and up to $125,000 for highly qualified candidates 
• Flexible working hours
• Unlimited PTO
• Opportunity to travel to projects
• Medical, vision, and dental insurance plans 
• Flex Spending Account
• 401K with safe harbor match for U.S. staff 

Diversity is the acknowledgment, promotion and celebration of our differences and similarities. All racial identities, ethnicities, sexes, nationalities, gender identities and expressions, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientations, ages, spiritualities, points of view and socioeconomic statuses can fit in with us. We support individuals from around the world and serve communities affected by disasters with purpose. Response, recovery, resilience and renewal are why we exist. Respect for the value of diversity, inclusion and social justice drives us forward every day. Everyone is welcome. 

All Hands & Hearts is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic.