Director of Communications, PAX sapiens

Communications Director

Organization Summary:

PAX sapiens is a grantmaking and operating foundation hosted by One Earth Future.  PAX sapiens uses direct grantmaking and coordination tools such as convenings, conferences, and information sharing systems to advance human security and sustainable peace.  PAX sapiens has two primary issue areas we focus on, including strengthening global systems for pandemic prevention and promoting a peaceful US-Chinese relationship.

PAX sapiens is hosted by the operating foundation One Earth Future.  For more than a decade, One Earth Future (OEF) has worked to solve complex problems at the root of armed conflict. Through its unique culture of iterative learning and improvement, OEF designs, tests, and partners to scale programs that help communities see problems in new ways and solve them collectively. With its headquarters in Colorado and offices around the world, OEF operates as a portfolio of peacebuilding programs, each with its own director, strategy, and budget. What holds them together is a common purpose: to provide an impartial platform for diverse stakeholders to form adaptive problem-solving networks for peace. At the foundation level, OEF provides the financial, strategic, and operational support needed to iteratively develop solutions to complex problems that could not have been designed in advance.

Primary Role: 

PAX sapiens’ impact strategy includes a strong strategic communications component.  The issues we work on will only be solved through partnerships and collective action, and PAX will need strong communication capacity to build our brand and legitimacy as an organization and to drive attention to the issues we care about.  This includes an expectation of campaigns, and the crafting of and placement in media of messages supporting our work and impact.  The Communications Director will be responsible for developing PAX sapiens’ communications capacity and strategy including working with the Founder and CEO on issues of branding, developing PAX’s web presence and social media engagement, and assisting PAX staff in placing stories and op-eds in traditional media outlets as well as online, domestically and internationally.  Ultimately, the Communications Director will develop the PAX communications staff and will be responsible for setting a communications strategy and managing the staffing and budget necessary to achieve communications goals. The ultimate success of this position will be judged in terms of successfully driving high-level coverage in international outlets of issues that PAX cares about and/or successfully establishing high-level visibility for PAX work in ways that lead to direct outreach from key partners or facilitates our outreach to these partners.

Reports to: 

Senior Strategic Advisor, PAX sapiens

Job Type:

Salary; Exempt; Full-time

Compensation:

The hiring range for this position is $100,00-$120,000 annual salary.

This position is benefits eligible. Offered benefits include Medical, Vision, Dental, Life Insurance, Short and Long Term Disability, and a 401k.

Location :

This position is located at the One Earth Future Foundation central office in Broomfield, CO.  The OEF office operates on a hybrid in-office/work from home model, and this position may have the option for some remote work.  

Primary Responsibilities:

• With foundation leadership, develop an mapping of organizational communication needs, then develop and execute a plan for meeting these needs.
• With staff or contractors as needed, redevelop the PAX sapiens website to meet modern standards of impact.
• With staff or contractors as needed, develop and execute a social media engagement plan.
• Work with foundation staff to identify and place external media and op-eds that advance our communications goals.
• Establish ongoing engagement with critical partners to maintain the relationship.
• Manage the staff and budget of the communications team on an ongoing basis.

Required Education, Knowledge, Skills and Competences:

• At least 7 years of experience showing increasing responsibility and authority in positions demonstrating communications skills.
• Demonstrated project management experience and the ability to plan, budget, manage, and close projects on time and within budget.
• Demonstrated expertise in communications strategy and successfully developing and managing organizational communications strategy and activities.
• A demonstrated track record of placing media pieces in high-impact outlets either through personal publication or through placing other work.
• Demonstrated staff management experience including authority in hiring and staff oversight and demonstrated track record in effective management, coaching, and development of staff towards organizational outcomes.
• Familiarity with the full range of communications skills and capacities sufficient to oversee specialist work in these areas, including basic information and comfort with document and web content design and layout, web design, social media, search engine optimization, and communications analytics.  Specific expertise in at least one of these skills is a strong plus.
• Demonstrated experience working internationally and across cultures in culturally sensitive and appropriate ways.
• Commitment to OEF’s vision, principles, and values (www.oneearthfuture.org) 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience and an active professional network in a field relevant to PAX’s work, such as major donor philanthropy, US-China relationships, and/or pandemic prevention.
• Networks or experience in multiple issue areas or across issues are particularly valued.
• Fluency in Chinese (Mandarin) and/or Spanish

Physical Work Demands:

• Able to sit at a computer for extended periods of time.
• Able to bend at the waist and reach on a daily basis.
• Able to lift and move up to 25 lbs regularly.

At One Earth Future (OEF), we celebrate diversity and welcome its benefits and are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.  We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, gender identity, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability or veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.