Director of Communications and Marketing

Our Team

The GitLab Foundation is a highly collaborative, fully remote team driven by curiosity, results-orientation, and a commitment to continuous learning. Our team brings together diverse experiences across philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, the private sector, and research institutions—each perspective helping us approach our work with depth, empathy, and strategic insight. Our culture is grounded in our CREDIT values and shaped by respect, humility, open debate, and a strong bias for action. We trust one another to lead with integrity, operate with transparency, and lean into challenges with a shared sense of purpose. Above all, we are united by a deep commitment to achieving meaningful, measurable change in the lives of those we serve.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a strategic communicator, experienced marketer, and creative content creator with 10+ years of experience leading marketing and communications in fast-moving, highly collaborative organizations. They have a strong track record of crafting compelling narratives, elevating brand visibility, and translating complex technical concepts, such as financial modeling and impact measurement, into accessible, engaging messaging. They know how to design campaigns and content that drive engagement, trust, and investment.

Energized by the GitLab Foundation’s mission, this person sees communications as a powerful lever for strategy, influence, and impact. A collaborative, emotionally intelligent, and values-driven leader, they are skilled at navigating complex stakeholder environments and tailoring messaging to a wide range of audiences, including peer funders, ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) donors, board members, grantees, advisory services clients, the public, GitLab employees, and internal teams.

The ideal candidate is a self-starter who thrives in a growth-stage, all-hands-on-deck environment. They’re unafraid to challenge conventional thinking and bring bold, innovative strategies to reach new audiences and grow our influence. In this role, they will help double our social media visibility over the next three years, support growth of our advisory services to over $1 million in annual revenue, and contribute to fund development efforts targeting tens of millions of dollars.

This pivotal leadership role reports to the President & CEO and will work closely with all members of the Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

Communications Strategy & Execution

• Translate organizational strategy into a cohesive, integrated communications roadmap that advances the Foundation’s mission and priorities.
• Shape narratives that reflect the GitLab Foundation’s CREDIT values, outcomes-driven model, and global impact.
• Develop clear, compelling messaging tailored to diverse audiences, including UHNW donors, family offices, advisory clients, philanthropic partners, policymakers, the broader social sector, and GitLab Inc. employees.
• Create high-quality content, including thought leadership pieces, video storytelling, and presentations that elevate the Foundation’s voice and influence.
• Amplify the voices of grantees, funders, and sector allies through storytelling and collaborative media.
• Ensure that communications resonate across our geographic markets (Colombia, Kenya, and the U.S.), adapting language and storytelling to reflect cultural context.
• Support the CEO in preparing board-level communication materials to ensure a consistent voice across executive and governance touchpoints.

Marketing Strategy & Execution

• Lead brand development across the Foundation and each of its initiatives, ensuring a clear, consistent identity that reflects our mission and values.
• Develop and refine positioning and core narratives that differentiate the Foundation as a philanthropic innovator capable of mobilizing capital, influencing funders, and supporting high-impact partners.
• Design and execute integrated marketing campaigns that increase visibility, foster trust, and promote donor engagement and customer acquisition.
• Co-create go-to-market strategies for our advisory services and donor engagement initiatives, including brand identity, product positioning, pilot storytelling, and early donor communication.
• Develop compelling content such as decks, microsites, dashboards, and videos that convey value, foster trust, and drive action for targeted audiences.
• Design values-aligned, high-touch experiences—like curated convenings, personalized donor touchpoints, or immersive site visits—that build trust and deepen relationships with donors, advisory clients, and philanthropic partners.
• Conduct audience and market research to inform messaging, track trends, and refine strategy.
• Stay informed on trends in philanthropy, marketing, and technology to keep strategies innovative and relevant.

Reputation, Influence, & Events Strategy

• Design and lead a comprehensive reputation-building strategy across global markets, partnering with grantees, funders, and allies to spotlight stories of measurable impact and innovation.
• Guide internal leaders in shaping their thought leadership, preparing for media engagement, and serving as effective brand ambassadors.
• Develop and oversee an events strategy, including participation in flagship sector gatherings and private donor events, and the strategic hosting of convenings to further the Foundation’s strategic goals.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure the Foundation’s presence at events reinforces brand positioning, strengthens stakeholder relationships, and supports advisory services and fund development goals.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, Experience, and Personal Attributes

• 10+ years in strategic communications, brand, or marketing leadership roles
• Experience building and scaling communications and marketing for multi-entity or multi-brand organizations
• Understands philanthropic audiences, especially UHNW individuals, private foundations, and corporate foundations
• Background working with executive teams and boards and serving as a trusted advisor to senior leadership
• Strategic thinker and systems-level communicator with the ability to zoom in and out from vision to execution
• Demonstrated success developing customer- and donor-facing materials, managing campaigns, and elevating visibility in high-stakes environments
• Brings a creative, adaptable mindset and thrives in environments that require innovative thinking, problem-solving, and moving beyond conventional approaches
• Operates with a high degree of autonomy while ensuring alignment with organizational goals and values
• High emotional intelligence, humility, and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement
• Experience operating in agile, iterative, entrepreneurial environments with a strong bias for action
• Deep commitment to the GitLab Foundation’s mission to drive economic mobility and advance systems change
• Demonstrated alignment with GitLab Foundation’s CREDIT values

Fully remote (must be U.S. based)

Travel: Approximately 10–15%, including both domestic and international travel, primarily for team meetings. Travel typically occurs once to twice per quarter, with occasional flexibility depending on organizational priorities.