Director of Strategic Communications

CHT is seeking a Director of Strategic Communications to lead our public-facing storytelling, strategic communications, and media engagement. This role will be the connective tissue between CHT’s mission and the broader world, ensuring brand coherence, audience clarity, and maximally effective dissemination of our work through things such as digital explainers, media briefings, public events, and internal messaging strategy. It will also promote our owned media assets, Your Undivided Attention and Substack presence, which are produced by our Content team.

Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with: the Chief Operating Officer, Directors of Policy, Development and Content, as well as our co-founder Tristan Harris, this position will build CHT’s outward narrative infrastructure. They will guide how our voice shows up across all surfaces — from major media and social channels, to public materials and high-profile event stages.

The Director of Strategic Communications will manage the relationship with our external PR firm, and take responsibility for all earned media. Internally, they will manage our Director of Content who currently manages our podcast (YUA) team (1.8 FTE) and our Lead Writer (.75 FTE).

Watch this video to learn more about the role.

Responsibilities

Strategic Messaging

• Organizational storytelling: Lead the crafting and coordination of CHT’s external narrative, including strategic positioning on major issues (AI regulation, disinformation, etc.) with input from policy, research, and executive leadership.
• Brand coherence: Ensure all communications — slide decks, briefings, events, media appearances — use consistent language, tone, and visuals. Own the CHT style and story guide. Ensures that communications are tailored to key audiences.

Social and digital content strategy:

• Content promotion: Develop strategies to amplify distribution of our podcast Your Undivided Attention, our substack, and other content across unconventional channels and execute strategy in collaboration with the Content Director.
• Lead digital marketing strategy: Own CHT’s integrated digital marketing efforts, ensuring a cohesive approach across the website, fundraising emails, and social media channels to maximize reach, engagement, and alignment with our mission.
• Oversee social media presence: In partnership with the Content Director, maintain a coherent and ethical voice across all social platforms, aligning messaging with CHT’s brand, strategic priorities, and responsible communication principles.
• Produce impactful digital content: Direct the strategy and oversee production of high-quality multimedia content — including video explainers, thought leadership pieces, and campaign assets — ensuring alignment with CHT’s narrative and strategic goals. Partner with the Content team and external contractors to deliver materials that model responsible use of digital channels.

Media and public relations

• Media strategy and relations : Develop and execute media strategy to shape public discourse, proactively driving high-impact placements, managing the work with our PR firm as needed. Collaborate with our PR firm to triage and elevate media opportunities aligned with our strategic goals.
• Rapid response and crisis communications: Serve as the go-to for high-stakes comms scenarios, crafting talking points, media statements, and response plans in close partnership with leadership.

Dissemination & Impact Campaigns

• Campaign design and execution: In collaboration with the Executive team, architect dissemination strategies for major CHT initiatives (e.g. films, AI briefings, specific media pushes) ensuring clear audience targeting, partner engagement, and messaging alignment.
• Content monetization & reach: Explore opportunities for ethical monetization and expanded reach of CHT content, including partnerships, speaking tours, and platform placements.
• Event storytelling: Co-lead storytelling design for fundraising dinners, CHT narrative events and strategic convenings — defining tone, arc, messaging, and room curation. Ensure resonance with target audiences.

Employment Details

• Terms: Full-time permanent employee
• Compensation: $180K-200K annual salary, generous PTO, medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401K with 4% matching
• Location: Remote with travel 3-5x a year within the United States
• You must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Please note that we are unable to sponsor any prospective employees for visas.

Skills & Experience

• At least 10 years of professional experience spanning either journalism, policy, strategic communications, or media, ideally in mission-driven organizations at the intersection of technology, politics, and society.
• Proven ability to lead integrated communications strategies across earned media, marketing, events, and social media, with strong instincts for newsworthiness, narrative strategy, and audience targeting.
• Deep familiarity with the U.S. political and media landscape, and ability to navigate it with political judgement and integrity.
• Demonstrated success running high-impact communications campaigns, with responsibility for project management, PR, marketing, and strategic events. Experience managing cross-functional teams and external partners in fast-paced environments.
• Excellent verbal and written communicator with sharp story judgment and the ability to distill complex ideas into compelling narratives.
• High emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving skills, and the confidence to lead with ideas while advocating for communications best practices across the organization.
• Self-starter who thrives in ambiguity, energized by structuring complexity, and willing to roll up their sleeves at all levels of work.
• Passion for CHT's mission and demonstrated experience on values-aligned work
• Demonstrated commitment to creating a more humane world