Deputy Director of Communications

Overview:

Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice seeks a full-time Deputy Director of Communications. This position reports to the Chief Advocacy and Culture Change Officer (CACCO) and will be based in the Washington, DC, area with a hybrid work-from-home/office model.

About Equimundo:

Equimundo is a global leader in promoting gender equality and preventing violence by engaging men and boys in partnership with women and girls and individuals of all gender identities. Working with men and boys to transform harmful gender norms and unequal power dynamics is critical to achieving gender equality. With partners in more than 55 countries, Equimundo’s work – including high-impact research, evidence-based programs, and targeted advocacy efforts – seeks to create a nonviolent, caring, and gender-equitable future for all. For more information, please visit www.equimundo.org.

In addition to competitive base pay, we provide:

• Full employee healthcare coverage, including medical, dental, and vision
• Ancillary coverage, including group life, AD&D, short- and long-term disability
• Employer 401k contribution equaling 8% of annual salary
• 4 weeks of PTO, paid holidays, and health leave

Job Description

The Deputy Director of Communications owns how Equimundo shows up in the world. The role sets and executes the organization's communications strategy and is accountable for everything external-facing: the Equimundo brand and visual identity, public relations and media, social media and digital channels, the website, and the design and production of reports, publications, and other external products. The Deputy Director translates Equimundo's research, programs, and advocacy into a coherent organizational narrative and ensures that narrative reaches the audiences that matter: policymakers, funders, partners, media, and the broader public.

The Deputy Director manages a Graphic Designer and a Social Media Manager, oversees one or more communications consultants, and directs external vendors. They work closely with the CACCO on strategy, partner with leadership across Research, Programs, Advocacy, Business Development, and the Office of the CEO (OCEO), and advise the executive team on positioning, messaging, and reputational risk. The person in this role should be equally comfortable setting a multi-year brand direction, editing an op-ed under deadline, and building the systems that let a small team deliver a high volume of consistent, high-quality work.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Narrative

• Develop and own an organization-wide communications strategy, in coordination with the CACCO, that advances Equimundo's mission and positions the organization as the leading voice on caring masculinity, men and boys, and gender equality.
• In partnership with the Advocacy, Research, Programs, Business Development, and OCEO teams, develop and maintain an overarching organizational story that can be told consistently across every platform and external product, including the strategies, messaging frameworks, and collateral that bring it to life.
• Build and manage an annual communications calendar mapped to report launches, campaigns, events, policy moments, and fundraising cycles, and make sure the team is resourced and sequenced to deliver against it.
• Advise the Executive Team on communications trends, emerging issues, positioning, and reputational risk; lead crisis and rapid-response communications when needed.
• Set goals and metrics for the communications function, track performance across channels, and report regularly to leadership on reach, engagement, media coverage, and progress toward goals.

Brand and Design

• Serve as the steward of the Equimundo brand. Own the visual identity, brand guidelines, and institutional voice, and ensure consistent application across all external-facing work, including subsidiary brands and co-branded initiatives.
• Oversee all graphic design for the organization, including designing and producing research reports, publications, infographics, decks, event materials, and digital assets from concept through final files.
• Directly supervise the Graphic Designer: set priorities, manage the design pipeline across departments, review and approve work, and ensure quality and brand consistency across every product.
• Build the intake, production, and review processes that allow Research, Programs, and Advocacy teams to get high-quality design work on predictable timelines.
• Oversee the website in partnership with the Social Media Manager and external vendors, including content strategy, ongoing development, brand expression, and the quarterly vendor retainer.

Public Relations and Media

• Lead Equimundo's public relations and earned media strategy, including proactive pitching, media relationships, rapid response, and placing research findings, op-eds, and commentary in outlets that reach Equimundo's priority audiences.
• Oversee and direct one or more communications consultants, including scoping and managing PR engagements, setting priorities, and holding consultants accountable for results.
• Lead communications for report launches, conferences, convenings, and other external events where Equimundo is represented, and prepare senior leadership and spokespeople for media and public appearances.
• Write and edit high-stakes external materials, including press releases, op-eds, talking points, impact stories, and executive communications, and serve as the final editorial authority on external content.

Social Media and Digital

• Set the strategy for Equimundo's social media presence and digital channels, including platform priorities, voice, audience growth, and engagement goals.
• Directly supervise the Social Media Manager: set direction and priorities, review content and campaigns, oversee the content calendar, and ensure social media work ladders up to organizational goals.
• Oversee email marketing and owned channels, including newsletters and Equimundo's Substack, working with Research, Programs, Advocacy, and OCEO to prioritize and source content that promotes reports, events, and campaigns.
• Work across teams to translate complex research and programmatic work into clear, compelling content for digital audiences.

Team and Vendor Management

• Build the processes and working agreements with department leads, staff, and OCEO that ensure Equimundo's global work is consistently and strategically amplified across digital platforms, media, and the website.
• Manage the communications budget and make resourcing recommendations to the CACCO.

Desired Qualifications

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public relations, brand, or a related field, including at least 3 years managing staff, consultants, or agencies. An undergraduate degree in communications, journalism, design, or a related field is preferred; equivalent professional experience is welcome.
• A track record of leading a communications function or a major communications portfolio for a nonprofit, advocacy organization, research institution, campaign, or mission-driven company.
• Demonstrated experience setting brand and visual identity direction and managing designers and design workflows, including producing long-form reports and publications. The role does not require being a designer, but it does require strong design judgment and the ability to give clear, useful creative direction.
• Deep familiarity with social media and digital strategy, including setting goals, reading analytics, and directing a social media team toward measurable growth and engagement.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to capture Equimundo's institutional voice, translate research and policy into plain language, and serve as the final editor on high-stakes external content.
• Strong people management skills: the ability to set clear priorities, give direct feedback, develop staff, and build processes that let a small team deliver at volume without sacrificing quality.
• Experience advising senior leadership and working across departments with competing priorities; comfort managing up, pushing back, and making decisions.
• Passion for Equimundo's mission and social justice, and affinity and experience in gender equality, social justice, and/or work with men and boys and healthy masculinity.
• Experience with international or multi-country organizations and communicating with global audiences is a plus.

Equimundo offers competitive, fair salary ranges in Washington, D.C., for the not-for-profit and related sectors. This position pays $110,000-130,000, depending on years of experience and academic qualifications.

Approximate Start Date: Before the end of 2026

To apply, please fill out this form. (Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted)

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Please view this description as a general overview, rather than a comprehensive, mandatory list. Apply if you're passionate about our work and believe you have the skills to contribute and lead in this role. We want to hear from you!

Equimundo is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment for all employees, ensuring a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, including ancestry, ethnicity, sex, including pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, alienage or citizenship status, military status, including past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, actual or perceived sexual orientation.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage Black, Indigenous, people of color, women, people with previous felony convictions, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and others who identify with underrepresented groups to apply.

In addition to competitive base pay, we provide:

• Full employee healthcare coverage, including medical, dental, and vision
• Ancillary coverage, including group life, AD&D, short- and long-term disability
• Employer 401k contribution equaling 8% of annual salary
• 4 weeks of PTO, paid holidays, and health leave