Communications Lead

Job Description

As the Communications Lead at Renaissance Philanthropy, you will play a key role in crafting and executing strategic communications plans that amplify the impact of our programs and model. Your leadership will be instrumental in driving the successful launch of initiatives, increasing the visibility of Renaissance Philanthropy’s model and methodologies, and ensuring cohesive and compelling messaging across all external channels. Additionally, you will manage Renaissance Philanthropy’s content creation, brand awareness, and online network engagement. Your leadership will be pivotal in telling the story and impact of Renaissance Philanthropy, inspiring stakeholders and advancing the organization’s mission.

This position is based in New York, D.C., San Francisco, or London. The salary band for this role is $135,000-$175,000 in the United States.

About Renaissance Philanthropy

The mission of Renaissance Philanthropy, a new nonprofit organization, is to fuel a 21st century renaissance by increasing the ambition of philanthropists, scientists, and innovators. 

Our aim is to activate a virtuous loop of increasing ambition and impact between philanthropists and innovators: by identifying frontier experts both in science and in new ways of solving problems; by tapping into the growing number of emerging philanthropists; and by building multi-sector initiatives that can harness the power of philanthropy, markets, and governments. We advance our mission by advising philanthropists, surfacing breakthrough ideas, and incubating ambitious initiatives.

Role and Responsibilities

Project management: 

• Track and drive forward progress on communications needs and goals across our programs.
• Hire and manage contractors, including designers and developers, as needed to drive our communications plans forward.
• Coordinate cross-team efforts on program-specific marketing materials, event communications, and stakeholder engagement plans, particularly at launch and key milestone moments.
• Collaborate with program leads to develop and manage communications strategies for new program launches, ensuring cohesive messaging across channels.

Content Development and Messaging:

• Manage and lead the development of high-impact content including our website, press releases, case studies, program overviews, and social media with support from multiple content creators within the organization.  
• Develop strategies for each of our communications channels. Ensure consistent, engaging, and effective messaging, tailoring content for diverse audiences including donors, partners, and the general public.
• Drive the creation and dissemination of program playbooks, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and values.
• Create self-generated content for brand awareness (e.g., regular blogs on):
• What: Our ideas on the role of philanthropy and topics where philanthropy can play an outsized return in scientific or technical domains
• How: Our insights on effective and innovative philanthropic strategies (playbooks)
• Why: The importance of philanthropy in science, tech, innovation

Strategic Communications:

• Lead special projects related to organizational storytelling (e.g. developing programming for signature events)
• Support the partnerships team to develop strong donor engagement and program marketing initiatives 
• Liaise with the team on events to ensure cohesive branding, outreach, and talking points. 

The right candidate would be excited to stretch into these responsibilities over time:  

• Develop and implement comprehensive communication strategies to support the successful launch and promotion of Renaissance Philanthropy's initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for thought leadership; partner with our senior leadership team to execute those ideas and further our mission. 
• Monitor and measure the effectiveness of communication strategies, providing insights for continuous improvement.
• Identify emerging opportunities to enhance Renaissance Philanthropy’s brand and visibility through innovative communication strategies (e.g., identifying forums, hosting signature events, utilizing digital storytelling, creating innovative campaigns, securing relevant panels).
• Build and maintain relationships with media outlets, securing earned media across interviews, publications, and podcasts to elevate the profile of RenPhil
• Develop and execute media outreach plans, crafting compelling pitches to secure coverage in top-tier outlets.

Key Qualifications

Required:

• Strong experience in strategic communications, media relations, or a related field, preferably in philanthropy, R&D, or a mission-driven organization.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with a keen eye for detail.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and deadlines.
• A collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively across teams and stakeholders.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated experience securing media coverage and managing press relationships.
• Background in developing and implementing comprehensive communications plans.
• Experience managing freelancers and/or contractors to execute content development and campaigns.
• Familiarity with social media strategies, digital advertising, and audience engagement techniques.
• Ability to translate complex ideas into compelling narratives for a variety of audiences.
• Strong understanding of brand management and positioning in the philanthropic or R&D ecosystem.

Outcomes

If you are successful in this role, in three years’ time, you will have elevated the visibility and impact of Renaissance Philanthropy’s model and initiatives through strategic communications, securing media coverage, and developing compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. This will ultimately lead to more partners wanting to work with the organization, a greater number of field leaders wanting to launch thesis-driven funds, and a larger network of individuals and organizations having increased their level of ambition through inspiration. Your work will have positioned the organization as a leader in the philanthropic and R&D ecosystems and strengthened Renaissance Philanthropy’s ability to drive transformative change and achieve our mission on a global scale.

Values

You will thrive within our team if you:

• Have strong mission and vision alignment: You believe in the power of science, innovation, and technology to create a brighter future for all. 
• Exhibit high agency: You can move mountains and break perceived constraints.
• Inspire others and are highly collaborative: You can motivate others to join your mission and goals. You understand the value of going further by working with others. 
• Value exceptional talent and the power of networks: You can spot or nurture exceptional talent and believe in the value of building networks and the power law of talent. 
• Are comfortable working in fast-moving and ambitious teams: You are not afraid of ambiguity and enjoy working at pace. 

Diversity

We encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply, regardless of whether you feel you meet 100% of the qualifications. The top candidates will bring their own unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds from a variety of industries along with many but not necessarily all the skills listed above.

Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce is critical to our success. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. 

Renaissance Philanthropy is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Next steps:

To apply, please fill out an application: bit.ly/RenPhilJobs