The Deputy Director, Media Relations, will be a key member of the External Communications Leadership Team within the foundation’s Global Policy and Advocacy division. S/he will be based in Seattle and work collaboratively with colleagues across the foundation’s global offices to ensure the foundation leverages global media and external relations to advance its mission. The Deputy Director must understand the strategic work of the foundation as well as the global media landscape. The Deputy Director will work to advance the foundation’s external communications strategy and manage foundation reputation through proactive and reactive engagement with media, partners, and foundation colleagues.
Areas of Responsibility:
- Lead a central media team and play an active role as a contributing member of the External Communications Leadership Team.
- Drive proactive media engagement strategy, building and strengthening relationships with key media globally.
- Drive media strategy and execution for major initiatives and campaigns.
- Lead issues management and media engagement for the foundation, collaborating with regional leads, issues leads, and co-chair private offices.
- Partner with co-chairs’ private offices to arrange media engagements, provide counsel and staff opportunities.
- Manage agencies appropriately and with discernment, ensuring they are additive to the work that is done in-house.
- Contribute to annual strategy-setting process and other rhythm of the business requirements.
- Lead the central media team by setting strategic priorities and time allocation, handling information flow, resolving issues, and providing analysis and advice on key issues.
- Attract, lead, and retain premier talent on the media team.
Skills/Experience:
- Strong network with premier global media organizations, editors, and journalists.
- Preference for international communications experience and shown cultural competency.
- Experience in a dynamic, deadline-oriented environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple and competing demands and establish priorities, while providing continual attention to detail.
- Experience in a role requiring collaboration within an organization, as well as a demonstrated ability to work with efficiency and diplomacy, particularly as part of a team effort.
- Demonstrated ability to achieve results and drive complex work to conclusion, including getting results through others.
- Significant experience working successfully with journalists and media outlets globally.
- Outstanding people skills and a demonstrated ability to influence a wide range of individuals from diverse backgrounds and at different levels.
- Strategic thinker with demonstrated ability to use quantitative and qualitative data to present options for decision-making, highlight trade-offs, and propose recommendations. Experience using data to measure media engagement and guide approaches.
- Successful experience leading crisis communications and issues management for a major organization.
- Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills, in positions requiring communication with a broad and diverse audience on a range of complex and technical issues.
- Ability to offer creative solutions to complex problems and translate the options into actionable solutions.
- Teammate with a sense of humor and humility
- Real passion for the foundation’s mission
- A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in a similar role, including management experience, collaborative experience with a wide range of internal and external partners, and excellent communications skills.
- Experience working in non-profit/public health, government, communications agency, or private sector organization is strongly preferred.
Job Function:
Organization Info
Listing Stats
Post Date:
Mar 23 2019
Active Until:
Apr 23 2019
Hiring Organization:
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
industry:
Nonprofit