Director, Strategic Communications & Marketing

Overview

The Director, Strategic Communications & Marketing serves as Jhpiego's senior leader for communications and marketing and is responsible for leading the development and execution of strategies that shape, protect, and elevate the organization's global reputation, brand, visibility, and strategic voice.

As a senior member of the Global Engagement & Communications Office (GECO) team, the Director works in close partnership with the Vice President to translate organizational priorities into integrated communications and marketing strategy, ensuring that every external and internal communication advances the organization's mission, strategic priorities, fundraising objectives, and global influence.

The Director provides leadership for external communications, internal communications, executive communications, marketing, branding, media relations, digital engagement, storytelling, thought leadership, and crisis communications while ensuring consistency across headquarters, regional, and country communications.

The position oversees three senior leaders responsible for Communications, Marketing, and Global Communications Coordination and works collaboratively across the organization to strengthen Jhpiego's visibility, reputation, and engagement with donors, governments, partners, media, policymakers, staff, and the communities we serve.

The Director plays a key role in supporting Jhpiego’s institutional positional and resource mobilization and philanthropic engagement by strengthening executive visibility, developing compelling narratives and ensuring communications and marketing effectively support fundraising and partnership development strategies led by the Vice President and Development leadership. 

Responsibilities

Strategic Communications, Brand & Organizational Positioning

• Develop and lead Jhpiego's integrated communications, marketing, and brand strategy aligned with organizational priorities.
• Implement and reinforce Jhpiego’s global reputation, institutional narrative, messaging framework, and brand identify.
• Lead executive communications, thought leadership, and strategic messaging support.
• Oversee crisis communications planning and organizational reputation management.
• Ensure consistent messaging across all organizational communications, fundraising, technical, and corporate materials.
• Execute communications strategies that reinforce Jhpiego’s position as a trusted leader.

Marketing, Visibility & Audience Engagement

• Lead marketing strategy to increase awareness, engagement, and philanthropic support.
• Oversee digital marketing, website strategy, social media, paid media, SEO, influencers, and audience development.
• Ensure marketing initiatives support fundraising, partnerships, advocacy, and organizational priorities.
• Drive integrated campaigns that elevate Jhpiego's visibility and expand engagement with priority audiences.
• Monitor performance metrics and continuously optimize marketing effectiveness using analytics and audience insights.

Global Communications Leadership & Content Strategy

• Provide strategic leadership for Jhpiego's global communications network across headquarters, regional, and country offices.
• Oversee global editorial planning, storytelling priorities, communications standards, and content governance.
• Strengthen the capacity of country communicators through training, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
• Ensure regional and country communications align with organizational priorities while reflecting local context.
• Facilitate sharing of impactful stories, innovations, and technical expertise.

Internal Communications & Executive Engagement

• Lead internal communications strategy that strengthens employee engagement, organizational alignment, and change management.
• Support executive communications for the CEO and senior leadership, including speeches, presentations, leadership messaging, and strategic announcements.
• Ensure employees remain informed, connected, and engaged through effective internal communications channels.
• Support leadership communications during organizational change and key institutional initiatives.

Leadership, Collaboration & Operational Excellence

• Directly supervise the Senior Manager, Communications; Senior Manager, Marketing; and Senior Manager, Global Communications.
• Build a high-performing, collaborative communications and marketing function through coaching, mentoring, and professional development.
• Lead departmental strategic planning, budgeting, staffing, vendor management, and performance measurement.
• Establish KPIs and dashboards to measure communications, marketing, visibility, and engagement outcomes.
• Partner closely with Development, Technical Programs, Country Offices, Human Resources, and Executive Leadership to ensure integrated organizational communications.
• Represent communications and marketing functions externally as appropriate in coordination with GECO leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Public Relations, Business, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience leading strategic communications, marketing, branding, or public affairs; minimum 7 years managing high-performing communications and marketing teams; experience developing integrated communications strategies for complex, global organizations; experience advising executive leadership and serving as a strategic communications counselor.
• Demonstrated expertise leading integrated communications and marketing strategies for complex organizations.
• Deep understanding of branding, reputation management, and organizational positioning.
• Exceptional executive communications, writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Experience developing organizational narratives that support fundraising, partnerships, and thought leadership.
• Proven success managing media relations and executive visibility strategies.
• Strong understanding of digital communications, marketing analytics, audience engagement, SEO, social media, and web strategy.
• Experience leading crisis communications and issues management.
• Ability to translate complex technical and scientific information into compelling content for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with executive leadership, donors, partners, media, governments, and staff.
• Experience leading global communications teams across multiple countries and cultures.
• Excellent strategic planning, organizational, and project management skills.
• Strong financial management and budgeting experience.
• Ability to lead organizational change and foster innovation.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive communications.
• Experience supporting data-informed communications and marketing strategies using analytics, dashboards, and audience insights.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 20%.

Preferred Qualifications

The salary range for this role is expected to be: $127,874 - $162,786

Total Rewards:

The referenced salary range is based on Johns Hopkins University’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level. Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/

Please refer to the job description above to see which forms of equivalency are permitted for this position. If permitted, equivalencies will follow these guidelines:JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Additional related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.**Applicants who do not meet the posted requirements but are completing their final academic semester/quarter will be considered eligible for employment and may be asked to provide additional information confirming their academic completion date.

The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check. Johns Hopkins is committed to hiring individuals with a justice-involved background, consistent with applicable policies and current practice. A prior criminal history does not automatically preclude candidates from employment at Johns Hopkins University. In accordance with applicable law, the university will review, on an individual basis, the date of a candidate’s conviction, the nature of the conviction and how the conviction relates to an essential job-related qualification or function.

The Johns Hopkins University values diversity, equity and inclusion and advances these through our key strategic framework, the JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

EEO is the Law

Learn more:https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf

Accommodation Information

If you are interested in applying for employment with The Johns Hopkins University and require special assistance or accommodation during any part of the pre-employment process, please contact the Talent Acquisition Office at [email protected]. For TTY users, call via Maryland Relay or dial 711. For more information about workplace accommodations or accessibility at Johns Hopkins University, please visit accessibility.jhu.edu.

RECRUITMENT SCAMS & FRAUD WARNING

Jhpiego has become aware of scams involving false job offers. Please be advised:

• Recruiters will never ask for a fee during any stage of the recruitment process.
• All active jobs are advertised directly on our careers page.
• Official Jhpiego emails will always arrive from a @Jhpiego.org email address.

Please report any suspicious communications to [email protected]

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