Vice President, External Affairs and Strategic Communications (Nonprofit / Social Impact)

About the role

Tides, a nonprofit and philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing social justice, seeks a strategic, experienced, and mission-driven leader to serve as its next Vice President for External Affairs and Strategic Communications.

Responsibilities

• Shape and advance Tides’ external voice, public positioning, and narrative.
• Own the organization’s external voice; brand, market, and sector positioning strategy; narrative strategy; external affairs; executive communications; crisis response; and external stakeholder engagement.
• Build audience and constituent engagement.
• Align marketing and communications with fundraising and programmatic strategy.
• Ensure the organization speaks with clarity, courage, and discipline in a contested environment.
• Work across Tides to ensure alignment between institutional priorities and external messaging, partnering with colleagues to translate programmatic work, partnerships, and impact into compelling, coherent narratives.

Requirements

• Strategic, experienced, and mission-driven leader with a proven track record in external affairs and communications.
• Experience in shaping and advancing organizational narratives and public positioning.
• Strong understanding of social justice issues and the ability to communicate these effectively.
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including media, philanthropic partners, and policy allies.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a focus on results.
• Experience in crisis management and public relations.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Communications, Public Policy, Nonprofit Management, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in external affairs, communications, or a related field.
• Proven success in managing and growing external affairs and communications teams.
• Experience in developing and implementing strategic communications plans.
• Experience in crisis management and public relations.
• Experience in working with diverse stakeholders and communities.
• Experience in managing budgets and overseeing communications operations.

Skills

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Experience in crisis management and public relations.
• Experience in working with diverse stakeholders and communities.
• Experience in managing budgets and overseeing communications operations.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Roth and traditional 401(k) plans.
• Confidential counseling and life balance resources.

Pay

Starting salary for this role will fall into one of three ranges, depending on your location:

• National market (most U.S. states): $191,000 - 238,800
• Moderate market (Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle metro areas): $208,400 - $260,500
• High market (New York City and San Francisco metro areas): $229,100 - $286,400

Schedule

Tides offers a hybrid work model that supports remote work from anywhere in the United States. The Vice President must have the ability to travel as required, including but not limited to: Tides’ offices in San Francisco, CA and New York, NY; industry convenings; and external partner meetings.

Contact

Cati Mitchell-Crossley, Evan Layne, and Julia Hochner
Isaacson, Miller
Tides is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we encourage and will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.