Communications Officer, Co-Chair Communications

The Foundation
We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.
The Team
In June 2020, the foundation hired a Chief Communications Officer and established a new Communications Division to lead all aspects of the foundation’s global communications strategy. The division brings together internal and external communications to advance our mission of a more equitable world. The Global Communications team is responsible for crafting internal and external use of foundation voice to advance and protect the foundation’s reputation and advance its priority advocacy and program objectives and ensure that employees are meaningfully connected to the foundation’s mission and community. The team is responsible for comprehensive voice planning for foundation leadership and key spokespeople as well as driving engagement with earned media. The Office of the Chief Communications Officer is responsible for shaping internal and external use of foundation voice in order to protect the foundation’s reputation and advance its priority advocacy and program objectives. The team is responsible for comprehensive voice planning for the foundation co-chairs, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates.
Your Role
The Communications Officer (CO), Co-chair Communications will support the Deputy Director, Co-chair Communications, and be a member of the team responsible for planning and leading communications related to the activities of our foundation’s co-chairs. In this role, you will collaborate with the senior editor, writers, project manager, and colleagues in various functions within the communications division and across the foundation to deliver on-message communications. Reporting to the Deputy Director, Co-Chair Communications, you will also be responsible for developing high-quality co-chair correspondence and executing the process working with the project manager and colleagues across the foundation.

What You’ll Do

• Support the Deputy Director in maintaining co-chair voice calendars and trackers, strategies, and plans.
• Implement co-chair communications strategies, including developing early thinking on communications plans for trips and moments throughout the year with inputs from colleagues across the division, including regional offices.
• Review materials (talking points, briefs, event plans) and advise colleagues on co-chair engagements to enhance their voices.
• Prepare and lead calls with partners across the foundation and with the private offices of the co-chairs.
• Partner with the CEO Communications team and Executive Leadership Team communication contacts to maintain line-of-sight as to how the most senior voices in the foundation are being deployed against our key priorities.
• Partner with the Channels and Brand, Editorial, and Content teams to coordinate co-chair voice across the foundation’s digital channels and personal co-chair channels across key moments and events (ensuring integrated voice planning across media, digital, in-person appearances).
• Write correspondence for the co-chairs based on trips and other moments that require email or letter communications with partners.
• Ability to travel up to 20% globally and domestically.

Your Experience (i.e., Qualifications and Education)
The CO, Co-chair Communications should have demonstrated experience in public relations roles at an agency, non-profit foundation, or private sector company. Support for executive, CEO, board member voice preferred. You will have extensive writing experience for senior-level executives.

You are strategic, proactive, adaptable, and a problem-solver. You can work under pressure with poise and operate with alacrity in a fast-paced and respectful environment, ideally with experience navigating large, matrixed, global organizations. You also bring respect and curiosity to working with colleagues from around the world with a client service approach. You are creative, resourceful, and have excellent judgment, and you enjoy collaboration.

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree with 5+ years of related and direct experience in designing and delivering internal/external executive communication strategies OR equivalent combination.
• Strong written and oral skills and an understanding of and analytical approach to crisis and reputational communications strategies and tactics particularly for correspondence writing.
• Experience leading multiple complex projects at one time, such as principal trips, publications, or product development.
• Ability to build trusting and effective relationships with colleagues, leadership principals, and external partners.
• Willingness to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines with attention to detail and strength in composing and delivering quality materials.
• Sense of humor, positive, professional attitude, especially in stressful and time-sensitive situations.
• Ease working with different types of people and working styles and commitment to DEI and understanding of cultural empathy.
• Experience working with philanthropies, or in the fields of global health & development and/or education.
• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

The salary range for this role is $137,500 to $206,200 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $149,800 to $224,600 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.
Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Candidate Accommodations
If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process
Inclusion Statement
We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.
All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity

• Support the Deputy Director in maintaining co-chair voice calendars and trackers, strategies, and plans.
• Implement co-chair communications strategies, including developing early thinking on communications plans for trips and moments throughout the year with inputs from colleagues across the division, including regional offices.
• Review materials (talking points, briefs, event plans) and advise colleagues on co-chair engagements to enhance their voices.
• Prepare and lead calls with partners across the foundation and with the private offices of the co-chairs.
• Partner with the CEO Communications team and Executive Leadership Team communication contacts to maintain line-of-sight as to how the most senior voices in the foundation are being deployed against our key priorities.
• Partner with the Channels and Brand, Editorial, and Content teams to coordinate co-chair voice across the foundation’s digital channels and personal co-chair channels across key moments and events (ensuring integrated voice planning across media, digital, in-person appearances).
• Write correspondence for the co-chairs based on trips and other moments that require email or letter communications with partners.
• Ability to travel up to 20% globally and domestically