External Communications Catalyst

Heifer International

1d • $135,000 - $150,000

About The Position

As part of Heifer International’s Global Communications team and broader Communications Network, the role helps interpret, socialize, and co-execute targeted external engagement strategies that elevate Heifer’s farmer-led program model, program work, stories, messages, people, farmers, and strategic partners. The position creates engagement materials and relationships and facilitates work with PR consultants to deliver external engagement across farmer voices, campaigns, mainstream media, social and digital media, influencer networks, thought leadership, and live and virtual events. Activities are audience-targeted and guided by KPIs connected to organizational programs, positioning, and resourcing priorities.

The role collaborates with Global Communications, regional Directors of Communications, other network members, Heifer leadership, RPC colleagues, and program teams so global external engagement aligns with locally led priorities. It strengthens internal capacity to engage autonomously with media, partners, and other stakeholders, and supports regional and country colleagues in tailoring external engagement for global and cross-regional audiences. It also helps identify opportunities for collaboration, cross-learning, and mutual support.

The position implements global engagement initiatives, manages external PR consultant relationships, develops partnerships, and produces press releases and other communications materials. It supports transformation narratives and distributed engagement capabilities; implements reputational risk approaches; develops media networks; contributes to social and digital media, event planning, spokesperson development, and thought leadership; and provides PR capacity-strengthening support across the communications network. The position may perform other job-related duties as assigned.

The role requires frequent virtual and face-to-face communication, comfort in a fast-paced environment, and the ability to give presentations and impromptu speeches. It also involves preparing publication-ready materials to prescribed styles and formats, travel domestically or internationally as needed, and work outside normal business hours when required. Work may involve extended computer use and sitting, moving, and occasional bending and lifting.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as communications, marketing, media arts, international studies, or a relevant social science discipline.
• At least 10–12 years of related employment experience; experience with globally oriented, mission-driven organizations is preferred.
• At least 5 years of communications leadership experience, including managing large-scale projects, staff, or initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering organizational communications, PR, and engagement strategies in a global context.
• Established networks in media and with digital-platform content producers.
• Proven experience supporting organizational change initiatives or complex transformation projects.
• Proficiency in developing strategic communications deliverables across global teams.
• Strong understanding of audience insight and measurement capabilities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams in a remote context and to foster internal and external partnerships.
• Excellent written, editorial, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to meet deadlines and adapt to changing priorities.
• Experience working with colleagues from different countries, regions, and cultures.
• Strong project management skills and experience with project-management software tools such as Monday.
• Strong understanding of social and digital media environments.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to confidently give oral presentations and impromptu speeches to a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to plan, prepare, and present publication materials that conform to prescribed style and format.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and/or internationally as needed.
• Willingness and ability to work outside normal business hours.

Responsibilities

• Implement global external engagement initiatives with the VP Communications, regional Directors of Communications, and other colleagues, based on desired outcomes, target audiences, and related initiatives and activities.
• Manage and guide relationships with external PR consultants to ensure quality, consistency, and clear work priorities.
• Identify and help develop external partnerships, including with global content platforms, funders, and implementation partners.
• Produce press releases, talking points, briefing materials, and other outputs to support external engagement initiatives.
• Help implement targeted, audience-specific transformation outreach strategies for global and cross-regional audiences.
• Collaborate with RPC Network colleagues so transformation narratives support organizational resource-development and strategic goals.
• Support the development of distributed external engagement capabilities across Heifer in line with local leadership and shared-capacity principles.
• Implement an organizational reputational risk framework guided by the reputational risk strategy developed by the VP Communications and regional communications directors in consultation with leadership.
• Develop, curate, and leverage global media networks in collaboration with PR agencies.
• Contribute, with the Digital Communications Strategist and other colleagues, to an intentional, engagement-focused approach to social and digital media and its integration into multiplatform initiatives.
• Co-facilitate coordinated approaches to key events with regional, program, RPC, and other colleagues, including maintaining an active events calendar and planning tools.
• Develop spokesperson and expert capabilities across Heifer and curate a media training module.
• Establish global-level op-ed and thought leadership priorities and schedules.
• Collaborate with country and regional colleagues to elevate and expand the reach of their PR efforts.
• Provide PR capacity-strengthening support to country and regional communications colleagues as needed, including developing and maintaining toolkits and resources for autonomous PR action.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health and wellness benefits, including a Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Savings Account.
• Employee assistance program.
• 403(b) retirement plan with matching and an employer discretionary contribution.
• 22 vacation days, 12 statutory and discretionary holidays, and 10 sick days per year.
• Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
• Professional development and annual merit increase opportunities.
• Optional critical illness insurance, legal assistance plan, and pet protection.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director