Managing Director, Strategic Communications

Namati

23h•Hybrid

About The Position

Namati advances a fairer, more sustainable world by building a movement of people who know, use, and shape the law. We work deeply in seven countries—from Myanmar to the United States—and we convene the world’s largest network of justice defenders, with members in 185 countries. In the face of grave threats to democracy and our planet, we are getting creative and going big. Recent wins include the abolition of a decades-old discriminatory ID system in Kenya and a re-write of the global rules governing carbon projects. This year we’re launching the Grassroots Justice Network Academy, with a goal of strengthening movements in 100 countries. We are looking for a communications visionary who can help us meet this moment. You will work closely with our CEO, Vivek Maru, and the rest of the Namati team to establish Namati as an unignorable voice in global conversations on democracy and climate. You’ll engage diverse constituencies to invite action, solidarity, and participation in the movement for grassroots justice. As Managing Director of Strategic Communications, you will lead a growing, values-driven team to drive high-quality execution across all types of content including written, visual, and multimedia. You will be responsible for elevating Namati’s voice, generating meaningful relationships with media and global changemakers, and guiding public-facing strategy for campaigns, thought leadership, and product launches. This role requires balancing decentralized program communications with cohesive organizational storytelling that reflects our collective voice and values. The ideal candidate will bring vision, strategic clarity, and disciplined execution, anchored by direct engagement (and regular travel) with our teams and allies globally.

Requirements

12+ years of professional experience, including proven experience leading strategic communications strategies and teams, ideally at a mission-driven organization.
Deep expertise in campaigns and media is also required.
At least 5 years of demonstrated experience in the responsibilities outlined below.
Experience managing high-performing, diverse teams across wide geographies.
Experience developing and executing media strategy to shape policy and public discourse, proactively securing high-impact placements.
Experience navigating complex political, operational, and interpersonal dynamics.
You write with clarity, specificity, and moral force.
You have published in prominent outlets and you’re an excellent editor.
Experience overseeing digital strategy, building a substantial and aligned social media following, and converting that audience into meaningful engagement.
Native or near-native fluency in English

Nice To Haves

Bonus if you’ve led rapid-response and crisis communications.
If you have grown an engaged following or membership by an order of magnitude, we are especially interested in speaking with you.
Additional languages and visual storytelling skills are a plus.
Prior experience in legal empowerment, human rights, environmental justice, or international development is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead a global strategy grounded in local realities
Architect and drive a communications strategy that establishes Namati and the Grassroots Justice Network as an authoritative voice on community-led solutions to democracy and climate crises, shaping how global institutions, media, and movements understand and invest in grassroots justice
Closely partner with other senior leaders at Namati (including the CEO and COO) to ensure that the communications strategy and organizational strategy are closely aligned and responsive to each other.
Set and drive bold visibility goals that position Namati and the Grassroots Justice Network as leading voices in the global democracy and climate space, including tailored strategies for key audiences such as civic associations, policy makers, funders, businesses, and global institutions.
Develop and lead, where appropriate, strategic initiatives to grow the movement of grassroots justice advocates and its supporters, such as launching a multimedia magazine or a signature global event for grassroots justice.
Collaborate closely with cross-cutting and country program teams to shape the storyline, framing, and presentation of new learning and research about legal empowerment and grassroots justice, ensuring it resonates with diverse audiences and supports the Grassroots Justice Network Academy’s goals.
Lead a high-performing team and build a strong editorial culture
Oversee and grow a world-class, globally distributed communications team of 5 that collaborates with nearly all teams at Namati and covers areas such as media and campaigns, creative and strategic communications, and digital impact and strategy. Foster a culture of excellence, creativity, and accountability. Ensure the team has the resources they need to execute the strategy with excellence.
Set the standard for high-impact writing, personally authoring high-stakes content such as key press releases or features, while guiding teams to craft high-quality written work that reflects Namati’s values and advances strategic goals.
Ensure that systems for collaboration, learning, and performance tracking are aligned with strategic goals–even when you are not in the weeds day-to-day.
Grow the movement for grassroots justice through media and public engagement
Cultivate and manage high-value relationships with journalists, influencers, high-profile advocates, and narrative leaders, to elevate the profile of Vivek, Namati, the Grassroots Justice Network Academy, and legal empowerment.
Lead media strategy and crisis communications, including reputational risk anticipation and response planning.
Serve as a senior spokesperson for the organization. Coach other colleagues – including community paralegals, program leads, and executive leadership – to speak and write publicly with confidence and clarity.
Shape strategy and public narrative for time-bound campaigns and advocacy surges that command public attention, in collaboration with Namati teams and external partners.
Lead audience-specific marketing strategy for the Grassroots Justice Network Academy, including marketing for income-generating products.
Guide the public positioning of Namati’s CEO and executive team, including promotion of the CEO’s forthcoming book.
Partner with our Resource Mobilization team to develop content and messaging that resonates with institutional funders and individual donors, and to secure dedicated funding for strategic communications work.