Senior Communications Officer – North America (Digital Strategy & Campaigns)

Gates Foundation•Washington, DC

9d•$173,000 - $259,600

About The Position

The Senior Communications Officer for Digital Strategy and Campaigns investigates, develops, and leads innovative digital communications strategies to expand how the Foundation and its partners engage U.S. audiences on global health and development priorities. The role applies expertise in digital storytelling, audience targeting, and campaign design to translate complex issues into compelling, culturally relevant concepts that resonate beyond traditional policy audiences. The officer provides strategic counsel to programmatic colleagues, grantees, and partners on reaching and influencing priority audiences through digital channels and integrated campaigns. The role also builds campaign concepts that partners and validators can adopt and amplify, and assesses emerging platforms, formats, and approaches to strengthen awareness, shape narratives, and sustain support for advocacy priorities. The position is part of the North America Team within the Communications Division. The team develops and executes policy, advocacy, communications, and government relations strategies supporting domestic and global programmatic priorities funded by or executed within the United States, Canada, and the United Nations. The Foundation is nonpartisan and engages governments on policy and legislative matters in compliance with applicable U.S. regulations. The role may require up to 20% domestic and international travel. Applicants must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where the position is located; the Foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship. Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check.

Requirements

Extensive experience leading digital communications strategy for advocacy organizations or political campaigns in the United States, with a record of shaping high-impact national or multi-state efforts.
Experience developing and managing partnerships with influencers, creators, and external organizations to extend reach and drive coordinated campaign impact.
Demonstrated expertise designing and executing integrated, audience-first digital campaigns that influence perception, mobilize stakeholders, and drive measurable results.
Proven ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives involving multiple internal and external stakeholders, including vendors, with strong project management and execution discipline.
Comfort with complexity and ambiguity, paired with strong judgment and strategic decision-making.
Experience operating in nonprofit, advocacy, political, or other mission-driven environments, with a strong understanding of how communications drives policy and public engagement outcomes.
Must have unrestricted work authorization in the country where the position is located; immigration-related sponsorship is not provided.
Ability to travel up to 20% domestically and internationally.

Nice To Haves

Deep understanding of the U.S. digital, media, and cultural landscape, with the ability to anticipate trends and translate them into forward-looking communications strategies.

Responsibilities

Work across communications, federal government relations, and program teams to align digital efforts with broader advocacy, policy, and narrative goals.
Monitor emerging digital trends, platforms, and audience behaviors to identify new partners and opportunities, and translate insights into recommendations for the Foundation’s digital communications strategy in the U.S. and Canada.
Work with key stakeholders to define measurable campaign objectives, target audiences, and digital strategies, including partnerships to reach those audiences.
Pilot creative digital storytelling approaches, including partnerships with new organizations, content creators, and nontraditional media platforms.
Identify, evaluate, and manage agencies, consultants, creators, and digital vendors supporting campaign development and execution.
Develop campaign concepts that partners, grantees, and validators can adopt and amplify across their networks.
Partner with insights teams and vendors to apply audience research and performance data to targeting, messaging, and channel strategy; use a test-and-learn approach to refine strategies, improve effectiveness, and share learnings.
Support partners and grantees in understanding and applying the latest digital trends to strengthen their communications efforts.
Model behaviors that support an inclusive culture and promptly escalate issues to appropriate stakeholders.