Senior Director of Communications

Freedom House•Washington, DC

4d•$150,000 - $190,000•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a rare opportunity to shape how the world's leading advocate for freedom and democracy is seen, heard, and believed at precisely the moment its message matters most. This is a nuanced, high-visibility role that will touch every facet of the organization — from research and frontline advocacy to policy, development, and executive leadership — and it calls for a communicator who can move nimbly across Freedom House to elevate its work, sharpen its narrative, and build a digital presence and public voice worthy of its mission. Freedom House's online engagement has reached its strongest level in years over the past six months — proof of what focused, disciplined storytelling can do. The organization is ready to build on that momentum with a modern, video-forward, digital-first communications function, and it is looking for an entrepreneurial storyteller who will drive that evolution forward rather than wait to be directed. Reporting to Freedom House's executive leadership and serving as a member of the CEO's Cabinet, the Senior Director of Communications will lead Freedom House's integrated communications function — earned media, owned channels, digital strategy, executive voice, and donor-facing storytelling — and will be central to translating the organization's research, advocacy, and frontline work into public pressure, audience growth, and institutional visibility around the world.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in communications, humanities, journalism, international relations, political science, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
Significant experience leading communications in a mission-driven, policy, advocacy, campaign, journalism, government, philanthropic, or public affairs environment.
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute communications strategies that move defined audiences, not simply manage outputs.
Strong grounding in foreign policy, democracy, human rights, international affairs, or related public policy issues, with the ability to engage substantively with Freedom House experts and quickly understand the political context surrounding the countries and issues Freedom House covers.
Experience turning complex research, policy, advocacy, or programmatic work into clear public narratives, campaigns, media opportunities, digital content, and donor-relevant communications.
Excellence building and managing communications campaigns across earned media, owned channels, digital platforms, email, website content, executive voice, and partner amplification.
Familiarity with national or international media, including building relationships with journalists, editors, producers, podcast hosts, and other public platforms.
Serving in an advisory capacity to senior executives/ principals on communications strategy, public positioning, media opportunities, speeches, op-eds, and external engagements.
Experience managing staff, setting priorities, maintaining editorial or campaign calendars, and driving execution across a communications team.
Expertise developing or overseeing modern digital content, including short-form video, visual explainers, social-first storytelling, newsletters, and platform-specific audience growth.
Excellent writing, editing, and message-development skills, with strong news judgment and the ability to identify where Freedom House can contribute meaningfully to public debate.
Strong campaign instincts and the ability to turn institutional priorities into audience-specific communications plans, making complex research, policy, and programmatic work accessible without losing accuracy or substance.
Strong understanding of modern communications channels, including earned media, owned media, digital platforms, email, website strategy, short-form video, LinkedIn, newsletters, and audience analytics.
Political judgment and an understanding of how communications choices can affect Freedom House's bipartisan standing, credibility, partners, funders, and relationships with governments.
Ability to advise senior leadership candidly and exercise sound judgment under pressure, with a clear understanding of how public communications support donor confidence and broader institutional support.
Strong managerial skills, including the ability to set priorities, assign work, manage deadlines, enforce standards, and help a small team execute well.
Ability to work effectively across research, advocacy, development, programs, regional experts, and senior leadership.
Intellectual seriousness, sound judgment, moral clarity, managerial discipline, and modern campaign instincts— able to move quickly without being reckless, and to protect Freedom House's credibility while sharpening its public voice.
Comfortable making decisions, setting priorities, giving candid advice, and managing competing demands; brings urgency, creativity, and humility.
Entrepreneurial and self-directed — proactively drives communications strategy and creative direction forward rather than waiting for direction from senior leadership.
Strong and sustained commitment to the mission of Freedom House, and ability to travel as needed, including internationally.
Candidates must possess authorization to work in the United States independent from Freedom House sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Success communicating with donors or working in an organization supported by private philanthropy is highly desirable.
Familiarity with Washington, Congress, government, foreign policy, or advocacy is useful, but Freedom House is also interested in candidates who bring campaign, journalism, digital, philanthropic, or audience-building experience from outside traditional DC communications roles.
A generalist orientation is preferred — comfort working across multiple countries and international issues rather than deep specialization in a single region.
Freedom House is open to candidates with less traditional tenure who demonstrate strong digital instincts, creativity, and modern storytelling savvy; digital fluency matters as much as years of experience.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead an integrated communications strategy tied to Freedom House's institutional priorities, fundraising goals, advocacy objectives, and audience growth.
Define priority audiences by issue, campaign, and objective, including donors, policymakers, allied governments, journalists, diaspora communities, civil society partners, and engaged digital audiences.
Serve as principal communications counsel to the CEO and help shape the CEO's public voice across speeches, op-eds, media, social platforms, donor communications, and major institutional moments.
Work with Advocacy to support policy priorities by turning policy objectives into clear public messages, campaigns, media products, and audience-specific communications.
Build and execute communications campaigns around Freedom House's core work, including political prisoners, authoritarian repression, internet freedom, transnational repression, democratic resilience, and frontline support.
Lead Freedom House's owned-channel strategy, including website, email, newsletters, LinkedIn, social platforms, short-form video, and campaign landing pages, with a focus on audience growth, engagement, and conversion.
Champion a video-forward, digital-first storytelling approach — building on Freedom House's strongest online engagement in years — with particular emphasis on the stories of political prisoners and human rights defenders, including Russian activists, which resonate with private funders and engaged digital audiences.
Oversee digital content strategy and ensure Freedom House is producing platform-appropriate content, including visual explainers, short videos, data-driven content, direct testimony, campaign updates, and donor-facing proof points.
Develop and maintain relationships with national and international journalists, editors, producers, podcast hosts, and other media figures.
Lead proactive media outreach, pitch Freedom House experts and op-eds, and identify opportunities for the organization in print, broadcast, podcasts, digital media, and other public platforms.
Prepare executives and staff for interviews, public appearances, speeches, panels, and other external engagements.
Find and develop compelling stories from Freedom House's research, advocacy, emergency assistance, political prisoner work, and programs that can reach audiences beyond the democracy and human rights community.
Work with Development to ensure Freedom House's public communications reinforce the organization's impact, urgency, and case for support — including the 85th Anniversary Campaign, Investing in Freedom's Future.
Work closely with regional, issue, advocacy, and program experts to translate complex research and policy work into clear public narratives, campaigns, and timely commentary.
Ensure consistently high-quality Freedom House content that is accurate, accessible, timely, mission-driven, and audience-focused.
Manage the communications team, set priorities, assign responsibilities, maintain an editorial and campaign calendar, and ensure strong execution across media, editorial, digital, website, and email functions.
Assess communications platforms, analytics, vendors, and outside support, and recommend changes where needed to improve reach, quality, speed, and impact.
Plan and manage communications for current and potential crises, including reputational, political, security, and partner-related risks.
Provide media and message guidance to Freedom House staff as needed, and manage communications consultants and vendors as needed.