VP, External Communications

Girl Scouts of the USA•New York, NY

10d•$137,000 - $225,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls and the leading authority on their healthy development. Millions of Girl Scout alums across the country and the world have gone on to achieve incredible things and make a tremendous impact in fields ranging from public policy, medicine, journalism, and athletics to international relations, science, technology, art, and entertainment. As a mission-driven organization, Girl Scouts of the USA champions girls as they explore their worlds, try new things, and develop the courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place. From stargazing during a first overnight camping trip to building robots, navigating a rocky hiking trail, working together on a community project, and learning about the importance of environmental stewardship, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can unapologetically be themselves as they rise to meet new challenges and discover the issues that matter most to them. Along the way they learn the power of friendship, connection, and teamwork. Girl Scouts are doers, innovators, problem-solvers, creators, and dreamers, and the GSUSA team is here to center, support, and inspire them, working with 111 local councils across the country and USA Girl Scouts Overseas to deliver our life-changing Girl Scout Leadership Experience. This role is hybrid, based in midtown NYC, with 1-2 days per week in office. Girl Scouts is one of America's most recognized and trusted brands, yet many people know only a fraction of the organization's impact. The Vice President, External Communications role presents a rare opportunity to shape how millions of Americans understand the experiences, leadership, and potential of girls. The Vice President of External Communications will help define the national narrative for a movement reaching every zip code in the country, while guiding communications that strengthen trust, relevance, and visibility for generations to come. The Vice President serves as the senior leader responsible for earned media, external narrative development, executive visibility, and talent and influencer relations, partnering closely with marketing, digital, public policy, and council communications leaders. The role owns national media relations and the storytelling behind the moments that define the brand each year, from the iconic Girl Scout Cookie Program to original national research on the lives of girls. Girl Scouts launched a new brand platform, Find What's Within, in 2026. This role carries that platform into the public conversation — translating a new expression of what Girl Scouts offers girls into national coverage, executive visibility, and stories that reach families where they are. Girl Scouting is a movement founded more than a century ago, and this role ensures our organization stays relevant to new generations of girls, families, and volunteers, clearly communicating what Girl Scouts offers them. The role serves as a strategic advisor to the Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer, the Chief Executive Officer, and leadership team on matters affecting organizational reputation and public visibility, and closely collaborates with colleagues across corporate affairs, marketing, revenue, development, and public policy, and with leaders at 111 local Girl Scout councils who carry the national story into their own communities. Success is a clear, distinctive national narrative that earns attention, protects trust, and gives councils something they are eager to use. Few organizations combine the public recognition, cultural relevance, and social impact of Girl Scouts. This role offers the opportunity to shape national conversations about girls' leadership, belonging, well-being, and future success. This leader will inherit a trusted and highly recognized brand while helping define the next chapter of how Girl Scouts is understood in America.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (BA, BS, BBA, etc.) from four-year college or university or equivalent
Minimum of 12+ years demonstrated experience developing and executing long-term communications strategies that shape public perception of a brand, organization, or cause.
Proven ability to build and sustain an external narrative and earned media strategy for a brand platform, repositioning, or multi-year communications initiative.
Established national media relations experience, including relationships across news, consumer, and business press and a track record of securing coverage for a recognized brand, organization, or cause.
Experience directing external public relations or communications agencies against clear goals, timelines, and performance expectations.
Experience developing executive visibility and thought leadership strategies for a chief executive or comparable senior leader.
Experience translating national brand communications strategies for local execution across a franchise, chapter, affiliate, membership, or similarly distributed network.
Experience managing talent, influencer, or ambassador relationships, including identifying appropriate voices, securing participation, and stewarding relationships over time.
Sound judgment in assessing reputational fit and risk when associating an organization with public figures, partners, or public-facing initiatives.
Experience leading and developing communications teams, including managing priorities, performance, and departmental budgets.
Experience advising senior leaders and leading external communications responses during periods of public scrutiny, in coordination with legal, policy, risk, and other internal stakeholders.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Excel, Word) or equivalent tools
Establishing and reporting against agreed measures of reputation, media impact, audience engagement, and narrative shift.
Media monitoring, measurement, and analytics platforms.
Newswire distribution and media database or pitching tools.
Social and digital publishing platforms.
Sound judgment in fast-moving situations.
Clear, persuasive writing and editing.
Collaboration and influence with colleagues and partners the role does not manage.
Coaching and developing people.
Decision-making and prioritization across competing demands.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading communications for a federated, chapter-based, franchise, membership, or similarly networked organization.
Experience in youth development, education, advocacy, or mission-driven work focused on girls and women.
Experience supporting communications for documentary, entertainment, technology platform, or comparable high-visibility partnerships.
Experience launching national research, reports, or thought leadership as public-facing moments.
Experience in consumer product or food and beverage communications, particularly in relation to large-scale seasonal or cause-driven campaigns.
Experience working alongside volunteer leaders, community-based organizations, or local market stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Leads a multi-year effort to evolve public understanding of Girl Scouts, bringing the organization's brand platform to life through and strengthening relevance with new generations of girls, families, volunteers, and supporters. Sets the direction, the milestones that mark progress, and the measures that show whether it is working.
Designs the national external communications strategy, setting the narrative, priorities, and calendar that determine what Girl Scouts says publicly and when.
Directs national media relations, overseeing the organization‘s public relations agency and building relationships with reporters, editors, and producers and earning coverage that reaches girls, families, volunteers, donors, and decision-makers.
Develops executive visibility and thought leadership for the Chief Executive Officer and senior leaders, and leads talent and influencer relations, identifying, securing, and stewarding relationships with public figures, cultural voices, and key opinion leaders who can carry the Girl Scout story to new audiences.
Owns Girl Scouting’s thought leadership research agenda, planning regular research releases about topics central to girls’ lives, designed to drive relevance and media coverage.
Guides communications for signature national moments, including the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program, corporate partnerships, and major anniversaries and milestones.
Supports the organization’s sensitive issues lead by directing the external communications response to reputational issues, working within the established issues management structure and in partnership with key stakeholders
Manages a team of communications professionals, the department budget, and agency partners — setting priorities, coaching staff, and measuring what the work achieves.

Benefits

20+ days of paid time off
2 floating holidays
9 workplace holidays
Paid holiday year-end office closure between Christmas and New Year's
Medical and Behavioral Health Coverage
Wellness, hospitalization, and fertility assistance
GSUSA partial subsidy of premium costs
Dental and vision coverage
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) including Health, Dependent Care, and Limited FSA for those with Health Savings Accounts
Company-paid life insurance
Flexible work arrangements
12 weeks of paid parental leave
401(K) with company match
Short- and Long-Term Disability for salary continuation
Health and Wellness Classes and Activities throughout the year