Back Director of Communications - Washington D.C

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The Position

The Director of Global Communications is a senior strategic leader responsible for advancing Mercy Corps’ global profile, influence, and reputation through high-impact media engagement, storytelling, and thought leadership. The Director supports the development and execution of global media strategies that elevate Mercy Corps’ visibility and credibility among top-tier audiences, including donors, policymakers, and partners. As a visible leader within Mercy Corps, the Director plays a key role in shaping the organization’s global narrative, deepening public understanding of our mission, and strengthening Mercy Corps’ influence on key policy and philanthropic conversations.

Based in Washington, D.C., this position offers a unique opportunity to operate at the nexus of media, policy, and humanitarian response, connecting global impact to policy influence. The Director plays a critical role in supporting the D.C.-based CEO and the Policy and Advocacy team to strengthen media advocacy around U.S. foreign assistance and global humanitarian issues. The Director builds and maintains strong relationships with top-tier U.S. and international media, serves as an on-the-record spokesperson, and provides strategic guidance during moments of opportunity or crisis.

The Director combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution and is equally comfortable developing big-picture strategies while directly managing media outreach, messaging, and day-to-day media inquiries. While the role currently operates as an individual contributor, it offers the opportunity to help shape future team structure and leadership as the communications function expands.

This role comes at a pivotal moment for the global humanitarian and development sector. With traditional funding models dramatically shifting, public trust in institutions changing, and new technologies redefining how people engage with global issues, the Director will help Mercy Corps lead the way in shaping a new narrative for our organization and the sector—one that reimagines what humanitarian action looks like in a rapidly changing world.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND PLANNING

• Co-leads development and oversees the implementation of Mercy Corps’ global communications strategy to raise visibility, influence, and affinity across target audiences, including media, donors, policymakers, and partners.
• Collaborates with and supports the Senior Director of Communications to ensure the global media relations strategy aligns with overarching department goals and organizational strategy.
• Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to senior leaders, ensuring consistent, compelling messaging that advances Mercy Corps’ mission and drives philanthropic growth.
• Develop strategies and lead engagement across a rapidly evolving influence landscape, including the rise of generative AI, new digital storytelling formats, and social-first news environments.
• Work closely with colleagues from donor engagement, marketing, fundraising, programmatic, policy, and operational departments to ensure our media and communications initiatives advance fundraising, advocacy, marketing, and mission goals.
• Support issue management related to reputational risk and crisis communications, in partnership with the Senior Director of Communications and other internal stakeholders.
• Maintain an uncompromised ability to respond quickly to current events with a strong sense of urgency.

  CROSS-TEAM COLLABORATION

  • Translate complex or technical program information into clear, accessible, and emotionally resonant messages that inspire donor support and elevate Mercy Corps’ impact.
  • Partner with colleagues across the Philanthropic Growth & Engagement department to identify opportunities for maximum impact and ensure integration between media, marketing, and fundraising strategies.
  • Work closely with Brand, Marketing, and Digital teams to align storytelling across earned, owned, and paid channels, maximizing the reach and resonance of communications efforts and earned media wins.
  • Partner with country teams and other internal stakeholders to identify and support the collection of compelling stories and content assets (videos, photos, quotes) to bring our work to life for different audiences.

    📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

    ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

    MEDIA RELATIONS & REPRESENTATION

    • Oversee proactive and reactive media engagement, cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with top-tier U.S. and international journalists and outlets—including print, broadcast, and new media — with a focus on cultivating Washington, DC-based media contacts.
    • Conceptualize and advance thought leadership initiatives by positioning Mercy Corps’ executives, experts, and research in high-impact media and influence opportunities.
    • Represent the Communications Team in internal and external fora; serve as an on-the-record spokesperson when needed.
    • Successfully lead media relations during global emergency responses, including deploying to manage media engagements as needed. Maintain an uncompromised ability to respond quickly to current events with a strong nose for news and sense of urgency; provide insightful analysis and recommendations for strategic positioning. Anticipate newsworthy moments and opportunities for proactive positioning of Mercy Corps with key media audiences.
    • Prepare and staff the CEO and other senior leaders for media interviews, including in-studio broadcast and other high-visibility engagements.
    • Partner closely with the Policy and Advocacy team to align media strategies with advocacy priorities, including proactive media engagement and media advocacy around U.S. foreign assistance and other key policy issues.

      TEAM ENGAGEMENT

      • Participate in nurturing a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing global team culture that values and fosters curiosity, innovation, collaboration, well-being, and cross-regional partnership.
      • Create and sustain a work environment rooted in diversity, mutual respect, and belonging where team members strive for excellence.
      • Hire, onboard, and lead team members as necessary.
      • Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
      • Supports the Senior Director in the day-to-day responsibilities of team management as needed.

        SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

        • Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
        • Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
        • Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

          Supervisory Responsibility

          N/A

          Accountability

          Reports Directly To: Senior Director of Communications

          Works Directly With: Global Communications Team, Philanthropic Growth & Engagement Team, Policy and Advocacy, Country and Regional Teams, CEO/Office of the CEO, Executive Leaders

          Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

          Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

          Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

          • BA/S or equivalent required in communications, journalism, or related field.
            • 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in communications, media relations, or journalism, including demonstrated engagement with geographically dispersed teams.
              • Established relationships with top-tier U.S. and international media outlets (e.g., The New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, Associated Press, BBC) and a proven track record of generating high-impact press coverage.