Vice President, Strategic Communications

Overview

Corus International is a global social impact organization with primary US offices in Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD. Established on January 1, 2020, through the merger of Lutheran World Relief and IMA World Health, the organization brings together nearly 150 years of combined expertise in public health, sustainable development, and emergency response. Drawing on the 80‑year legacy of Lutheran World Relief and the 65‑year history of IMA World Health, Corus operates across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, supporting vulnerable communities through a holistic approach that addresses interconnected challenges in health, economic security, climate resilience, and humanitarian need.

Corus functions as a parent organization to a diverse family of nonprofit and social enterprise entities—including Lutheran World Relief, IMA World Health, CGA Technologies, Ground Up Investing, and LWR Farmers Market Coffee—allowing it to pair traditional development programming with market‑based solutions and technological innovation. This integrated structure enables Corus to work across public health systems, agriculture and economic development, digital solutions for humanitarian operations, and impact investing, creating an ecosystem of tools that support long‑term community resilience. Guided by a faith‑rooted ethos centered on dignity and justice, the organization partners closely with local nonprofits, governments, community leaders, and private‑sector actors to design solutions that are both sustainable and community‑owned.

Purpose of the Position

Corus seeks a visionary, strategic, and highly collaborative Vice President of Strategic Communications to elevate the organization’s global reputation and advance its mission by integrating communications and fundraising into a cohesive, high‑impact external engagement strategy. This executive will serve as the chief architect of Corus’ external voice—shaping and managing the public image of the organization and its President & CEO, amplifying our thought leadership, and positioning Corus as an influential, trusted global development and humanitarian actor.

Sitting at the critical intersection of communications, brand reputation, and revenue generation, the Vice President will partner closely with fundraising, program, and executive leadership to design and execute innovative, donor‑centered communication strategies that expand visibility, deepen engagement, and drive philanthropic growth. The leader in this role will oversee a high-performing team responsible for global media relations, digital and social strategy, storytelling, executive communications, issues management, and creative content development—ensuring Corus’ narrative is compelling, consistent, and aligned with organizational priorities.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Develop and execute comprehensive external communication strategies that elevate Corus’ global brand, strengthen the organization’s credibility, and advance strategic priorities across humanitarian response, global health, economic development, and fundraising.
• Continuously monitor global communication trends, shifting media landscapes, and emerging digital engagement practices, ensuring Corus remains at the forefront of industry innovation and competitive positioning.
• Establish clear performance metrics and evaluation frameworks to assess the effectiveness of communication initiatives, brand visibility, and donor‑focused campaigns, making strategic adjustments based on data‑driven insights.
• Provide strategic counsel to senior leadership, helping shape organizational messages, public positions, and external engagement initiatives that align with Corus’ long‑term goals and values.

Executive Brand & Media Relations

• Manage and elevate the external image, visibility, and executive voice of the President & CEO, positioning them as a recognized thought leader on global development, humanitarian response, and social impact.
• Serve as a primary media contact, spokesperson, and relationship manager for all executive-level and organizational communications, ensuring clear, compelling, and consistent representation across platforms.
• Oversee the planning and execution of media engagements, including interviews, op‑eds, speeches, and high‑profile public appearances, ensuring communications are strategically aligned and high-impact.
• Provide tailored media coaching and executive communication support to the President & CEO, including preparation for interviews, panels, legislative testimony, and donor engagements.
• Lead proactive and reactive media monitoring, analyzing global media coverage, public sentiment, and reputational risk factors to inform organizational decision-making and protect Corus’ brand.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of communications, marketing, and digital engagement professionals, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, and excellence.
• Strengthen cross-departmental collaboration, working closely with Fundraising, Programs, Policy, and Executive teams to ensure messaging, branding, and donor outreach strategies are tightly aligned and mutually reinforcing.
• Partner with regional and country teams to contextualize messaging for diverse geographic, cultural, and linguistic audiences, ensuring consistency while adapting communications for relevance and impact.
• Promote professional development and operational effectiveness within the team, including strategic planning support, workflow optimization, and adoption of new tools and technologies.
• Design and lead integrated communication strategies that support revenue growth, including donor acquisition, retention, stewardship, and institutional fundraising efforts.
• In partnership with fundraising staff, develop compelling, mission-aligned messaging and content for donor campaigns, appeals, reports, proposals, and collateral that articulate impact and demonstrate Corus’ value and credibility to supporters.
• Partner with the fundraising team to develop targeted communication initiatives for individuals, foundations, corporations, and faith-based partners, ensuring storytelling and thought leadership efforts support fundraising objectives.
• Oversee strategic messaging for major fundraising events, CEO donor engagements, and board-level philanthropic communications, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and donor motivations.

Content Development & Brand Management

• Oversee the creation of high-impact content—including press releases, executive announcements, thought pieces, social media campaigns, reports, multimedia materials, and website content—that advances Corus’ global narrative.
• Ensure consistent and compelling brand representation across all communication channels, strengthening Corus’ voice, visual identity, and market positioning.
• Cultivate and manage strategic relationships with external partners, including journalists, media outlets, donors, influencers, implementing partners, and corporate collaborators.
• Oversee communication budgets, vendor relationships, and agency partnerships, ensuring cost-effective execution, high-quality deliverables, and alignment with organizational goals.
• Uphold strong editorial standards and message discipline, ensuring accuracy, quality, and alignment with organizational values and strategic objectives.

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in external communications, public relations, or related roles, preferably within international organizations, NGOs or corporations.
• A track record of managing executive visibility and thought leadership, including developing and implementing comprehensive executive communications and branding strategies and shaping the institution’s public profile.
• Proven experience managing media relations, digital platforms, and donor communications on a global scale. Extensive experience cultivating relationships navigating crisis communications and representing an organization as a spokesperson and ambassador.
• Demonstrated success in developing communication strategies including social media, website platforms, content ecosystems, and analytics tools with an eye towards leveraging the brand to expand impact and attract and retain donors.
• Experience working across multiple regions or multicultural environments.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and the capacity and experience produce compelling narratives, executive messages, campaign materials, and fundraising content tailored to diverse audiences. Prior revenue generation-focused communications experience preferred.
• Deep cultural competency and situational awareness, including the ability to tailor messaging to different cultural, political, and media contexts across regions. An understanding of global communication norms and the sensitivities of working in fragile or crisis-affected environments is preferred.
• Commitment to Corus International’s mission and values, including a passion for global health, humanitarian action, sustainable development, and the organization’s faith-rooted, dignity-centered ethos.
• Demonstrated leadership ability, including managing and developing diverse teams.
• Strategic thinker with excellent problem-solving, crisis communication, and project management skills.
• A proactive, innovative, and entrepreneurial mindset, bringing new ideas, tools, and approaches that enhance organizational visibility, donor engagement, and global influence. Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment and adapting to evolving global issues is important.

Education

• Bachelor\'s degree in Communications, Public Relations, International Relations, or a related field; Master’s preferred.