Communications Director Role - Civic Impact & Career Growth

Communications Director Role - Civic Impact & Career Growth — Remote This is a senior individual-contributor-to-leader role at a high-profile, mission-driven civic organization. It sits at the VP or Director level of communications, reporting directly to the CMO — giving meaningful executive visibility and influence over organizational voice.
Compensation context: No salary is listed, but roles of this scope (7–10 years experience, team leadership, national earned media) at nonprofits or advocacy organizations typically range from $120,000–$180,000 annually in major US markets. The benefits package — 100% health coverage, 25 PTO days, 401(k) match — is strong for the nonprofit/civic sector.
Cross-partisan communications strategy — a rare and highly transferable skill
Multi-channel editorial ownership (newsletter, SMS, social, earned media)
AI-augmented PR workflows and modern comms tech stack fluency
Crisis and rapid-response communications at a nationally recognized organization
Green flags: High-profile partners and founder (Daniel Lubetzky of KIND), 5M+ community scale, and genuine editorial autonomy make this a strong portfolio-builder. The cross-partisan credibility you'd develop here is unusually valuable in today's polarized media environment.
Watch for: The "fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment where priorities shift" language signals startup-style pace at a nonprofit scale — expect resource constraints alongside ambition. The breadth of this role (strategy + execution + editorial + CRM) may indicate a lean team. Candidates who thrive will be comfortable being both strategist and practitioner.
About Builders Builders is a non-partisan movement of millions, uniting Americans across lines of difference, grounded in the belief that curiosity, compassion, courage, and creativity can move us beyond division. Founded by Daniel Lubetzky, our community spans 5M+ citizens, 650M video views, and 400+ movement partners including José Andrés, Katie Couric, Adam Grant, Lonnie Ali, and Karl Rove. Through a growing ecosystem of content, tools, partnerships, and activations, we turn civic engagement into meaningful action, empowering people to participate, collaborate, and deliver real-world impact to enact lasting change.
About the Position Builders is searching for a communications leader who is already operating in what comes next. This role leads traditional comms/PR and extends into all communication verticals, including CRM, SMS, social, and key campaign messaging. We are looking for a plugged-in leader in the news, politics, media, or lifestyle space who has mastered the fundamentals of earned media and brings deep, trusted relationships across the political media landscape on both sides of the aisle.
Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, you will own Builders' communications and editorial strategy and lead its earned media operation, driving coverage across national and Texas outlets, independent media, creator, and emerging platforms.
This is a communications-first role with editorial upside. The editorial scope gives the right leader room to shape how Builders thinks and speaks across channels and strengthen our audience strategy.
Responsibilities Communications Strategy and Leadership Set and own Builders' communications strategy, aligning earned media, editorial, and organizational priorities with clear goals and measures of success.
Serve as the judgment-setter on if, when, and how Builders engages in cultural, political, and civic conversations at the national and Texas levels.
Lead crisis and rapid-response communications, aligning messaging across channels during key news cycles.
Develop messaging and communications frameworks for dedicated campaigns and evergreen content, ensuring consistency, clarity, cross-partisan credibility across all channels.
Lead and develop communications and editorial team members and freelancers, setting a high bar for quality, speed, and voice.
Own the communications tech stack and champion the thoughtful use of AI tools.
Report on coverage, share of voice, and audience impact, using data to make strategic decisions, not just report metrics.
Earned Media and Pitching Lead the proactive earned media operation, identifying story angles, shaping pitches, and securing coverage across national outlets and key regional markets, most notably Texas.
Monitor the news and culture cycle in real time to spot reactive opportunities and move credibly and quickly.
Treat creators as a core earned media channel, building relationships to reach audiences traditional press does not, in partnership with the Social team.
Political and Media Relationships Bring and expand a network of trust-based relationships with journalists, producers, and editors who cover politics, civic life, and solutions-oriented news, positioning Builders as a go‑to source for cross-partisan civic stories.
Editorial Voice and Content Help define and operationalize the "Builders lens": balanced, solution-oriented, values-driven commentary that safeguards organizational reputation and public trust.
Distill complex policy and political issues into compelling content with non-partisan framing that moves audiences beyond "us vs. them" thinking and surfaces common ground.
Lead the editorial calendar for the Builders and Builders TX newsletters, blog, and SMS, and contribute to social channels, aligning earned media moments with owned content.
Requirements 7–10 years of PR or communications experience, with the majority in earned media (pitching, placing, and managing press) and at least 2 years leading strategy or managing people.
A proven pitching track record: you can point to placements you drove in national and major regional outlets, and you know what made them land.
Established relationships with political, civic, and national news reporters, producers, bookers, and creators, with demonstrated credibility across the political spectrum, and deep familiarity with the beats, outlets, and fault lines that shape civic life.
Experience advising senior leaders on communications strategy, reputation, and rapid response, including supporting executive spokespeople or public figures in media contexts.
Exceptional writing, editing, and editorial judgment: you can draft or edit a pitch, press release, op-ed, or reactive statement that is clean and compelling under deadline, and you know what will land with a skeptical, politically diverse audience.
A servant leader with experience managing team members or freelancers and building a high-performing function, willing to roll up your sleeves and get the work done.
A technology-forward mindset and fluency in the modern PR tech stack, including AI tools.
Comfort operating in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment where priorities shift.
Genuine enthusiasm for Builders' cross-partisan mission: you believe most Americans share more common ground than our political moment suggests, and you see reaching both sides of the aisle as a feature, not a constraint.
Nice to Have Familiarity with the Texas political and media landscape, including key outlets, reporters, and civic players.
Experience building or growing a trusted editorial voice, publication, or newsletter, including the use of audience analytics.
Experience in nonprofit, advocacy, or civic sector communications.
What Builders Offers Competitive annual compensation
Excellent health, dental, and vision insurance with company coverage options of 100%
401K with company match
Flexible, remote-friendly work environment
Charitable gift matching program
The opportunity to make a real impact through your day‑day work
EEO At Builders, we are committed to an inclusive workplace where diversity in all its forms is championed. Builders is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity, or veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. For applicants with disabilities, our recruiting team will actively work with you to accommodate any needs in order for you to be able to interview at your best.
Is this role fully remote or does it require being in a specific location? Builders describes the work environment as "flexible, remote-friendly," suggesting remote work is supported. However, the role requires real-time media monitoring and rapid-response work, so US timezone alignment — particularly Eastern or Central — is strongly implied. A Texas or DC/NYC presence may be advantageous given the regional focus. What level of experience is required for this position? The role requires 7–10 years of PR or communications experience, with the majority in earned media, and at least 2 years in a strategy or people management capacity. A proven track record of securing national media placements is essential. What is the salary range for this Communications Director role? Builders lists "competitive annual compensation" but does not disclose a specific salary range in the job posting. Benefits include 100% company-covered health, dental, and vision insurance, 25 days PTO, and a 401(k) with company match. Does Builders require experience in nonprofit or civic sector communications? Nonprofit, advocacy, or civic sector communications experience is listed as a "nice to have," not a strict requirement. The organization is open to candidates from news, politics, media, or lifestyle backgrounds who have mastered earned media fundamentals. Will I need to manage a team in this role? Yes — this role includes leading and developing communications and editorial team members and freelancers. At least 2 years of strategy or people management experience is required, and the posting emphasizes building a high-performing communications function.

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