Associate Director, Strategic Communications

About the role

The Associate Director of Strategic Communications ensures that Year Up United staff, managers, and leaders are aligned, informed, and equipped to understand and activate the organization's strategy. This role also serves as the organizational hub connecting internal messaging with external media/PR activity handled by the external agency. The director owns the internal → external sequencing arc, ensuring that staff understand key organizational decisions, milestones, risks, and public‑facing narratives before they appear externally. This role does not execute direct media relations (pitching, reporter outreach). Instead, it manages, directs, and aligns the external PR/media agency, ensuring that earned media, issues management, crisis communications, and external announcements are strategically sequenced, narratively consistent, and organizationally sound CORE RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Internal Strategy & Communications Leadership Lead enterprise-wide internal communications strategy that reinforces clarity, alignment, and high transparency. Establish internal rhythms (all-staff updates, leadership messages, manager toolkits, intranet content cycles). Ensure internal messaging reflects major external narratives, brand positioning, and organizational priorities. 2. Internal-External Messaging Integration Act as the bridge between internal comms and external PR, ensuring consistency across both. Own the internal rollout plan for all externally visible announcements (press releases, leadership visibility, campaigns, risk events). Coordinate timing and sequencing so staff are informed before external audiences. Review all PR/agency outputs for alignment before they move to final approval. 3. PR/Media Partnership Management Serve as day-to-day manager of the PR/media agency. Maintain a single intake system for PR requests and triage requests to internal leaders and functions. Align agency work to enterprise narrative, culture needs, and organizational priorities. Review press statements, messaging, briefing books, and issues management documents created by the agency. 4. Issues & Crisis Communications (Internal Owner) Lead crisis internal communications, including manager scripts, FAQs, and staff updates. Serve as internal counterpart to the PR/media agency that handles external-facing crisis response. Coordinate with Legal, HR, and Executive Comms to ensure consistency and speed. 5. Executive & Leadership Enablement Prepare and support leaders with internal messaging related to external visibility moments. Provide leaders with talking points to answer questions about press coverage, announcements, and organizational initiatives. 6. Culture, Change & Organizational Health Translate major organizational changes, decisions, and strategy updates into clear, empathetic staff communication. Build processes, norms, and guidance that reduce messaging collisions and duplicate comms across teams. Manage intranet governance and strengthen internal content systems.

Requirements

• Demonstrated excellence in internal communications, organizational communications, or strategic communications.
• Experience managing or working alongside PR/media agencies.
• Strong change management orientation; able to translate complex decisions into clear, grounded messaging.
• Strong collaboration instincts-with executive leaders, HR, R&E, Marketing, TL, Development, and PR partners.
• Exceptional writing and editorial judgment.
• Crisis communications familiarity strongly preferred.
• SALARY RANGE: $ 114,100 - $133,100
• #LI-Hybrid
• WORKING AT YEAR UP UNITED:
• *Approved proximate states where Year Up United operates are: Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina and Virginia.
• COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:
• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.
• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.
• ** This is an exempt role (paid on a salaried basis). **
• ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
• Year Up United is a national 501(c

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