Director of Communications

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Foundation for a Just Society (FJS) envisions a world where all people are equally valued and lead

self-determined lives. FJS advances the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQI people and promotes gender

and racial justice by ensuring those most affected by injustice have the resources they need to cultivate

the leadership and solutions that transform our world. FJS makes grants to local, national, regional, and

global organizations and networks with an emphasis on Francophone West Africa, Mesoamerica, South

and Southeast Asia, and the US Southeast. We advocate for philanthropy to use human rights and

feminist approaches and to provide more and better resources to organizations and movements that

advance the rights of women, girls, and LGBTQI people.

Strategic communications is a critical part of FJS’s work through which we aim to transform public

conversations about women, girls, and LGBTQI people and build support for movements that advance

their rights. Our work includes funding that strengthens the communications capacities of our grantee

partners, and supports organizations that build narrative infrastructure and use journalism to elevate

the movements we support in the regions where we work.

POSITION SUMMARY

FJS is seeking a strategic thinker with experience in communications, progressive philanthropy, and

working with social movements to refine and lead a strategic communications strategy that will advance

the foundation’s mission and philanthropic advocacy priorities. Working in close collaboration with the

CEO and the director of programs, the director of communications will determine the communications

approaches FJS uses to influence other grantmakers and will serve as a thought partner to FJS program

staff who manage communications and journalism grants.

The director of communications reports to the CEO and contributes to organization-wide decision

making through participation in the foundation’s management team, comprised of the CEO, chief

financial officer, and the director of programs. This position leads and supervises FJS’s communications

team and a cadre of communications consultants. The ideal candidate has a management style that

centers relationship building and collaboration, prioritizes leading by example, and incorporates ongoing

feedback. This is a full-time position that requires international and domestic travel (approximately

5-10%), when possible.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Set and guide strategy

• Provide strategic leadership, vision, and oversight of both strategic and tactical communications.
• Fine-tune, implement, evaluate, and report on FJS’s strategic communications framework, which articulates how FJS aims to influence other foundations, strengthen the communications capacity of grantee partners, and expand the reach of movement voices.
• Contribute to the development and oversight of organizational strategy as a part of FJS’s management team.

Contribute to philanthropic advocacy

• Advance FJS’s philanthropic advocacy priorities by developing and aligning communications materials, expanding media outreach, and building relationships with funder peers and other stakeholders.
• Collaborate with the director of programs to influence funders to support communications approaches and to foster and enhance donor collaboration on narrative change.

Strengthen strategic communications grantmaking

• Develop in-depth knowledge of FJS’s strategic communications grantmaking, which includes grants for organizational capacity building, communications infrastructure organizations, and movement journalism.
• Support regional program teams to implement their strategic communications grantmaking strategies by providing feedback, framing critical questions, and sharing expertise.
• Support communications staff to implement the communications accompaniment grantmaking program, focused on providing grantees with dedicated funding for communications.

Oversee day-to-day communications

• Directly supervise communications staff (communications officer and future communications associate) and manage relationships with consultants and vendors (including digital communications manager, writers, editors, researchers, designers, translators, transcribers, photographers, videographers, media relations, and web developers).
• Set and implement FJS’s corporate communications strategy: ensure brand and message continuity; oversee content creation and audience engagement (e.g., website, social media); develop budgets and work plans and monitor progress; present updates to FJS’s board.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Knowledge of, passion for, and firm grounding in grassroots, global women’s, girls’, and LGBTQI rights movements, with an emphasis on the leadership of women, girls, and LGBTQI people from marginalized communities.
• At least seven to ten years of professional experience overseeing communications, advocacy and/or grassroots grantmaking within the women’s, LGBTQI rights, or social justice fields with progressively increasing management responsibility.
• Exceptional leadership and management skills with a minimum five years of experience managing and mentoring staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Adept at leading communications and advocacy strategy development from conceptualization to completion, balancing long-term strategic thinking with short-term tactical actions and analysis.
• Strong feminist analysis and understanding of intersectionality in movements and organizational practice.
• Experience working in philanthropy and with groups in the Global South, strongly preferred.
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural and multiracial environment and a commitment to examining and addressing racism and power imbalances within FJS and its field engagements.
• Exceptional written and oral communications skills, including editing the work of others, and ability to communicate clearly and persuasively to a variety of audiences and stakeholders.
• A collaborative and flexible work style.
• Fluency in Spanish and/or French, preferred.
• Strong networks within the narrative change field and women’s, LGBTQI rights, or social justice funding communities, preferred.
• Eligibility to work in the United States.

COMPENSATION AND CULTURE

Salary Range: $150,000 - $180,000, depending on experience.

FJS offers a benefits package that includes:

• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for all eligible employees and their spouses, domestic partners, and eligible dependents.
• Paid vacation days, and closed Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day.
• 401(k) retirement plan (with employer match).
• 100% employer-paid life insurance, supplemental short-term disability, and long-term disability.
• Generous parental leave with full salary continuation.
• Educational support benefits – tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, dependent tuition assistance.
• Supplemental benefits for adoption, reproductive health, surrogacy, and transgender and intersex health.
• FJS is committed to cultivating an organizational culture where everyone is able to bring their full, authentic selves to work. The foundation believes a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace is one where all employees, no matter their gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, education, or disability, are valued and respected.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit one PDF containing: a concise cover letter explaining why this role would be a great fit for you, your resume and two relevant writing samples (no longer than 3 pages total). No phone inquiries please.