Principal, Executive Communications

Working hours

This role requires regular working hours aligned with the Eastern Time (ET) time zone, with flexibility to work across time zones as needed to support global stakeholders and executive communications.

The ideal candidate is:

• An executive communications expert. You have written for CEOs and executives before; you are comfortable working directly with senior-level stakeholders to understand their priorities and translate them into a communications strategy. You are not just a communications expert; you are a strategic partner and advisor to the principals that you support. You are responsive and curious, with a high degree of executive presence. You are able to anticipate tough questions and think strategically about messages that resonate across multiple audiences.
• Highly collaborative. You will be part of an international communications department that works to reach and engage numerous stakeholders through a range of global channels, including earned media, social media, and channels reaching Wikimedia volunteer and affiliate communities and Foundation staff. You can develop and integrate executive communications tactics into the overarching communications strategy of the Wikimedia Foundation. You will proactively develop relationships throughout the organization and broader volunteer communities to understand and surface trends to include in communications.
• An experienced storyteller. You will develop written materials that capture the tone and voice of different executives, often working under tight deadlines. This can include writing and ghostwriting speeches, op-eds, quotes, external statements, and blog posts that have a clear point of view; guiding social media strategy that captures the tone and style of our executives; and creating a consistent internal communications strategy including regular staff emails from the CEO.
• Enthusiastic about proactive external opportunities. In a swiftly evolving news and public engagement landscape, you will raise the profile of Wikimedia Foundation leadership by proactively seeking out earned media opportunities and speaking engagements, as well as co-creating thought leadership and building public presence for our leadership team. You will leverage relationships with reporters and conference organizers to identify new and compelling publications and venues for Foundation leaders to speak to key audiences. You love following technology trends and other public narratives that are relevant to our work, and you identify proactive opportunities to increase awareness about the Wikimedia projects.

About the Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote-first organization with staff members including contractors based 40+ countries*. Salaries at the Wikimedia Foundation are set in a way that is competitive, equitable, and consistent with our values and culture. The anticipated annual pay range of this position for applicants based within the United States is $144,765 to $220,063 with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay. For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. We neither ask for nor take into consideration the salary history of applicants. The compensation for a successful applicant will be based on their skills, experience and location.

*Please note that we are currently able to hire in the following:

US States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico*, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming (*US Territory or Federal District)

Countries: Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya*, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore*, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Our non-US employees are hired through a local third party Employer of Record (EOR) and must have current work authorization in their location. (*citizens/permanent residents only)

We periodically review this list to streamline to ensure alignment with our hiring requirements.

All applicants can reach out to their recruiter to understand more about the specific pay range for their location during the interview process.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at recruiting@wikimedia.org or +1 (415) 839-6885.

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