Vice President, External Communications (Washington DC / Hybrid)

Marketing & Communications Washington, District Of Columbia


Description

Work. Serve. Thrive.

Imagine a place where your talent can make a meaningful difference in peoples' lives. Working at Feeding America is a uniquely rewarding experience in which our employees work together as vital parts of a much larger mission. We are innovative, mission-focused, diverse, collaborative, values-driven and focused on results.

Feeding America is the nation’s largest charity and the leading domestic hunger-relief charity in the United States. Our mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Learn more about Feeding America here.

This position is based out of Feeding America’s Washington DC office. At Feeding America, we believe in offering a flexible work environment. Employees can be in the office an average of 2 days a week (when not travelling for work) and work from home on other days. Employees also have access to a 30-day “work anywhere” program during the course of each calendar year that can be combined with PTO and/or holidays.

The Opportunity

The Vice President, External Communications is responsible for shaping Feeding America’s external voice, advancing reputation and building trusted relationships with partners, ensuring the brand is visible, relevant and influential across cultural conversations. Oversees earned media and entertainment strategies, guiding the CMCO’s external presence to advance the mission and maximize MarCom’s influence.  Leads centralized MarCom support for Development, aligning communications and content with enterprise priorities and focusing on high-impact donor partnerships.

Compensation

Here at Feeding America national organization, equality is central to our mission and is an integral part of our compensation policies and structures. As such, we maintain transparent salary ranges and clearly defined practices for how our team, including new hire salary offers, moves through these ranges. You can expect us to offer the best salary up front based on these clearly defined pay practices with little room for negotiation. We make exceptions for highly experienced (multiple years of at-level experience) new hires in accordance with our pay practices. Once hired, employees have the opportunity to progress through salary ranges via regular merit increases and step promotions. 

Salary Range: $203,952 - $227,946  Based on Experience

Responsibilities:

  • Leads external communications strategy that advances reputation, trust and visibility across key audiences and stakeholders.
  • Provides strategic oversight and guidance of media relations, earned media strategy and thought leadership, including the CMCO’s external presence (media interviews, conferences, cultural convenings).
  • Manages strategic approach to building and maintaining strong relationships with journalists, entertainment industry influencers, cultural leaders and partners to position Feeding America as a trusted voice on hunger.
  • Proactively identifies and engages in cultural moments and spaces that elevate Feeding America’s mission and relevance.
  • Leads centralized MarCom support for Development across two areas: ensuring donor-facing communications and content are cohesive and consistent and donor partnership communications align with MarCom and enterprise priorities. 
  • Partners with Brand and Content teams to develop cohesive external narratives that reflect neighbor voices and enterprise strategy.
  • Oversees development of positioning statements, messaging frameworks, press releases, op-eds, speeches and thought leadership platforms for leadership, including the CMCO.
  • Leads crisis and issues communications in collaboration with Legal and Government Relations, ensuring protection of reputation and trust.
  • Oversees monitoring and reporting on earned media reach, sentiment, share of voice and cultural relevance index.
  • Accountable for continuous improvement, monitoring and reporting on earned media reach, sentiment, share of voice and cultural relevance index and to connect progress to Marcom Vision, Plan on a Page and Department scorecard.
  • Ensures alignment with fundraising, advocacy and brand campaigns to maximize impact and consistency.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

  • 10-12+ years of progressive experience in external communications, media relations and reputation management, including 7–10 years in senior leadership roles within complex, mission-driven or large-scale organizations.
  • Deep expertise in earned media strategy, thought leadership platforms and cultural engagement, with a proven track record of elevating executive presence.
  • Demonstrated experience leading integrated communications across brand, content, fundraising and advocacy to ensure enterprise alignment.
  • Strong crisis and issues management experience, including partnership with Legal and Government Relations in high-stakes environments.
  • Advanced experience in stakeholder engagement and relationship building with media, influencers, cultural leaders and strategic partners.
  • Proficiency in communications measurement and analytics, including media reach, sentiment, share of voice and performance reporting tied to enterprise KPIs.
Required Leadership Competencies:
  • Fosters an Enterprise Mindset
  • Fosters an Open and Supportive Environment
  • Leads with Accountability
  • Collaborates Internally and Externally
  • Focuses on People and Teams
  • Manages Organization and Business Complexity
  • Communicates with Impact and Influence

Feeding America’s goal is to attract, develop, retain, and promote a talented diverse workforce where all employees feel a sense of belonging and contribute to a culture that values differences, ideas, and experiences. We intentionally seek out diverse perspectives and skills on our teams, knowing that it makes us stronger as an organization and better equipped to serve our neighbors in need. We encourage all individuals, including those from historically under-represented communities and individuals with lived experience of hunger, to apply.

 

Feeding America participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.