Communications and Community Director

Join the Virgin Group – a diverse collective driving change, enhancing customer experience, and having a blast. We're daring, disrupting industries from finance to space, united as part of the Virgin Family.

Virgin Unite, Virgin Group's charitable foundation, inspires action. We fuel radical collaboration to challenge the unacceptable. Our overheads, covered by Richard Branson and the Virgin Group, ensure 100% of donations fuel our initiatives.

Our mission:

To create a thriving world through entrepreneurial initiatives. Our work revolves around:

• Incubating courageous collectives
• Backing entrepreneurial solutions
• Convening purposeful communities
• Challenging unacceptable issues

Planetary Guardians is a new initiative in partnership with Johan Rockström, Virgin Unite, and other partners to accelerate the Planetary Boundaries as a measurement and operating framework for the world. The latest research reveals that 6 of the 9 critical earth systems that keep our planet in balance have exceeded their safe operating space and are at risk of crossing dangerous tipping points. Our mission is to help humanity return to a safe operating space across all Planetary Boundaries and restore a healthy partnership with the earth. The initiative will be supported by a lean team of highly capable individuals with a deep passion for the planet, and we are seeking an experienced Communications & Community Director.

Tell me more:

Communications

• Establish and implement a complete communications strategy.
• Manage the Planetary Guardians brand and visual identity.
• Work with the science partners and Earth HQ to build the communications plan for the release of the Planetary Health Check (capstone annual report the Guardians release on the status of the Planetary Boundary science).
• Support the Guardians to craft personalized communications – and “cluster communications”.
• Create and deliver a series of annual campaigns and storytelling across the year.
• Work on establishing a “creative council” to make the boundaries relevant and widely accepted. 
• Oversee the implementation of a digital program for the Planetary Guardians.
• Support all fundraising activities with relevant communication materials.
  

Policy Communications

• Work closely with the Chief Policy and Partnership Officer to create a clear advocacy/policy plan.
• Identify key influencers and create specific messaging for each. 
• Oversee all policy campaigning at key events.
  

Events

• Set up the events calendar for the next 12-months.
• Manage relationships and coordination across supporting agencies and vendors.
• Coordinating core meetings and messages for all Guardians during Climate Week .
• Deliver large scale gatherings for 2024.

What you’ll need:

• Extensive communications, event planning and coordination experience.
• An ability to translate the science into accessible language.
• Experience launching a new brand/initiative.
• The ability to drive change through policy and systems change.
• The ability to manage a cross functional team effectively.
• Experience working across digital and social media platforms, or alongside teams to successfully translate communications strategies.
• A passion for the planet and the belief in the transformative power of science and collective leadership. 
• Fundraising experience is desirable.
• Experience within a fast moving start-up environment is desirable.

The extra details:

Role type: Permanent.  

Location: New York & your home space.

Salary: $175,000 - $212,500, depending on experience.

Working hours: Full time - We embrace flexible working. Let us know what hours empower you to be at your best both professionally and personally, we’ll try to find a perfect match for you and us.

Benefits: Dive into a fast-paced, evolving workspace, where your hard work and dedication is rewarded. Fancy unlimited holidays and flexible working? That's the Virgin way. We champion inclusion, wellbeing, and purposeful points strategies. Further benefits include health insurance, dental insurance, retirement benefits and an employee rewards scheme.

Closing date: 25 March 2024

Some of the attributes that define a Virgin person just can’t be quantified in words. We pride ourselves on welcoming people from all walks of life, with all sorts of skill sets. Most recently, we successfully campaigned to add ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a skill on LinkedIn. Any uniqueness is a strength and will be considered an asset to our workforce. If there is something you would like us to consider, to tailor the hiring process to the way you work best, please don’t hesitate to let us know. 

Excited to make each day rewarding? We'd love to learn more about you!