Chief Communications and External Affairs Officer

Responsibilities

• Design and oversee TNTP’s comprehensive external affairs strategy, galvanizing national support to redesign education systems so that all students graduate with strong academic foundations and clear pathways to opportunity.
• Serve as TNTP’s chief narrative architect, owning the clarity, coherence, and consistency of how the organization defines problems, articulates solutions, and communicates impact across both external and internal communications channels.
• Direct executive communications strategy and real-time execution, including speeches, major publications, board communications, crisis messaging, and high-stakes correspondence.
• Represent TNTP as a senior external spokesperson in high-profile forums, media engagements, and national convenings aligned to the organization’s external affairs and influence strategy.
• Orchestrate alignment across divisions to ensure marketing, communications, campaigns, and organizational messaging advance enterprise priorities and drive measurable impact and growth.
• Ensure all positioning reflects a deep understanding of TNTP’s instructional, consulting, and systems-change work, translating complex ideas into compelling, accessible narratives without sacrificing rigor.
• Direct teams responsible for brand strategy, national storytelling, and thought leadership initiatives that elevate TNTP’s visibility, influence, and partnership opportunities nationwide.
• Oversee media strategy and partnerships that amplify organizational impact and position TNTP at the forefront of critical education conversations.
• Lead strategy and execution for high-profile events, convenings, and public engagements that position TNTP as a field leader and catalyze collective action.
• Guides development and execution of an ambitious publication and editorial agenda aligned to TNTP’s reputation for rigorous, student-centered insight and practice.

Requirements

• 10+ years of senior leadership experience in communications, external affairs, marketing, or public affairs within education, nonprofit, or public-sector-adjacent environments.
• Exceptional writing and narrative expertise, with demonstrated ability to personally shape executive-level and high-stakes communications.
• Proven ability to translate complex organizational strategies into coherent narratives that resonate across internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience serving as a senior organizational spokesperson with strong media presence and credibility.
• Deep understanding of the K–12 education ecosystem and systems-change work, with the ability to connect strategy, practice, and storytelling.
• Strong track record building and leading integrated teams that deliver measurable audience, engagement, and organizational outcomes.
• Sophisticated understanding of brand stewardship, digital strategy, and communications in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
• Demonstrated expertise in crisis communications, executive counsel, and leading through organizational change.

Benefits

• TNTP also offers a compelling overall Total Rewards package, including competitive mid-market salaries, generous PTO, and comprehensive benefits, with a range of plans and programs designed to support the physical, mental, and financial wellness of employees and their dependents. We suggest learning more about our benefits ! (Spoiler alert: we’re closed the last two weeks of December).