Responsibilities

• Strategic Communications & Public Affairs: Shape and manage public narratives across Commit’s priority education and economic mobility issues. Translate complex education data, research, legislation, policy, and systems-change strategies into clear and credible messages that help varied audiences understand what matters, why it matters, and what action is needed.
• Policy & Advocacy Communications: Serve as Commit’s lead public affairs and communications strategist for education policy and advocacy. Partner with Policy & Advocacy leadership to develop and execute communications strategies supporting legislative priorities, policy campaigns, coalition efforts, research releases, and other critical advocacy moments.
• Messaging & Organizational Positioning: Serve as a strategic communications advisor to Commit’s impact teams and organizational leadership, shaping messaging, framing, timing, audience strategy, stakeholder engagement, and reputational considerations. Maintain message discipline across major public-facing communications and strengthen Commit’s position as a trusted intermediary, strategic convener, policy partner, and credible source of education and economic mobility expertise.
• Policy Communications & Content Development: Develop high-impact communications including messaging frameworks, talking points, briefing materials, stakeholder communications, fact sheets, presentations, digital content, op-eds, media materials, and other assets that make complex policy and research accessible to policymakers, partners, investors, community leaders, media, and the broader public.
• External Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement: Build and sustain relationships with policymakers, education leaders, employers, business and civic leaders, advocates, philanthropists, communications professionals, community leaders, and other stakeholders. Represent Commit at key meetings, convenings, briefings, public events, and policy discussions across Dallas County and Texas.
• Strategic Counsel & Reputation Management: Develop a sophisticated understanding of the civic, political, education, and economic landscape in which Commit operates. Anticipate communications opportunities and reputational risks associated with education policy developments and advise organizational leadership on appropriate responses. Exercise sound judgment about when Commit should speak, convene, elevate partners, or allow others to lead.
• Thought Leadership & Signature Communications: Lead communications strategy and editorial development for major K–12, postsecondary, workforce, and economic mobility publications. Shape the narrative, messaging, editorial structure, and public rollout strategy for Commit’s Economic Mobility Report and related research, and partner across the organization to support the annual Economic Mobility Summit as a platform for regional dialogue and action.
• Data, Research & Storytelling: Develop communications and public affairs strategies around major education data releases, research findings, legislative developments, and policy milestones. Use data and evidence to demonstrate connections among education, postsecondary credentials, workforce pathways, regional talent development, and long-term economic mobility.
• Partner & Community Voice: Elevate partner, practitioner, student, family, and community perspectives in ways that demonstrate the role of cross-sector collaboration in advancing meaningful education policy and systems change. Develop communications strategies that appropriately recognize the partners, coalitions, advocates, policymakers, practitioners, and communities contributing to progress.
• Media & Public Representation: Serve as a media spokesperson and trusted external representative of the organization when appropriate. Develop clear, audience-specific messaging and support Commit leaders in effectively communicating complex or sensitive issues.

Requirements

• Public Affairs & Strategic Communications
• Demonstrated experience operating at the intersection of public affairs, strategic communications, public policy, advocacy, civic engagement, government relations, journalism, nonprofit leadership, or related fields.
• Exceptional ability to understand complex data, policy, research, legislation, and organizational strategy and translate them into clear, credible, and compelling public narratives.
• Strong writing, editing, storytelling, presentation, stakeholder engagement, and public-speaking skills.
• Ability to develop audience-specific communications across formats, including executive messaging, policy communications, public-facing narratives, media materials, and thought leadership.
• Education Policy & Systems Knowledge
• Demonstrated understanding of public education, education policy, legislative processes, advocacy, workforce development, and the relationship between education and economic mobility.
• Ability to quickly develop fluency in complex education and economic mobility issues and apply that knowledge to communications and public affairs strategy.
• Ability to connect policy, research, data, and systems-level trends to their implications for students, families, practitioners, communities, and decision-makers.
• Strategic Judgment & Influence