Senior Communications Officer

Responsibilities

• Steward OST’s external voice, messaging, and reputation across audiences and channels, adapting framing while maintaining a consistent institutional identity.
• Bring political, relational, and reputational judgment to communications decisions, including questions of timing, visibility, tone, partner recognition, and sensitivity.
• Independently manage most day-to-day communications decisions while recognizing when questions of institutional positioning, audience priorities, or significant sensitivities should be elevated to leadership.
• Help communicate both the value of individual programs and the broader case for sustained investment in OST’s capacity, relationships, scientific infrastructure, and long-term role in California ocean science.
• Partner closely with the Director of Philanthropy to translate OST’s fundraising and donor-engagement vision into communications strategy and execution.
• Develop donor- and funder-facing materials including cases for support, digital and direct-mail appeals and campaigns, impact stories, stewardship communications, annual reporting, and other fundraising collateral.
• Develop and coordinate communications across website, email, social media, and external events to deepen relationships with donors and funders, carry impact stories consistently across channels, and create thoughtful engagement before, during, and after key moments.
• Lead communications and storytelling for philanthropic initiatives, including the SeaChange Scholars Fund, and support proposals and funder reports with strong narrative and evidence of impact.
• Translate complex scientific, policy, and organizational work into clear, accurate, and compelling communications tailored to different audiences and purposes.
• Write, edit, and shape content across formats including web, email, social media, reports, presentations, public statements, donor materials, and other external communications.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressively responsible communications and public relations experience, including demonstrated senior-level responsibility, ideally in science, public policy, government, philanthropy, higher education, or a nonprofit setting.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing communications strategy across multiple audiences and channels.
• Experience developing donor, funder, or institutional advancement communications and making a compelling case for organizational impact and investment.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex scientific, technical, policy, or organizational content for non-expert audiences without sacrificing accuracy or nuance.
• Experience advising colleagues or organizational leadership on communications strategy, framing, audience, timing, or tone.
• Experience directing or coordinating communications work produced by colleagues, interns, contractors, or others.
• Familiarity with California government, public policy, or public-sector environments is preferred; comparable experience working in politically or institutionally sensitive environments may substitute.
• Experience with media relations, public affairs, executive communications, or policy-facing communications is very welcome.
• Experience in ocean, climate, natural resources, science, research, or higher education environments is very helpful but not required.
• OST currently works across Google Workspace, Squarespace, Mailchimp, Canva, Monday, Bloomerang, and Slack. Experience with these specific platforms is welcome but not required; comfort learning and working across comparable communications and collaboration tools is more important.

Preferred

• Familiarity with California government, public policy, or public-sector environments is preferred; comparable experience working in politically or institutionally sensitive environments may substitute.
• Experience in ocean, climate, natural resources, science, research, or higher education environments is very helpful but not required.

Benefits

• health coverage
• retirement savings with a 4.5% employer match after one year
• generous paid time off and holidays (including a paid year-end office closure)
• monthly remote work stipend