Associate Director, Strategic Communications

SUMMARY

The Associate Director of Strategic Communications ensures that Year Up United staff, managers, and leaders are aligned, informed, and equipped to understand and activate the organization’s strategy. This role also serves as the organizational hub connecting internal messaging with external media/PR activity handled by the external agency. The director owns the internal → external sequencing arc, ensuring that staff understand key organizational decisions, milestones, risks, and public‑facing narratives before they appear externally.

This role does not execute direct media relations (pitching, reporter outreach). Instead, it manages, directs, and aligns the external PR/media agency, ensuring that earned media, issues management, crisis communications, and external announcements are strategically sequenced, narratively consistent, and organizationally sound

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Internal Strategy & Communications Leadership

• Lead enterprise-wide internal communications strategy that reinforces clarity, alignment, and high transparency.
• Establish internal rhythms (all-staff updates, leadership messages, manager toolkits, intranet content cycles).
• Ensure internal messaging reflects major external narratives, brand positioning, and organizational priorities.

2. Internal–External Messaging Integration

• Act as the bridge between internal comms and external PR, ensuring consistency across both.
• Own the internal rollout plan for all externally visible announcements (press releases, leadership visibility, campaigns, risk events).
• Coordinate timing and sequencing so staff are informed before external audiences.
• Review all PR/agency outputs for alignment before they move to final approval.

3. PR/Media Partnership Management

• Serve as day-to-day manager of the PR/media agency.
• Maintain a single intake system for PR requests and triage requests to internal leaders and functions.
• Align agency work to enterprise narrative, culture needs, and organizational priorities.
• Review press statements, messaging, briefing books, and issues management documents created by the agency.

4. Issues & Crisis Communications (Internal Owner)

• Lead crisis internal communications, including manager scripts, FAQs, and staff updates.
• Serve as internal counterpart to the PR/media agency that handles external-facing crisis response.
• Coordinate with Legal, HR, and Executive Comms to ensure consistency and speed.

5. Executive & Leadership Enablement

• Prepare and support leaders with internal messaging related to external visibility moments.
• Provide leaders with talking points to answer questions about press coverage, announcements, and organizational initiatives.

6. Culture, Change & Organizational Health

• Translate major organizational changes, decisions, and strategy updates into clear, empathetic staff communication.
• Build processes, norms, and guidance that reduce messaging collisions and duplicate comms across teams.
• Manage intranet governance and strengthen internal content systems.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated excellence in internal communications, organizational communications, or strategic communications.
• Experience managing or working alongside PR/media agencies.
• Strong change management orientation; able to translate complex decisions into clear, grounded messaging.
• Strong collaboration instincts—with executive leaders, HR, R&E, Marketing, TL, Development, and PR partners.
• Exceptional writing and editorial judgment.
• Crisis communications familiarity strongly preferred.

SALARY RANGE: $ 114,100 - $133,100

#LI-Hybrid

WORKING AT YEAR UP UNITED:

Starting January 5, 2026, employees are expected to work on-site at least two days per week (Monday through Thursday dependent on job requirements). To be eligible for employment, candidates must live and work in a state (or an approved proximate state*) where Year Up United operates. For a list of eligible locations, please visit:  https://www.yearup.org/job-training/locations

*Approved proximate states where Year Up United operates are: Connecticut, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina and Virginia.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:

• Year Up United has established salary ranges for each of our sites, which allows us to pay employees competitively, equitably and consistently in different geographic markets. For roles in which the location is listed as flexible, the range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Salary offers take into account a candidate’s skills, experience, and location. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

• Benefits: Comprehensive healthcare options and dental coverage; 401(k) match for eligible participants.

• Vacation: Earn three weeks paid vacation in first year of employment; four weeks after initial year.

ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:

Year Up United is a national 501(c)3 workforce development organization committed to ensuring equitable access to economic opportunity, education, and justice for all young adults—no matter their background, income, or zip code. Employers face a growing need for talent while millions of talented young adults lack access to meaningful careers. These inequities only further perpetuate the opportunity gap that exists in our country—a gap that Year Up United is determined and positioned to close through three interconnected strategies: providing targeted skills training and connections to livable-wage employment for students and alumni; empowering others to serve and support young adults, and changing systems that perpetuate the opportunity gap. Year Up United’s intensive training program utilizes a high expectations, high support model where students learn in-demand technical and professional skills and apply them during a corporate internship. Year Up United has directly served more than 40,000 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up United's nationwide presence includes Arizona, Austin, Bay Area, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, the National Capital Region, New York City/Jersey City, Pittsburgh, Puget Sound, Rhode Island, South Florida, Tampa Bay, and Wilmington.

Voted one of the Best Nonprofits to Work For in the country by The NonProfit Times, Year Up United is a rewarding and impactful place to work. Our staff is passionate, supportive, mission-driven, and committed to positive change and continuous learning. We set high standards for both ourselves and our students and live by a set of core values that reflect an unshakable belief in the talent and potential of our young people. The work we do is life-changing, and we know that our team is the greatest asset in achieving our mission.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY:

Year Up United embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. All aspects of employment, including the decision to hire, promote, discharge, or discipline, are based on meritocracy. We do not permit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local laws. Learn more about our commitment to diversity: http://www.yearup.org/about-us/careers/commitment-to-diversity/

Year Up United is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Your recruiter can provide details regarding the expected work environment and any physical requirements. Please let our hiring team know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process. Information received relating to accommodation will be addressed confidentially.

TO APPLY:

Please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume through our website.

We respectfully request no phone calls.