Executive Communications Associate - Wikimedia Foundation

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The Wikimedia Foundation seeks an entry-level candidate who brings excellent writing skills and communications experience to a newly created role supporting thought leadership and public speaking strategy for senior leaders and executives at the organization. This person will work with a global executive team, including the CEO, by identifying new and compelling thought leadership opportunities, building narrative platforms, and strengthening the public profiles of top leadership.

They will be responsible for building communications material for executives, such as briefing documents and talking points, supporting the development of speeches, ghostwriting blogs and other written materials, and proactively identifying public speaking and media opportunities. The Executive Communications Associate will report to the Senior Manager of Executive Communications at the Foundation.

The associate will join a growing global Communications department at the Foundation where they will have an opportunity to collaborate and learn from colleagues with expertise in media relations, digital media, brand, design, internal communications, movement communications, advocacy, and crisis communications.

They will be part of an organization in service of a movement of volunteer editors and writers among other contributors. This is a community that celebrates language and appreciates that feeling of finding the perfect word or phrase. It is a fantastic place to work as a writer.

This is a development role for a new communications professional. It is an opportunity to expand on core communications skills and refine their storytelling expertise. The Executive Communications Associate will develop many communications deliverables, and learn how to shape their writing to match several executive voices and nuanced points of view.

The associate will have wide exposure to different external communications opportunities, including events, media interviews, external statements, and leadership campaigns. They will be part of a collaborative, supportive team environment with numerous opportunities for growth.

The ideal candidate is:

• A strong, curious writer who is excited by the prospect of storytelling and working for a mission-driven organization on a variety of issues such as access to knowledge, equity, and protecting the digital commons. This associate will be able to take both personal narratives and organizational initiatives and create compelling thought leadership pieces in many forms, including speeches, op-eds, quotes, blog posts, and interview responses.
• A nuanced and collaborative communicator who enjoys the process of co-creation and partnership on communications initiatives big and small. The associate will work closely with many teams across the Wikimedia Foundation, as well as volunteer community members and other organizational partners, to advocate for Wikimedia’s mission. The associate will develop the diplomacy and aptitude to advise C-level executives on communications about a range of issues.
• An adaptable, detail-oriented professional who can create and own processes to manage multiple narratives and communications campaigns at once and work effectively and professionally with senior executives. Time management, consistency and preparation are key. This person will enjoy opportunities for leadership and autonomy as they prioritize their work across both proactive and reactive communications needs.

You are responsible for:

• Researching international speaking opportunities and proactively identifying new and compelling venues for Foundation leaders to speak to strategic audiences.
• Evaluating incoming media and speaking requests with a consistent rubric to prioritize strategic opportunities
• Developing written materials that capture the tone and voice of different executives, often working under deadlines.
• Writing and ghost-writing speeches, op-eds, quotes, external statements, and blog posts that have a clear point of view.
• Monitoring news coverage and identifying opportunities for executives to weigh in on relevant and timely topics.
• Partnering with the digital media team to provide executive support on social media profiles, such as drafting social media copy and identifying opportunities for leadership to engage on social media
• Anticipating tough questions and preparing executives with needed messaging on a variety of relevant topics based on the news of the day.
• Pitching event organizers for speaking opportunities and liaising to coordinate logistics, including format for the event, technical setup, and other panelists.
• Drafting materials for Foundation executives to prepare for interviews and public speaking engagements, and maintaining the process for keeping materials updated.
• Staffing executive spokespeople during media interviews and speaking opportunities (both virtual and onsite support as needed).
• Establishing and maintaining clear, consistent processes for communications support, such as a timeline of communications deliverables for public speaking engagements
• Maintaining a calendar of thought leadership opportunities to increase visibility about communications work and identify opportunities for cross-department collaboration.
• Working with the Lead Executive Communications Manager to measure and report on success of public speaking engagements and other thought leadership opportunities.
• Collaboratively creating key deliverables and progress reports of communications projects, media campaigns, and other initiatives across the team.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of two years experience working in an editorial, journalism, or communications role
• Strong verbal and written communication, and editing skills with the ability to write both short and long form pieces and meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills and experience managing multiple projects at once, as well as an interest in both independent and collaborative work
• Detail-oriented with experience maintaining systems and documentation for projects with multiple moving parts and stakeholders
• Passion for following news trends and proactively identifying media opportunities for spokespeople
• Interest or expertise in managing and planning virtual or in-person events with multiple speakers
• Exceptional verbal and written communication, editing, and interpersonal skills
• Strong research skills
• The ability to meet deadlines and excel in a fast-paced, multitasking environment that often requires fast turn?around

Qualities that are important to us:

• Resilience—we work on new and interesting problems in public and collaborative ways
• Being open, curious, and inquiring in our work
• Internal motivation and high standards
• Working together for outcomes, and being willing to let go to scale or change course
• Sharing a culture of constructive criticism and respect
• Eagerness to collaborate and commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and belonging

Additionally, we’d love it if you have:

• Involvement or experience within Wikimedia communities and/or editing the Wikimedia projects
• Ability to speak and write in multiple languages
• Knowledge of online community interaction and dynamics

About The Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely.

We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive.

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