VP, Communications

About us Chief is a private network of the most powerful women executives in business. Our mission is to maximize the leadership impact of our members. Our network represents more than 10,000 companies including 77% of the Fortune 100, and nearly 40% of our members are in the C‑Suite. Chief has been recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies and one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. Membership to Chief provides access to a vetted community of senior women executives and valuable insights that shape their leadership. The experience is digital and in‑person, allowing members to build connections, engage in compelling discussions, and access resources in ways that are most meaningful to them. Our offerings range from executive coaching and executive education to thoughtful in‑person and virtual programming and events that guide leaders through the most pressing topics in business. We have members across the United States with clubhouse locations in NYC, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Founded in 2019, Chief is backed by renowned investors including CapitalG, General Catalyst, Inspired Capital, and Primary Ventures. Our network brings women in leadership together to share their ideas, insight, and influence, and the power of what we’re doing is felt by every member of our team. Our workplace is built on being real and respectful. We help grow careers, maintain our team’s wellbeing, and give everyone a seat at the table. We build teams where diverse voices, identities, perspectives, and experiences are represented and celebrated. Read more about working at Chief: About the Role Chief exists to create more possibilities for women's power. We are the largest membership network for senior women leaders in the U.S. – a curated community across industries, roles, and geographies, representing more than 10,000 companies and 77% of the Fortune 100. At a moment when access to the right conversations, perspectives, and people shapes outcomes, Chief creates those rooms – both in‑person and virtual – so that senior women leaders learn faster, build new capabilities, and navigate what’s next with greater clarity and confidence. Reporting to the CMO and sitting on Chief's Senior Leadership Team, the VP, Communications is responsible for driving Chief's communications strategy across CEO and executive communications, external PR and earned media, and reputation management. This is a player‑coach role: you will develop the strategy and do the work — writing, pitching, drafting, and preparing executives. You will work closely with an external communications consultant and in deep partnership with Marketing, Member Experience, and People on communications that touch their functions. Why This Role. Why Now. Chief's story is in a compelling moment — a growing membership, an expanding definition of who we serve, and a mission that has never felt more urgent or more relevant. The communications leader who joins now has the opportunity to shape how that story reaches the world: how Chief is understood, covered, and talked about across the audiences that matter most. This is a meaningful Senior Leadership Team role with real visibility and the scope to do work that matters — for Chief and for the executives we serve. What You'll Do Own Chief's Strategic Communications Narrative Develop and maintain the master narrative that governs how Chief tells its story — to the press, prospective members, enterprise partners, and the broader market. Translate Chief's strategic priorities into a proactive communications strategy and establish the message discipline that allows a fast‑moving organization to speak with one consistent, compelling voice. Build and manage the annual communications calendar, identifying the moments, milestones, and platforms that matter most Serve as the editorial lead on message framing and sequencing across audiences and channels Partner with Marketing to bring Chief's mission to life in the world, building resonance and connection among audiences Equip cross‑functional teams and external partners with the context, messaging, and materials needed to execute with clarity and alignment Identify and orchestrate the right internal experts and external partners – ensuring all communications activity ladders back to a cohesive strategic vision Lead CEO & Executive Communications Serve as the primary communications partner to Alison Moore and Chief's senior leadership team — shaping executive voice, thought leadership positioning, and broader visibility across media, speaking engagements, partnerships, and industry conversations. Develop keynote narratives, executive messaging, talking points, and strategic counsel for high‑profile moments and external engagements Build a proactive executive visibility strategy — identifying the conversations, platforms, and partnerships where Chief's leadership should have a voice and ensuring those opportunities support broader business priorities Partner with external communications specialists, media trainers, and thought leadership consultants where appropriate to support execution and scale Drive alignment across the senior leadership team to ensure consistency in messaging, positioning, and external communications priorities Drive External Communications & Thought Leadership Strategy Lead the strategic direction of Chief's external communications ecosystem — shaping the narratives, editorial priorities, and visibility opportunities that strengthen the brand's position across leadership, business, culture, and workplace conversations. Oversee external communications agencies and consultants across media relations, executive visibility, conference strategy, speaking opportunities, and thought leadership initiatives — ensuring all activity aligns to a cohesive communications strategy and consistent brand voice Provide senior‑level guidance on proactive storytelling, media positioning, strategic partnerships, and high‑impact external moments, while external partners lead day‑day execution Build and maintain strong relationships across key media, conference, and industry ecosystems relevant to Chief's audiences Establish standards for spokesperson preparation, messaging alignment, and external communications readiness Shape Brand Influence & Cultural Relevance Partner closely with Brand and Marketing to evolve Chief's presence across modern influence channels — extending beyond traditional media into tastemaker networks, creator ecosystems, emerging platforms, and culturally relevant partnerships. Partner with Marketing on the development of Chief's influencer and tastemaker strategy, identifying voices, communities, and collaborations that authentically align with the brand and expand Chief's relevance among current and future members Guide how Chief shows up across key cultural and industry moments, ensuring consistency between brand, communications, partnerships, and audience engagement Manage Reputation, Issues & Crisis Readiness Protect and strengthen Chief's reputation by ensuring the organization has clear communication frameworks, escalation protocols, and decision‑making structures in place for high‑stakes moments. Maintain and regularly evolve crisis and issues management playbooks, ensuring messaging, stakeholder considerations, and response protocols remain current as the business grows Partner closely with leadership, legal, people, and member teams to provide strategic communications counsel during sensitive situations, while coordinating external crisis advisors and specialists where appropriate Help ensure alignment between Chief's external narrative, internal culture, and organizational decisions Partner on Member & Internal Communications Collaborate closely with Member Experience and Marketing to ensure member‑facing communications reflect Chief's voice, values, and brand standards. Partner with People and the C‑suite on internal communications, providing strategic framing and narrative guidance for significant organizational moments. While execution sits within those teams, this role helps set the communications standard and serves as a key strategic advisor across the organization. Who You Are and What You've Done Senior Communications Practitioner: You have 10–15+ years of in‑house communications experience at a high‑growth startup or membership‑driven organization — developing strategy and executing against it across PR, executive comms, and earned media. Player‑Coach: You operate comfortably at the C‑suite level — shaping strategy, advising senior leaders, and influencing organizational decisions — and you get into the work. You write the draft, pitch the story, and prep the executive without needing to hand it off. Community and Membership Fluent: You know what it means to communicate within a community — not just at it — and understand how tone, timing, and trust shape how messages land with a discerning, high‑stakes audience. Earned Media Strategist: You have built journalist relationships, originated stories, and driven meaningful placement in tier‑1 business media. You know the difference between a PR strategy and a press release calendar. Orchestrator: You know how to leverage internal subject‑matter experts and external partners — directing each resource toward the communications vision while staying close enough to the work to course‑correct in real time. Social Media and AI Fluent: You bring platform literacy that informs strategy and actively use AI tools in your workflow — for research, drafting, and media monitoring. You stay current on emerging tools and channels. Mission‑Aligned: You believe in creating more possibilities for women's power — and that belief shows up in how you communicate, collaborate, and advocate for Chief's story. Chief is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Why You'll Want to Work Here: Competitive salary and equity Flexible vacation policy 20 weeks of paid gender neutral parental leave Full medical, dental, and vision packages, 401(k) Opportunity to work for a startup focused on driving real change for women in business Opportunity to create and attend inspiring experiences and events with leaders of the industry Access to our ongoing virtual Chief member exclusive content, including workshops, thought leadership, and iconic speakers While we’re committed to remaining compliant and adhering to mandates, for us, pay transparency is more than a consideration of what’s lawful and unlawful but rather, an opportunity to disclose what’s required, and what we think is a fair and equitable compensation framework. At Chief, we want to hire, develop, and retain the best talent, making Chief a top destination to accelerate your career. Our compensation framework is a key part of our vision, and we continually revisit and invest in our philosophy and framework to ensure we remain competitive and relevant, on a quest to achieve our vision. The pay transparency mandates, as well as our own policies and practices, are a means of narrowing the gender pay gap and fostering an engaged and positive working environment that builds trust, on our mission to change the face of leadership. The base salary for this role is: $250,000 - $275,000/yr #J-18808-Ljbffr