Director of Communications - The Children's Inn at NIH

The Children’s Inn at NIH operates at the intersection of family support, pediatric clinical research, and medical discovery. The Inn provides a free “Place Like Home” for families with children, teens, and young adults participating in clinical research at the National Institutes of Health, offering stability and comfort during extended treatment, and is seen as a vital partner to NIH.

Philanthropic support makes this work possible, placing communications and storytelling at the center of The Inn’s future. As Director of Communications, you will play a central role in shaping how The Inn’s mission, impact, and partnership with NIH are understood and valued.

In this role, you will help set and lead the execution of an integrated communications strategy focused on growing fundraising revenue, deepening donor engagement, and increasing national visibility. This requires a dual narrative focus: sharing the lived experiences of children and families who stay at The Inn, while also showing how The Inn’s partnership with NIH advances scientific discovery and improves public health outcomes. Drawing on audience data and strong editorial judgment, you will translate these stories into high impact fundraising campaigns, earned media, and executive messaging.

Reporting to the Chief Philanthropy and Communications Officer, you will lead a two person communications team and manage external partners across digital, direct mail, and web. You will strengthen content quality, consistency, and workflows to build a cohesive and effective communications function. Working across the organization, you will advise senior leaders, including the CEO, and ensure staff have the tools and guidance needed to communicate The Inn’s story effectively. Your work will span moments both visible and behind the scenes, from preparing leaders for national media to supporting fundraising campaigns, events, and day to day engagement with donors and partners.

This role is well-suited for a communications leader who understands how storytelling fuels growth and impact, and who is comfortable operating as both a strategic advisor and a hands on partner across teams.

How You’ll Make an Impact

Success in your first 1–2 years will be demonstrated by:

• Increasing fundraising revenue through communications strategy and campaign execution, evidenced by metrics tied to donor acquisition, retention, and conversion.
• Improving the performance of integrated fundraising campaigns across direct mail, email, website, social media, and digital channels, ensuring every touchpoint is coordinated for maximum reach and impact.
• Developing a storytelling pipeline that elevates both family impact and NIH-related medical advancement stories, expands earned media opportunities, and gives fundraising teams compelling content to engage diverse donor segments.
• Serving as a strategic communications advisor to the CEO and leadership team, guiding media priorities, preparing leaders with messaging for engagement opportunities, and personally communicating The Inn’s impact at events and other external-facing opportunities.
• Building a more effective communications function by coaching and developing the team, setting clear performance expectations, and providing opportunities for professional development and leadership growth.

Work Environment, Salary, and Benefits

• This position offers a flexible hybrid schedule, with three days each week at The Inn in Bethesda, MD. Regular on-site presence to connect with the families, programs, and colleagues at the heart of our mission is essential to authentic storytelling and collaboration.
• The budgeted salary range for this position is $130K - $145K with an outstanding benefits package that includes 20 days of vacation leave; personal, sick, and volunteer leave; 11 paid company holidays; medical, dental, and vision coverage with an FSA option; life and AD&D insurance; long- and short-term disability insurance; a 401(k) with a Safe Harbor contribution, discretionary match, and discretionary profit-sharing contribution; tuition reimbursement; and a home office stipend.
• You will be joining a high-energy, collegial, mission-driven team that keeps processes streamlined so we can focus on what matters most. For the children and families we serve, each day holds the possibility of moving from hope to healing. Every member of our staff plays a role in making that possible.

Responsibilities

Strategy and Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive, multichannel communications strategy aligned with fundraising and organizational goals.
• Partner with senior leadership to position communications as a strategic driver of donor engagement, revenue growth, and brand awareness.
• Advise the CEO and leadership team on internal and external communications, including messaging, positioning, and reputational considerations.
• Serve as steward of The Inn’s brand, ensuring consistency, clarity, and alignment across all audiences and platforms.

Fundraising and External Communications

• Design and implement integrated marketing campaigns that drive donor acquisition, retention, and engagement.
• Collaborate with development and events teams to create and execute promotional strategies that maximize participation and revenue.
• Oversee audience segmentation and channel strategy to ensure effective reach across digital, print, and in-person touchpoints.

Content and Digital Strategy

• Direct the creation, production, and distribution of all communications and marketing assets, including digital, print, and event-related materials.
• Own and evolve The Inn’s editorial voice; ensure all content is compelling, mission-driven, and audience-centered.
• Oversee website, email, and social media strategy to optimize engagement, conversion, and user experience.
• Ensure content operations are efficient, timely, and aligned with strategic priorities.

Internal Communications and Reputation Management

• Lead internal communications to ensure alignment, transparency, and engagement across the organization.
• Proactively manage reputational risk and ensure communications align with organizational values and risk management practices.
• Oversee media relations and external partnerships to strengthen The Inn’s visibility and credibility.

Team and Operations

• Lead, coach, and develop communications staff, fostering a high-performing, collaborative team culture.
• Manage external vendors and consultants to ensure high-quality deliverables, on-time execution, and budget adherence.
• Support organizational priorities through event participation, public speaking, and donor engagement activities.

Personnel Management

• Provide supervision, training, coaching, and mentoring to the Communications and Media Relations Manager and the Social Media and Content Manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in journalism, communications, public relations, marketing, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive communications and marketing experience, preferably in nonprofit, health, research, or academic medical environments.
• Demonstrated experience working with or alongside fundraising teams and leading integrated campaigns that drive fundraising revenue.
• Experience using data to improve fundraising campaign performance across digital, direct mail, and content channels.
• Excellent professional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills. Experience representing an organization externally is preferred.
• Experience managing teams, projects, cross-functional work, and external vendors.
• Ability to advise senior leaders on messaging, media opportunities, and communications priorities.

About The Children’s Inn

The Children’s Inn’s mission is to provide a free “Place Like Home” to children and young adult NIH patients while they participate in life-changing clinical research studies at the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Center. Everything we do strives to reduce the burden of illness on families, make childhood possible and help advance NIH clinical research.

Staffing Advisors is committed to reducing bias in every aspect of the hiring process. We have long recommended a competency-driven approach to hiring. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position description; we will consider people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences.