Director of Communications

Overview

The Director of Communications plays a central role in shaping and advancing Village Health Works’ communications strategy across digital platforms, media, donor-facing materials, and organizational storytelling.

This role is responsible for setting and executing an overall communications strategy that reflects Village Health Works’ mission, values, and strategic priorities. The Director of Communications will work closely with colleagues in Kigutu, Burundi and across the organization to gather stories, images, updates, and programmatic insights and translate them into compelling communications for external audiences.

The Director of Communications will lead the creation and management of social media content, pitch stories to media outlets, and support the development team with donor communications, fundraising materials, and event-related assets. This role will help ensure Village Health Works tells a clear, powerful, and consistent story to donors, partners, media, and the broader public.

This position is ideal for a highly organized, mission-driven communicator who is both strategic and hands-on—someone who can think about the big picture while also writing captions, managing deadlines, and bringing stories to life across platforms.

This role may be based remotely or in a hybrid arrangement and will require close collaboration with staff in Burundi and the United States. Periodic travel may occur depending on organizational needs.

Key Responsibilities

Communications Strategy and Planning

• Develop and manage Village Health Works’ overall communications strategy in alignment with organizational priorities.
• Create and oversee an annual communications plan, including key themes, campaigns, milestones, and storytelling opportunities.
• Ensure consistency in voice, tone, and messaging across external communications.
• Identify opportunities to elevate Village Health Works’ visibility, reputation, and public engagement.
• Work with leadership to align communications priorities with programmatic, development, and organizational goals.

Content Development and Storytelling

• Collaborate closely with the team in Kigutu, Burundi to gather stories, updates, images, video, and other content from across programs.
• Translate field updates and programmatic work into compelling stories for diverse audiences.
• Draft, edit, and refine written content for social media, newsletters, website updates, organizational announcements, and public-facing materials.
• Help build a steady pipeline of high-quality content that reflects the breadth and impact of Village Health Works’ work.
• Ensure content reflects the dignity, complexity, and strengths of the communities Village Health Works serves.

Social Media Management

• Lead the creation, scheduling, posting, and monitoring of social media content across Village Health Works’ key platforms.
• Develop social media storytelling that increases awareness, engagement, and connection to the mission.
• Create platform-appropriate content, including posts, captions, campaigns, and visual storytelling assets.
• Track engagement and recommend adjustments to improve performance and reach.
• Stay informed on social media trends and opportunities relevant to nonprofit and global health storytelling.

Media Relations and External Visibility

• Identify and pitch compelling stories, milestones, and organizational updates to media outlets and relevant journalists.
• Develop press materials, talking points, and media-facing content as needed.
• Support leadership with external communications opportunities including interviews, op-eds, announcements, and public storytelling.
• Help position Village Health Works as a credible and compelling voice in global health, education, and community-driven development.

Development and Donor Communications Support

• Collaborate with the development team to support donor communications and fundraising needs.
• Draft and/or refine donor-facing materials, impact updates, campaign language, case for support materials, and other fundraising collateral.
• Support the creation of communications assets for conferences, donor visits, events, and external presentations.
• Help ensure that development materials are visually and narratively strong, timely, and aligned with Village Health Works’ broader messaging.
• Work cross-functionally to support storytelling needs related to grants, philanthropy, and donor stewardship.

Organizational Collaboration

• Partner with staff across teams to surface stories and communications opportunities.
• Coordinate with leadership and key internal stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate messaging.
• Help strengthen internal workflows for gathering and approving communications content.
• Contribute to a collaborative culture of storytelling, visibility, and strategic communications across the organization.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in communications, marketing, media, storytelling, or related roles, preferably within a nonprofit, global health, international development, education, or mission-driven setting.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing communications strategies across multiple channels.
• Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate complex work into accessible and compelling content.
• Experience managing organizational social media accounts and creating digital content.
• Experience pitching stories to media and/or supporting media relations.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and cultures, including with colleagues based internationally.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Comfort working independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Experience with Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, social scheduling platforms, Mailchimp, or similar communications tools is preferred.
• Photography, video editing, or multimedia storytelling experience is a plus.
• Willingness to work across time zones and occasional travel as needed.

Key Competencies

• Strong strategic and creative thinking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Deep attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate across teams.
• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability across international contexts.
• Strong judgment in representing vulnerable communities with dignity and care.
• Highly organized, self-directed, and solutions oriented.
• Commitment to Village Health Works’ mission, values, and community-centered approach.