Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Program Officer, Communications
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Westlake Village, California, United States, 91361
The Communications Program Officer supports the Foundation's external communications work. Reporting to the Communications Director, the Communications Officer will have primary responsibility for managing and leading the day-to-day communications work in support of the Foundation's International grant‑making portfolio, specifically related to Early Childhood Development, Refugees, and Safe Water. In addition, the role will provide communications advice for the Foundation's programs supporting Disaster relief and Aviation.
The ideal candidate must be a proactive team player with excellent multitasking skills. The individual must have strong writing, critical thinking, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to develop succinct messaging and narratives. A storyteller at heart, the Communications Officer will be working closely with other members of the communications team to create content and messaging for diverse platforms and audiences. They will be expected to respond to time‑sensitive issues, manage media requests, draft talking points and remarks related to their portfolio. Attention to detail and the ability to drive a project from inception to completion while bringing others on board are a must. The candidate must also have relevant experience and knowledge of issues related to the core work of the Foundations and a deep understanding and curiosity of the ever‑changing communications landscape to help drive toward key goals.
Responsibilities Communications Strategy and Implementation
Develop and implement strategic communications, including individual communications work plans, focused on the Foundation's international grant‑making portfolio with a primary focus on Safe Water, Early Childhood Development and Refugees.
Draft messaging, case studies, talking points, remarks and stories for various platforms tied to core portfolio responsibilities.
Partner with the Strategy, Learning and Evaluation team (SLED) to identify visibility opportunities around upcoming research and evaluation reports.
Lead cross‑functional, cross‑audience efforts to drive the external communications strategy, highlighting the Foundation’s international grant‑making portfolio.
Deliver strategic advice around engagement opportunities and creatively contribute to communications‑related grant‑making with both the program and partnership teams.
Handle any potential reputation risks relevant to your respective portfolio.
Review and advise around visibility requirements for existing grantees, including providing creative ideas and advice on strategy, tactical approaches and joint opportunities.
Work closely with program and partnership colleagues to craft Board of Directors presentations and develop relevant content tied to your respective portfolio.
Content Collection, Production and Management
Serve as the focal point for all content collection (i.e., photography, videos, graphics) for core portfolios.
Closely collaborate with the digital and multimedia colleagues, as well as grantees, to produce, create and coordinate timely and engaging digital content such as initiative‑specific social media, blogs and other website content.
Partner with digital and institutional colleagues to produce and create an annual content engagement plan that highlights and incorporates core portfolio focus areas into department‑wide planning.
Support core portfolio initiatives by providing advice to develop visually engaging materials for convening, reports, presentations, etc. and ensure brand and institutional alignment.
Manage outside vendors and consultants as relevant and appropriate to core work.
Communications Team Contributions
Active participant in achieving team metrics, including around media engagement, content creation and overall department goals.
Contribute to crafting and maintaining internal systems and processes that facilitate the flow of information within the team and ensure documents, including media database and content folders, are updated with the latest information.
Collaborate and contribute to institutional and team communications projects, as needed, such as communications guidance and policy updates, development of tools and resources, and training.
Contribute to the ongoing learning and development of the communications team, and the wider foundation, about best practices in the field of strategic communications, media landscape, communications tools and innovations.
Provide surge support—both strategic and tactical—on crisis communications and reputation/issues management.
Ensure brand consistency and alignment.
Requirements Education Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations or a related field. Graduate degree in related field desired.
Experience/Technical Skills Required
Minimum 8 years of relevant work experience in external‑facing communications in the private, NGO or Cause‑Marketing sectors, with a focus on international issues.
Substantive knowledge of Foundation issue areas and external landscape.
Superb writer with excellent oral communication skills, strong presentation and organizational skills, and the ability to articulate ideas clearly.
Demonstrated experience in driving and achieving communications objectives developing creative ideas and driving implementation across channels and audiences.
Track record and comfort working with media and knowledge of media research tools and publishing platforms.
Strong ability to manage projects and competing priorities, and set priorities without direct supervision.
Knowledge of AP Style strongly preferred. Knowledge of Microsoft Office products required.
Ability to adhere to the mandatory hybrid work schedule of 3 days per week at the Westlake Village office: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Experience/Technical Skills Desired
Experience managing external consultants, such as PR agencies and freelance writers.
Previous creative or media agency work.
Experience with media monitoring tools, platforms and understanding of nuances and purpose of various social media channels.
Comfort with creating presentation decks and creative slides.
Summary About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation International hotelier Conrad N. Hilton established the grant‑making foundation that bears his name in 1944 to help people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. More than eighty years later, the work continues, concentrating on efforts to ensure healthy early childhood development and sustainable livelihoods for youth and refugee populations, support young people transitioning out of foster care, improve access to housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness, identify solutions to safe water access, and lift the work of Catholic sisters. Additionally, following selection by an independent, international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $3 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to an organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. The Foundation is one of the world’s largest, with approximately $7.3 billion in assets. It has awarded grants to date totaling more than $3.6 billion worldwide, and nearly $300 million in 2024. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information.
About Our Benefits
Comprehensive and generous health and life insurance options;
Fitness benefits;
Paid holidays, time off and parental leave;
Flexible work schedules and technology benefits;
Foundation‑funded retirement savings plan;
Professional learning and development and educational assistance;
Employee matching gifts to qualified non‑profit organizations.
The hiring range for this position is $148,000 to $185,000. The final base salary will be determined based on individual qualifications and experience.
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The ideal candidate must be a proactive team player with excellent multitasking skills. The individual must have strong writing, critical thinking, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to develop succinct messaging and narratives. A storyteller at heart, the Communications Officer will be working closely with other members of the communications team to create content and messaging for diverse platforms and audiences. They will be expected to respond to time‑sensitive issues, manage media requests, draft talking points and remarks related to their portfolio. Attention to detail and the ability to drive a project from inception to completion while bringing others on board are a must. The candidate must also have relevant experience and knowledge of issues related to the core work of the Foundations and a deep understanding and curiosity of the ever‑changing communications landscape to help drive toward key goals.
Responsibilities Communications Strategy and Implementation
Develop and implement strategic communications, including individual communications work plans, focused on the Foundation's international grant‑making portfolio with a primary focus on Safe Water, Early Childhood Development and Refugees.
Draft messaging, case studies, talking points, remarks and stories for various platforms tied to core portfolio responsibilities.
Partner with the Strategy, Learning and Evaluation team (SLED) to identify visibility opportunities around upcoming research and evaluation reports.
Lead cross‑functional, cross‑audience efforts to drive the external communications strategy, highlighting the Foundation’s international grant‑making portfolio.
Deliver strategic advice around engagement opportunities and creatively contribute to communications‑related grant‑making with both the program and partnership teams.
Handle any potential reputation risks relevant to your respective portfolio.
Review and advise around visibility requirements for existing grantees, including providing creative ideas and advice on strategy, tactical approaches and joint opportunities.
Work closely with program and partnership colleagues to craft Board of Directors presentations and develop relevant content tied to your respective portfolio.
Content Collection, Production and Management
Serve as the focal point for all content collection (i.e., photography, videos, graphics) for core portfolios.
Closely collaborate with the digital and multimedia colleagues, as well as grantees, to produce, create and coordinate timely and engaging digital content such as initiative‑specific social media, blogs and other website content.
Partner with digital and institutional colleagues to produce and create an annual content engagement plan that highlights and incorporates core portfolio focus areas into department‑wide planning.
Support core portfolio initiatives by providing advice to develop visually engaging materials for convening, reports, presentations, etc. and ensure brand and institutional alignment.
Manage outside vendors and consultants as relevant and appropriate to core work.
Communications Team Contributions
Active participant in achieving team metrics, including around media engagement, content creation and overall department goals.
Contribute to crafting and maintaining internal systems and processes that facilitate the flow of information within the team and ensure documents, including media database and content folders, are updated with the latest information.
Collaborate and contribute to institutional and team communications projects, as needed, such as communications guidance and policy updates, development of tools and resources, and training.
Contribute to the ongoing learning and development of the communications team, and the wider foundation, about best practices in the field of strategic communications, media landscape, communications tools and innovations.
Provide surge support—both strategic and tactical—on crisis communications and reputation/issues management.
Ensure brand consistency and alignment.
Requirements Education Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations or a related field. Graduate degree in related field desired.
Experience/Technical Skills Required
Minimum 8 years of relevant work experience in external‑facing communications in the private, NGO or Cause‑Marketing sectors, with a focus on international issues.
Substantive knowledge of Foundation issue areas and external landscape.
Superb writer with excellent oral communication skills, strong presentation and organizational skills, and the ability to articulate ideas clearly.
Demonstrated experience in driving and achieving communications objectives developing creative ideas and driving implementation across channels and audiences.
Track record and comfort working with media and knowledge of media research tools and publishing platforms.
Strong ability to manage projects and competing priorities, and set priorities without direct supervision.
Knowledge of AP Style strongly preferred. Knowledge of Microsoft Office products required.
Ability to adhere to the mandatory hybrid work schedule of 3 days per week at the Westlake Village office: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Experience/Technical Skills Desired
Experience managing external consultants, such as PR agencies and freelance writers.
Previous creative or media agency work.
Experience with media monitoring tools, platforms and understanding of nuances and purpose of various social media channels.
Comfort with creating presentation decks and creative slides.
Summary About the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation International hotelier Conrad N. Hilton established the grant‑making foundation that bears his name in 1944 to help people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. More than eighty years later, the work continues, concentrating on efforts to ensure healthy early childhood development and sustainable livelihoods for youth and refugee populations, support young people transitioning out of foster care, improve access to housing and support services for people experiencing homelessness, identify solutions to safe water access, and lift the work of Catholic sisters. Additionally, following selection by an independent, international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $3 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to an organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. The Foundation is one of the world’s largest, with approximately $7.3 billion in assets. It has awarded grants to date totaling more than $3.6 billion worldwide, and nearly $300 million in 2024. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information.
About Our Benefits
Comprehensive and generous health and life insurance options;
Fitness benefits;
Paid holidays, time off and parental leave;
Flexible work schedules and technology benefits;
Foundation‑funded retirement savings plan;
Professional learning and development and educational assistance;
Employee matching gifts to qualified non‑profit organizations.
The hiring range for this position is $148,000 to $185,000. The final base salary will be determined based on individual qualifications and experience.
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