Senior Communications Officer, Strategic Communications - GiveWell

GiveWell’s mission is to help people in need as much as we can by researching the most cost-effective ways to save and improve lives, sharing our work openly, and directing donations to the programs we believe will do the most good. Our work focuses on global health and well-being, funded by tens of thousands of donors who rely on our research to inform their giving. We’ve grown from directing $1.5 million in 2010 to directing more than $400 million in 2025, and anticipate grantmaking will approach or exceed $1 billion this year.

We’re hiring a Senior Communications Officer, Strategic Communications to lead GiveWell’s development of messaging and narratives that explain its work across different audiences and contexts. You will translate the organization’s diverse and complex work into clear, accurate communications and lead major initiatives that require close coordination across GiveWell.

About the Role

Both our research and impact are expanding rapidly. To build toward the communications capacity this next stage requires, we are expanding our team. Three Senior Communications Officers will work together on many projects to support GiveWell’s communications needs, alongside other organizational leaders.

In this hands-on leadership position, you’ll own how GiveWell explains its work across different audiences and contexts, with end-to-end responsibility for this emerging function. You’ll set its strategy, hire and develop its people, build its systems, and personally own its hardest and most consequential work. You’ll start with a small team and grow it over time.

Note: While this role is set at the Senior Communications Officer level, we may consider hiring an exceptional candidate as a Communications Director.

What You'll Do

• Brand Positioning: Own how GiveWell’s brand positioning and guidelines are applied across teams, channels, and partnership communications.
• Messaging & Narrative: Own messaging that makes GiveWell’s work accessible and relevant without sacrificing rigor, precision, or clarity about uncertainty.
• Content Translation: Translate research, grantmaking, and ideas into messages and frameworks tailored to target audiences.
• Philanthropy Partnership: Partner with Philanthropy on donor communications strategy and lead donor-facing communications requiring tailored messaging.
• Cross-Functional Initiatives: Lead complex communications initiatives, including major partnership campaigns and high-priority communications involving grantees and external partners.
• Strategic Advisory: Serve as a strategic communications advisor to senior leaders and teams across GiveWell.
• Issue Assessment: Lead internal assessment of emerging issues that may affect the organization and develop positions and messaging.
• Website & Internal Comms: Own strategic direction and institutional messaging for GiveWell's website and internal communications strategy.
• Team Management: Manage and develop one or two team members initially, scaling capabilities over time.

About You

• Experience: 10+ years of experience developing institutional narratives and messaging, advising senior leaders, communicating complex/technical material, and leading cross-functional initiatives.
• Communications Judgment: Exceptional judgment regarding audience, context, risk, timing, and underlying substance.
• Writing Excellence: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to make complex ideas clear and compelling without sacrificing rigor or nuance.
• Leadership & Building: Track record of building or substantially rebuilding a team or function, with experience hiring, developing, and managing people.
• Craft Mastery: Recent, hands-on excellence producing or substantially shaping communications work directly.
• Mission Alignment: Strong alignment with GiveWell’s mission and values, including truth-seeking, transparency, and accurate communication.

Key Details

• Team: Report to the Head of Communications, collaborate closely with two other Senior Communications Officers, and lead a growing team.
• Location: United States (Remote).