We have ambitious plans, and we know the most critical step is building an incredible team that reflects the diverse fabric of our nation and embodies our values. Our team is made up of people who are equal parts dreamers and doers. We are people who care as much about how we achieve our goals as we do about the goals themselves. Our values drive our team and are instilled in the work this Foundation does every day. We are also committed to creating an anti-racist organization in order to do our part to help combat racism and inequity in all forms, in communities across our nation and around the world. Read our full statement on anti-racism and equity here.

Purpose of Role

Equal parts creative and strategic, the Senior Director of Editorial will unearth and tell the stories of the Foundation’s impact that inspire, empower and connect everyday people to change their world. The Senior Director of Editorial will express the Foundation’s mission and values across all external-facing materials, platforms and experiences. This will include the conceptualization, development, and execution of a range of creative content strategies in service of the Foundation’s global mission. The Senior Director of Editorial will advise senior leadership, all teams across the Foundation, and external vendors on content development and strategy to inspire and empower new and existing audiences.

The Senior Director of Editorial will report to the Vice President of Communications and oversee a team of content producers and freelancers.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Creative strategy leadership: Collaborate with and advise executive leadership and all teams within the organization on to tell compelling stories about our work on our owned channels and oversee efforts to explore potential storytelling partnerships with external entities, such as influencers and peer non-profits focused on storytelling. Experiment with storytelling forms and translate business needs into fresh and compelling creative strategies. Create, direct and oversee strategy that leverages metrics to inform content and campaigns; and shares out learnings to internal audiences. 

• Scale the power of storytelling and collaborate on integrated campaign activations: Inspire and manage other storytellers, including in-house writers, strategists, and producers, as well as external contractors, vendors, and partners. Oversee budget, ensure work is high quality, completed on time, and within budget, as applicable. Ensure content decisions are data-driven; prototype new content types and run distribution experiments, in coordination with the team overseeing data analysis. Collaborate with teams on the development of strategies and executions for integrated campaign activations (including in-person events) with the goal of expanding our reach - including digitally and globally, generating enthusiasm for the Obama Presidential Center, and showcasing our efforts in Chicago to broader audiences online.

• Team management: Lead and inspire a multidisciplinary creative team that fosters a culture of creativity, innovation, and collaboration within the team and empowers teams to leverage and apply the established creative strategies across work day to day.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Deliver inspiring narrative strategy and direction for the Obama Foundation and Obama Presidential Center that is additive to the organization's marketing plan and organizational priorities. 

• Work cross-functionally at scale and lead complex work streams independently, managing and prioritizing time as needed.

• Oversee development and publication of all Foundation published content – including but not limited to web content on obama.org, social media, special projects, and events. 

Required Qualifications

• An obsession for storytelling with wit, craft, and taste; a style of writing that embraces a tone of inspiration, authenticity, and freshness

• 15 years creative experience, including significant leadership experience managing, motivating, and nurturing skills across a team

• Track record of developing strategies, including new and innovative approaches, to meet organizational goals

• Understanding of the creative process from concept through development and production at high profile start-ups, nonprofits, and/or corporations

• Expertise in collaboration and successful engagement working with multiple stakeholders (both internal and external) to develop and execute campaigns and content

• Understanding of Obama-voice and its application to Foundation storytelling

• Experience in leading teams with all types of creative talent

• Excellent written and verbal communications skills

• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment; calm under pressure; flexible in fluid situations

• Additional duties as assigned

 

The salary range for this role is between $166,820 and $208,573. 

This is a hybrid role based at our Chicago office Hyde Park. #LI-Hybrid #LI-SF1

Foundation Values

The Foundation Values are Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities - such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color - are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. The Obama Foundation is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at careers@obama.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.