Director, Executive Communications

Who We Are: 

Our vision is to grant the wish of every eligible child. Through our mission, we are uniting communities to grant life-changing wishes. As the world’s largest wish-granting organization, we strive to create a sense of community and an environment where we warmly embrace our wish families, volunteers, and colleagues.

Joining Make-A-Wish means becoming part of a mission that believes in the power of a wish.  

Location:

Remote positions are open to applicants based anywhere in the continental U.S. Hybrid positions are open to applicants based in the Phoenix, Arizona area. 

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We do not sponsor employment visas or other immigration processes to attain or maintain employment eligibility.

 

Position Summary:

The Director of Executive Communications serves as a strategic advisor and trusted partner to the CEO and senior National and Chapter leadership, shaping clear, compelling, and values-driven communications that advance the organization’s mission and strategic priorities. The Director, Executive Communications position works in partnership with the CEO, National Office Executive Leadership Team and Senior Leadership Team, and Chapter CEOs/Leadership to develop and implement executive communications with the goal of building culture, organizational growth, and driving transformation across the extended enterprise.

This role translates complex strategies and sensitive issues into authentic, human-centered messaging that builds trust with internal and external stakeholders, including enterprise leaders and employees, donors, volunteers, board members, partners, and the communities we serve.

Grounded in storytelling and stewardship of executive voice, the Director Executive Communications ensures consistency, clarity, and empathy across all executive communications—particularly during times of growth, change, or heightened visibility. The incumbent will demonstrate and leverage strong judgment, emotional intelligence, and collaboration skills. In the role, the individual will represent senior leadership to elevate leadership presence, reinforce culture, and protect the organization’s reputation while honoring the dignity and experiences of wish children and families.

The Director Executive Communications will report to the Vice President, Strategy and Transformation. This position will also partner with the Manager, Internal Communications to effectively translate strategic initiatives and goals into action at the employee level leveraging platforms to align messaging as we continue to enhance communication and deliver meaningful content, and effective timing of communications to drive results against our organization’s strategy and goals.

 

Core Competencies: 

Executive Messaging & Voice Stewardship

• Crafts and protects a clear, authentic executive voice aligned with organizational values and mission
• Translates complex strategy into compelling, human-centered communications for diverse audiences across the full MAW enterprise

Strategic Communications Leadership

• Aligns executive communications with organizational strategy, functional priorities, and impact goals
• Shapes messaging to support long-term trust and proactively anticipate reputational risks and opportunities

Mission-Centered Storytelling

• Elevates and effectively integrates wish stories across all stakeholders communications

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Partners closely with the CEO, board, senior leaders, and chapter leadership
• Understands and effectively adapts messaging across all stakeholder groups

Change & Transformation Communications

• Leads executive communications during growth, transformation, or uncertainty
• Helps leaders communicate with clarity, empathy, and confidence during change, understanding the principles of change and change management
• Builds and guides understanding and commitment to transformation and the business case for change and innovation

Reputation & Issues Management

• Supports crisis and sensitive communications with judgment, discretion, and speed ensuring consistency and alignment across internal and external executive messaging

Internal Communications & Culture Building

• Uses executive communications to reinforce culture, values, and shared purpose
• Delivers executive and internal communications that reinforce ongoing opportunities to ensure our internal culture represents on external brand
• Fosters transparency, trust, and engagement across our distributed workforce

Board & Governance Communications

• Develops materials and messaging for board meetings, retreats, and governance moments
• Ensures executive communications support effective decision-making and accountability

Speechwriting & Content Development

• Produces high-impact content for CEO speeches, remarks, talking points, and executive correspondence, adapting tone and format across platforms while maintaining message focus and consistency

Equity, Inclusion & Ethical Communications

• Applies DEI principles to storytelling, language, and representation
• Ensures communications honor the lived experiences of our stakeholders, particularly wish families and the communities we serve
• Partners closely with the MAWA People Team across our Belonging and CommUNITY work

Measurement & Continuous Improvement

• Evaluates effectiveness of executive communication through feedback and outcomes
• Refines approach based on engagement, resonance, and organizational impact

 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team
• Provide counsel on message framing, tone, and timing for high-stakes communications
• Develop and maintain a consistent, authentic executive voice aligned with mission, values, and strategy
• Draft and edit executive communications including speeches, remarks, talking points, letters, emails, etc.
• Align executive communications with organizational priorities
• Anticipate and build communication that support leadership during periods and moments of growth, transformation, or uncertainty
• Shape executive messaging that fosters transparency, trust, and engagement across all stakeholder groups
• Prepare executive and board communications for meetings, retreats, and governance milestones
• Translate strategic and financial information into clear, accessible materials for board audiences
• Ensure consistency between executive messaging and organizational brand and positioning
• Partner with legal, marketing, and leadership teams to mitigate risk and protect organizational credibility
• Reinforce cultural expectations and leadership behaviors during transitions
• Partner closely with development, marketing, brand, legal, HR, and function senior leadership teams
• Integrate executive communications into broader strategic imperatives and Belonging and CommUNITY initiatives
• Gather feedback and assess effectiveness of executive communications
• Refine strategies based on engagement, outcomes, and organizational feedback
• Regularly assess value and impact of executive communications
• Collaborate and regularly align with Manager, Internal Communications to ensure message consistency across employees and employee resource groups

 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required; communications or a related field preferred
• Minimum of 10 years of demonstrated success in a communications role 
• Understanding of the organization’s federated model and strong relationships with National and Chapter leadership
• Demonstrated skills building communications strategies and organizational-level planning
• Experience developing and delivering communications at the executive level
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple priorities
• Strong written, presentation, and verbal communication skills
• Trusted leader with the ability to build strong connections within the organization
• Ability to balance the need for change with the need for stability
• Ability to influence and drive to decisions without direct authority
• Understanding of the leader and employee experience across the enterprise
• Passion and commitment to building and driving a positive culture

 

Working Conditions:

• Work in a virtual environment
• May require some travel
• May require work outside a traditional Monday-Friday work week, and outside normal business hours.

 

What We Offer:

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit package, effective day 1: Medical, Vision*, Dental*, Wellness
• Competitive compensation with annual incentive potential    
• Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account Options    
• Health Reimbursement Account fully funded by Make-A-Wish America
• Short Term Disability*, Long Term Disability* and Life Insurance 
• Additional Insurance Plans: Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance through Figo 
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with 5% match after one year of service
• Eligibility for student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program   
• The organization will send a laptop, 24” monitor, and a docking station/adaptor to new hires 

Time Off

• Up to 15 PTO days 
• 10 Sick Days 
• 11 Paid Holidays 
• 2 Volunteer Days after one year of service 
• 2 Personal Days accrued annually   
• Parental Leave      

Also... 

• Employee Awards and Recognition Programs    
• Individual and Leadership Development     
• Discounts and special offers for theme parks, events, hotels, concerts, and movie tickets   

*Monthly premiums paid for the employee for vision, dental, and short/long term disability.