External Communications Catalyst

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability. 

About Heifer International      

In 1944, Heifer International’s founder, Dan West, began outlining a simple but groundbreaking plan to tackle hunger around the world. West, a farmer from the Midwest and Church of the Brethren member, had recently returned from feeding weary refugees during volunteer service in the Spanish Civil War.     

He had seen firsthand that giving people food was a short-term solution, whereas providing them with animals offered a steady supply of nutritious food for an entire family. His philosophy still inspires Heifer’s work today. Partnering with farmers across a range of different livestock and crops, we create unique solutions to local challenges.      

Today, Heifer International has operations in 19 countries around the world, working alongside local farmers, business owners and their communities, as they mobilize and envision their futures. Together, we build inclusive, resilient economies, so communities can develop effective ways to end global hunger and poverty in a sustainable way.      

To date, we have supported more than 42 million farming families across Africa, Asia and the Americas and in the past five years alone. We have worked alongside 2.7 million families to close the living income gap or set them on a path to doing so. Between now and 2030, we will support an additional 10 million people to reach a living income by scaling up our signature programs. To achieve this, Heifer International relies on its passionate, committed, and highly skilled staff.   

ROLE FUNCTION  

As part of the Global Communications team and the broader Heifer Communications Network, the Director of External Communications will help to interpret, socialize and co-execute with other communications colleagues across Heifer targeted strategies for external engagement that elevate Heifer’s farmer-led program model and program work, stories, messages, materials, people, farmers and strategic partners.  

This position will include creating engagement materials and relationships as well as facilitation of work with PR Consultants to implement external engagement activities, ensuring that they support organizational and team priorities and objectives while encompassing an impactful mix of methods and platforms – including farmer voices, campaigns, mainstream media, social and digital media, influencer networks, op-eds/thought leadership content, and live and virtual events – in a holistic, audience-targeted approach. Implementation and stewardship will also be grounded in clear KPIs linked to furthering organizational programs, positioning, and resourcing priorities.  

The position will collaborate and coordinate closely with colleagues in Global Communications, regional Directors of Communications – as well as other members of Heifer’s Communications Network, Heifer leadership, RPC colleagues and program colleagues - to ensure that global-level external engagement activities are aligned with and support locally led priorities.  

The position will also help to strengthen internal capacities across the communications network and within other teams, through enabling staff members to engage externally on a more autonomous basis with media, partners and other relevant external stakeholders.  

The position will also support regional and country communications colleagues to elevate and tailor their external engagement activities for global and cross-regional audiences. The position will also serve as “eyes and ears” for regional and country colleagues across the organization to help them identify value-adding areas for collaboration, cross-learning and cross-support.  

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE 

The position holder will have demonstrated experience in designing and delivering multilevel and multiplatform external communications initiatives to reach target audiences. Experience working effectively with external consultant teams. A team player who collaborates well across geographies and functions. Strong and demonstrated written and verbal skills. Possesses relevant media and digital platform networks.  Highly organized. Adaptable to changing priorities and circumstances.  

The core values and qualities this position would bring are integrity, agility, collaboration, systems thinking, and the dexterity to navigate competing priorities across teams.  

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES  

COMMUNICATIONS ENGAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION (50%)  

• Implement – in collaboration with the VP Communications, Regional Directors of Communications and other relevant colleagues and teams - global external engagement initiatives based on desired outcomes and target audiences, and linked to specific initiatives, products and activities across the year. 
• Manage and provide guidance for relationships with external PR consultants to ensure quality, consistency, and set priorities for their work.  
• Identify and help develop external partnerships (with global content platforms, funders, implementation partners, etc.) to help amplify and scale external engagement efforts.  
• Produce press releases, talking points, briefing materials, and other outputs required to support external engagement initiatives.  

TRANSFORMATION - EXTERNAL NARRATIVE DELIVERY (15%)  

• Help facilitate implementation of targeted, audience-specific transformation outreach strategies for different global and cross-regional audiences to ensure proper positioning of a transforming Heifer.  
• Liaise and collaborate with RPC Network colleagues to ensure transformation narratives also support specific organizational resource development goals as well as overall strategic goals.  
• Support development of distributed external engagement capabilities across Heifer, in line with the principles of local leadership and shared capacities.  

OPERATIONAL EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT (20%) 

• Implement an organizational reputational risk framework, guided by a reputational risk strategy developed by VP Comms and regional comms directors, in consultation with organizational leadership.  
• Develop, curate, and leverage global media networks, in collaboration with PR agencies. 
• Working with the Digital Communications Strategist and others (marketing, regional teams, etc.), contribute to an intentional and engagement-focused approach to social and digital media activities, and their integration in multiplatform engagement initiatives.  
• Working with regional and program, RPC and other colleagues, co-facilitate intentional and coordinated approaches to key events, including contributing to maintaining an active events calendar and planning tools.  
• Work with staff across Heifer to develop spokespeople/expert capabilities in key thematic and regional areas; curate a Heifer media training module. 
• Establish global-level op-ed/thought leadership priorities and schedules. 

CROSS-NETWORK SUPPORT, LEARNING AND COLLABORATION (15%)  

• Collaborate with country/regional colleagues on elevating/expanding reach for country/regional PR efforts.  
• As needed, provide PR capacity strengthening support to country and regional comms colleagues, including through developing and maintaining toolkits and other resources to support autonomous PR action across Heifer.  
• May perform other job-related duties as assigned. 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:  

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (i.e. communications, marketing, media arts, international studies, relevant social science discipline).  
• At least 10-12 years of related employment experience, preferably including experience with globally oriented, mission-driven organizations.  
• Minimum 5 years of communications leadership experience (Managing large-scale projects, staff, initiatives, ETC) 
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering organizational communications, PR and engagement strategies in a global context. 
• Possesses established networks in media and digital platform content producers. 
• Proven experience supporting organizational change initiatives or complex transformation projects. 

MOST CRITICAL PROFICIENCIES:  

• Demonstrated proficiency in developing strategic communications deliverables across global teams. 
• Strong understanding of audience insight and measurement capabilities. 
• Ability to collaborate effectively and collegially across teams in a remote context 
• Ability to foster effective internal and external partnerships  
• Excellent written, editorial, and verbal communication skills.  
• Ability to work to deadlines and adapt to changing priorities  
• Experience working with colleagues from different countries, regions and cultures 
• Strong project management skills and experience with project management software tools (such as Monday). 
• Strong understanding of social and digital media environments. 
• Exceptional attention to details. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:  

• Frequent virtual, face-to-face communication with colleagues and external parties. 
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.   
• Ability to confidently give oral presentations and impromptu speeches to a wide range of audiences.  
• Ability to effectively plan, prepare, and present material for publication that conforms to prescribed style and format with impeccable attention to detail.  
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and/or internationally, as needed.  
• Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours.  
• May require constant sitting and moving; working at a computer for extended periods of time, as well as occasional bending and lifting.  

Salary Information:  

• The U.S. salary range for this position is $135,000 to $150,000 annually. Placement within the range will be based on the experience and competency level of the candidate.  
• Please share your salary expectations in your application. In addition, please submit a cover letter with your application to be considered for this role. Option to link your communications portfolio within your cover letter. Please submit your application by 11/19/2026 to be considered for this opportunity. 

What We Offer:  

• Heifer International offers a variety of benefits for U.S. based employees working 30 or more hours per week.  
• Health and wellness benefits including Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Saving Account 
• Employee assistance program 
• 403(b) retirement plan (match 1% employee to 2% employer up to a maximum of 4% match +3% employer discretionary contribution regardless of employee contribution) 
• 22 vacation days in addition to 12 statutory and discretionary holidays, and 10 sick days per year 
• Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D)  
• Professional development and annual merit increase opportunities 
• Optional critical illness insurance, legal assistance plan and pet protection 
• And more! 

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with some form of disability.