Vice President, Communications

Salary Range:

$200,000.00 To $245,000.00 Annually

Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer
HQ Location: Arlington, VA
Position Type: Full-time On Site

Spirit of America helps our troops and diplomats build trust and goodwill, prevent conflict, and strengthen America’s security. Our work saves and improves lives. In the world’s toughest places, people experience the best of who Americans are and what we stand for.

About the Role:

Spirit of America (SOA) is seeking a dynamic and mission-driven Vice President, Communications to lead the organization’s external and internal communications strategy, accelerating awareness, thought leadership, and major supporter growth goals. This new leadership role will elevate SOA’s relationships and voice across key audiences. It will be responsible for integrated communications spanning media and public relations, national security thought leaders & policy makers, executive communications, internal communications, and crisis response.

You’ll be joining a collaborative, high-performing, and mission-driven team that operates with urgency, creativity, and purpose. Spirit of America is a dynamic organization with a strong culture of trust, accountability, and shared success. You’ll work across a matrixed structure—partnering with program, policy, development, and executive colleagues—to ensure our story is told with clarity, conviction, and consistency. This is more than a communications role—it’s a chance to help shape the public face of a growing organization and execute a domestic communications strategy that reinforces Spirit of America’s mission: to support the safety and success of U.S. troops and diplomats serving abroad and the local people and partners they seek to help.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy & Positioning

• Develop and lead SOA’s external relations and domestic communications strategy to support organizational goals, program visibility, brand reputation and positioning to key influential audiences.
• Shape and amplify SOA’s narrative across all channels—internal, owned, earned, and executive-level—leveraging platforms such as CEO communications, strategic speaking engagements, thought leadership opportunities, and high-impact media placements.
• Continue to position SOA as a category-defining, credible, mission-aligned partner in national security, humanitarian response, and international development.

Advisory Board & Analyst Relations

• Collaborate and build relationships with SOA’s Board of Advisors—composed of senior military, diplomatic, and policy leaders—to amplify the organization’s voice. Develop communications strategies that leverage the Board’s networks and credibility to increase visibility, open doors, and influence key audiences.
• Develop strategic relationships and opportunities with leading national security analysts, opinion leaders, policy makers and think tank institutions; build partnerships that tap into their valuable networks, research plans, media/Op-Eds, publications, marketing channels, speaking and events opportunities.
• Identify key opinion leaders and influencers among broader domestic target audiences, such as military supportive communities, that align to Spirit of America’s mission and drive visibility and support. Develop earned opportunities and partnerships that harness their ability to spread our message and grow supporters through storytelling and campaigns. Includes working closely with social media marketing team members.

Media Relations & Coverage

• Cultivate and manage trusted relationships with journalists covering defense, development, and diplomacy.
• Drive consistent, high-impact media coverage across influential national, international, and mission-aligned outlets to elevate SOA’s visibility and credibility.
• Lead proactive media outreach, rapid response to global events, and placement of op-eds, story pitches and public statements.
• Manage external PR agencies (if applicable) while serving as the in-house lead for media strategy.

Government Affairs

• Serve as a key communications liaison with government stakeholders in close collaboration with the Legal team, ensuring that messaging aligns with SOA’s unique role as a non-governmental partner to the U.S. military and diplomatic community.
• Represent SOA’s communications goals and perspective in engagements with policymakers, agencies, and Hill staff.
• Advance organizational goals, initiatives, and partnerships by helping to navigate and educate policy makers, agencies and Hill staff.

Executive Communications & Thought Leadership

• Partner with the CEO and senior leadership to craft compelling thought leadership, speeches, and executive messaging.
• Prepare leaders for media appearances, panels, briefings, podcasts, and conferences.
• Serve as a key advisor to the executive team on high-profile communications opportunities and challenges.

Corporate & Crisis Communications

• Lead communications around major milestones—funding announcements, launches, field updates, and public reports.
• Serve as point lead for crisis and issues communication planning and response.
• Ensure message discipline and brand consistency across all internal and external channels.

Internal Communications & Organizational Alignment

• Lead internal communications to ensure SOA staff—across HQ and field offices—are informed, engaged, and aligned.
• Support internal messaging around strategic plan development, annual goals, staff initiatives, and key milestones.
• Oversee content and coordination for internal-facing tools, including staff newsletters, town halls, internal dashboards, and intranet/knowledge hubs.
• Collaborate across teams to ensure clear, consistent communication and shared understanding of priorities and progress.

Owned Channels & Content Support

• Contribute to content strategy for owned digital platforms (website, blog, newsletters, etc.) and ensure consistent voice, tone, and quality.
• Help guide and evolve brand and program messaging with integrated marketing team, and ensure alignment with SOA’s overarching brand positioning and communications goals.
• Partner with marketing and international operations teams to help elevate donor storytelling and supporter engagement.

What We’re Looking For:

• 15+ years of experience in communications, public affairs, media relations, government relations, and strategic messaging, preferably in mission-driven, global, or cross-sector environments.
• Skilled at advising senior leaders and navigating complex, high-stakes communications moments.
• Demonstrated success driving visibility and shaping narrative across earned media and owned channels.
• Strong relationships with senior national security experts, advisors, and analysts; ability to gain influence, secure validation and advocacy.
• Strong relationships with media outlets and journalists; ability to secure consistent, high-impact coverage.
• Outstanding writing and editorial skills; confident crafting everything from talking points to op-eds to executive memos.
• Experience supporting internal communications, cross-team engagement, and change management.
• Poised, agile, and mission-focused—able to lead in dynamic environments with professionalism and purpose.
• Experience in the public and private sectors is a plus.
• Deep commitment to Spirit of America’s mission and values.

Compensation:

Salary ranges from $200,000 to $245,000 based on experience. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, and 403(b) contributions match to 4%.

Spirit of America:

Spirit of America is a nonprofit citizen service organization founded in response to the attacks of 9/11. Our mission is to engage citizens in preserving the promise of a free and better life. We do this by working alongside troops and diplomats to support their safety and success, promoting values shared by Americans and our allies, strengthening relationships with allies, friends, and partners, and demonstrating that the United States is a friend to all who seek a better life.

Spirit of America helps our troops and diplomats build trust and goodwill, prevent conflict, and strengthen America’s security. Our work saves and improves lives. In the world’s toughest places, people experience the best of who Americans are and what we stand for.

Spirit of America is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, we prohibit discrimination against any applicant or employee based on any legally-recognized basis, including, but not limited to: veteran status, uniformed service member status, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age (40 and over), pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national origin or ancestry, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics) or any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law. Our commitment to equal opportunity employment applies to all persons involved in our operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee, including supervisors and co-workers.

Learn more here