Associate Director of Communications & Content

Organizational Summary

Contraceptive care is basic health care. Yet too many patients in the U.S. struggle to access the care they want, when they want it. 

A national nonprofit founded in 2014, Upstream USA partners with healthcare organizations to provide free training, education, and technical assistance to improve their contraceptive services and meet their patients’ needs – at no cost to them. Over ten years, we’ve supported 200+ healthcare partners (including primary care practices, federally qualified health centers, health systems, and more) with a transformative approach that empowers patients to access the contraceptive care where they already receive most of their healthcare. We’re on a path to partnering with health care organizations that collectively serve 5 million patients by 2030.

We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies or the government. Our work is made possible by generous support from venture philanthropy. That privilege comes with high expectations about growth and scale and a focus on measurable outcomes and impact. 

We’re a 2023 Audacious Project recipient that continues to garner attention from many leading publications, including Harvard Public Health, Bloomberg, MedPage Today, Baltimore Sun, the Fresno Bee, and WBUR. We welcome individuals interested in career opportunities, partnerships, or philanthropic endeavors seeking additional information to visit our website (www.upstream.org) or email us at info@upstream.org.

Position Summary

Reporting to the VP, Communications, the Associate Director of Communications & Content is a strategic and creative leader responsible for both internal communications and our external content strategy (including whitepapers, insights articles, supporter emails, and webinar content). You will help drive the strategy and execution of organizational storytelling to ensure our mission, impact, and value are communicated consistently and compellingly to both employees and external stakeholders. 

This role requires exceptional writing, editorial, and storytelling skills, a high level of proactivity, an understanding of marketing, and the ability to seamlessly balance strategic planning with tactical execution. You will be instrumental in keeping employees informed and connected while producing high-quality, data-driven content that showcases Upstream's program and positions us as leading experts in the field of health and contraceptive care.

You must be comfortable overseeing our content calendar, managing multiple content workflows, measuring effectiveness across channels, and collaborating with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders, subject matter experts, freelance writers, designers, and vendors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Communications (20%)

• Core Messaging: Co-develop and maintain the organization's core messaging frameworks, with Project Specialist’s support, to ensure clarity, consistency, and alignment across all internal and external communications touchpoints.
• Strategic Planning: Build and implement communications plans around key organizational priorities, promotions, and changes to drive clarity, alignment, engagement, and trust across all audiences.
• Brand Stewardship: Maintain and enforce editorial guidelines, brand tone, and messaging frameworks that embody Upstream’s values and ensure consistency across all channels.

Internal Communications & Engagement (40%)

• Internal Communications Strategy: Manage and execute the internal communications strategy with the goal of keeping employees informed, connected to our mission, goals, values, and culture, and building resilience in the face of ongoing change.
• Channel Management: Oversee day-to-day internal communications channels, including the weekly employee newsletter, Intranet content updates, and leader talking points fo