Communications Manager, Media Relations and Partnerships

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded by Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease and improving education to addressing the needs of our local communities. Our mission is to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone.

The Team

Across our work in Science, Education, and within our communities, we pair technology with grantmaking, impact investing, and collaboration to help accelerate the pace of progress toward our mission. Our Central Operations & Partners team provides the support needed to push this work forward. 

Central Operations & Partners consists of our Brand & Communications, Community, Facilities, Finance, Infrastructure/IT Operations/Business Systems, Initiative Operations, People, Real Estate/Workplace/Facilities/Security, Research & Learning, and Ventures teams. These teams provide the essential operations, services, and strategies needed to support CZI’s progress toward achieving its mission to build a better future for everyone.

The Opportunity

The media relations and partnerships manager role at CZI is an opportunity for an experienced, creative professional to join our Brand + Communications team. This individual will play a pivotal role in enhancing public awareness of our work through strategic media outreach and partnerships. This is a unique opportunity for a dynamic, creative professional who excels in building relationships with media, influencers, and partners across both traditional and emerging platforms. If you thrive in a fast-paced, high-impact environment and have a passion for storytelling, this role is for you.

This role sits on the Brand and Communications team and reports to CZI’s Vice President, Executive and Family Office Communications. In this role, you will partner closely with other leaders on the Brand and Communications team as well as throughout the organization to coordinate, plan, and execute storytelling opportunities across programs and institutes on behalf of our co-founders and co-CEOs, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg. You will also serve as a CZI spokesperson, developing statements and communications plans for various organizational changes, media inquiries, and other issues that arise.

What You'll Do

• Media Relations: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, and media outlets across traditional and non-traditional platforms. Serve as CZI and family office spokesperson as needed.
• Storytelling: Craft compelling pitches and narratives to secure media coverage for key announcements, milestones, and organizational initiatives.
• Partnerships: Build and nurture partnerships with influencers, bloggers, and other content creators to amplify our brand and message.
• Innovation: Blend traditional media with creative, forward-thinking storytelling techniques to expand our audience reach.
• Issues Management: Identify and mitigate potential issues, manage crisis communications, and respond swiftly to media inquiries.
• Collaboration: Work closely with brand and communications team members as well as others throughout our organization to align with overall communications objectives.

What You'll Bring

• 8+ years of experience in communications, with a strong emphasis on media relations and strategic communications and experience working with senior executives. 
• Proven success in building and maintaining relationships with diverse media contacts, from newsrooms to digital platforms and influencers.
• Experience leveraging both traditional and digital media to tell compelling stories.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex topics and adapt messaging for various audiences.
• Demonstrated experience in managing reactive media inquiries and handling crisis communications with poise.
• Strategic and innovative thinking, with a willingness to challenge conventional communication approaches.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to juggle multiple projects in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.

Compensation

The Redwood City, CA base pay range for this role is $138,000 - $207,000. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process. Pay ranges outside Redwood City are adjusted based on cost of labor in each respective geographical market. Your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your location during th