Director of Communications

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Director of Communications (US & Canada)

Department: Communications (CORE)

Reports To: Chief Marketing and Philanthropy Officer

Status: Full-time, Salaried

Location: Hybrid, 2 days in-office – Burlington, ON or Byron Center, MI

Salary Level: I $95,910 to $107,898 CAD/$95,166 to $107,062 USD

Last updated: February 18, 2026

PURPOSE:

The Director of Communications provides organizational leadership for World Renew’s voice, narrative, and public witness across the United States and Canada and supports global alignment of communications where required by institutional partnerships, advocacy priorities, and program storytelling. This role ensures that all communications are mission aligned, faith rooted, strategically coherent, and reputationally responsible. The Director leads brand storytelling, editorial direction, creative standards, media relations, and communications governance, while enabling teams to communicate effectively with donors, churches, institutional partners, staff, and the broader public.

The Director of Communications leads the organization’s communications creative capacity - including content and design - and ensures that communications reflect World Renew’s Christian faith, commitment to justice, and partnership-based approach to transformational development.

We do not discriminate based on disability, culture, ethnicity, or gender, and welcome and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership & Direction

• Develop, steward, and implement a Communications strategy aligned with organizational priorities, binational context, and faith commitments.
• Ensure strategic coherence across global programs, especially institutional funding, advocacy, and disaster response.
• Establish priorities, success measures, and guardrails for Communications work, balancing capacity, impact, and reputational risk.
• Serve as the final decision authority for Communications intake, sequencing, and tradeoff; escalating to executive leadership when priorities or risks warrant additional guidance.

Narrative, Brand & Editorial Leadership

• Own and steward World Renew’s organizational voice, narrative, and tone across audiences, channels, and provide guidance to ensure coherence across global contexts where applicable.
• Define and safeguard brand architecture, messaging frameworks, and style guidance, ensuring appropriate U.S./Canada contextual distinctions.
• Lead editorial direction for major storytelling and thought‑leadership initiatives.

Creative & Content Leadership

• Lead the organization’s communications creative capacity, delivering high-quality, mission aligned written and visual content.
• Exercise final quality control on flagship communications and high-visibility communications.
• Ensure content standards reflect ethical storytelling, safeguarding practices, and dignity‑preserving representation.

Media, Reputation & Crisis Communications

• Lead proactive media relations strategy and serve as a senior spokesperson advisor.
• Provide leadership during issues of management and crisis situations, ensuring timely, accurate, and values aligned messaging.
• Advise executive leadership on reputational risk, public posture, and messaging in high-pressuree or time sensitive contexts.

Communications Operations & Governance

• Own the communications intake, prioritization, and production workflows to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Ensure governance, standards, and resourcing for asset management, content systems, and safeguarding practices.
• Oversee communications, readiness and coordination during disaster response.

Collaboration & Partnership

• Collaborate across the organization to ensure Communications supports strategic priorities with clarity and responsiveness.
• Partner closely with the Director of Marketing to align narrative leadership with campaign execution and donor engagement.
• Build strong working relationships with programs, church engagement, justice and peace, and institutional teams.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary Communications team, providing clear direction, coaching, and accountability.
• Create an environment that supports professional growth, collaboration, and communications excellence.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Direct supervision of Communications team members in Canada and the U.S.
• Oversight of interns, volunteers, and contractors as needed.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Able to respect and support the mission, vision and values of World Renew.
• Demonstrated commitment to Christ and be able to recognize this position as one that contributes to the work of His Kingdom.
• Demonstrated commitment to contribute to and promote a work environment that values diversity, inclusion and equity.
• Committed to working towards gender equality, equity and justice in all aspects of our programming, plans, policies and organizational structure.
• Ability to articulate and steward a biblically grounded vision of justice, compassion, and transformational development.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including public speaking.
• Cross‑cultural competence and ability to work effectively with diverse teams and global partners.
• Familiarity with CRCNA/Reformed tradition (preferred).
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and Salesforce.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or related field (master's an asset).
• Minimum 8 years of progressive communications experience, including at least 3 years leading teams.
• Experience in public/media relations, executive communications, institutional and ethical storytelling.
• Experience in at least one: International Development/Humanitarian Response; faith-based nonprofits; public-interest communications.
• Proven experience in narrative development, media relations, and content governance.
• Comfort navigating a U.S./Canada binational context.
• Professional certification (APR, CMP/SCMP) preferred.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Fluency in English, with strong verbal and written communication skills.

WORK ENVIRONMENT, PHYSICAL AND OTHER DEMANDS:

The work environment encountered and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position requires:

1. Extensive computer work and concentrated reading, sitting for long periods of time.
2. Occasional evening or weekend availability in response to organizational or crisis needs
3. Bi-national travel within in the United States and Canada may be required.

i. Travel up to 10% within U.S. and Canada

ii. Travel overseas at least once per year.

World Renew is committed to the Core Humanitarian Standard and Safeguarding practices. As part of the recruitment process, the successful candidate will be subject to a thorough background check.