Foundation Program Officer Jobs in Edmonds, WA (NOW HIRING)

Your Role

You are responsible for leading proactive and reactive media engagement on behalf of the U.S. Program, building and sustaining relationships with reporters and influential voices across the education and technology media landscape, and developing and implementing earned media strategies that advance USP's programmatic and policy priorities. You also serve as the primary lead for USP President voice activities - identifying and staffing conference appearances and learning trips, developing public remarks, creating written content for blogs, op-eds, and social media, and supporting leadership across the U.S. Leadership Team in their external communications. You bring mastery-level expertise in earned media, executive communications, and public affairs, with a strong understanding of the U.S. education field and the media dynamics shaping it.

What You'll Do

• Lead proactive and reactive media engagement for USP, coordinating with the foundation's central Communications division on media inquiries and developing pitches that advance USP's strategic priorities across trade, political, best-in-class, and local media outlets.

• Build and sustain relationships with reporters, editors, and influential voices covering education, workforce, and technology - cultivating a media network that expands USP's reach and credibility over time.

• Develop and implement earned media strategies for USP announcements, research releases, and field moments, translating sophisticated programmatic content into compelling narratives for diverse public audiences.

• Lead USP President voice activities, including identifying and staffing conference appearances and learning trips, developing public remarks, creating written content such as blog posts, op-eds, and social media content, and leading the editorial process for USP leadership's public-facing communications.

• Provide voice support for the USP Chief of Staff and U.S. Leadership Team, including content development for LinkedIn channels, briefing materials, and preparation for media and public appearances.

• Provide media training and strategic communications counsel to USP colleagues preparing for interviews, public speaking engagements, or other external visibility opportunities.

• Lead media analysis work for USP, establishing earned media goals and benchmarks, tracking coverage trends, and synthesizing insights to advise communications strategy and report progress to leadership.

• Maintain and grow USP's network of champions - working with colleagues to identify practitioners, researchers, and advocates whose voices amplify USP's priorities - tracking engagements and identifying opportunities to deploy them strategically across media channels and public venues.

• Own the USP grantee communications inbox, monitor for potential reputational risks, and take action or escalate as appropriate in coordination with team leadership and the central Communications division.

• Own the USP daily clips process, including curation, synthesis, and distribution of relevant media coverage to USP leadership and colleagues, applying a clear and influential communication lens to make the information actionable.

• Coordinate and align with the foundation's central Communications division to ensure USP media engagement is consistent with foundation-wide brand standards, and communications strategy.

• Support inclusive culture through modeling behaviors and actions; escalate issues in a timely fashion to appropriate stakeholders.

Your Experience

• An advanced degree or equivalent proven experience.

• Significant experience in public relations, earned media, or strategic communications, with a track record of successfully placing stories and leading media relationships across a range of publication types, including trade outlets, political media, and premier national outlets.

• Significant experience developing and leading executive-level communications, including preparing public remarks, briefing materials, and staffing principals for media interviews and public appearances.

• Extensive knowledge of the U.S. education landscape, including salient policy issues, influential media storylines, and key audiences such as district and state leaders, higher education institutional leaders, and federal policymakers.

• Significant experience designing and implementing earned media strategies for complex organizations, including running proactive pitches, reactive media inquiries, and reputational risk communications.

• Experience leading communications agencies and vendors, including contract management and oversight of deliverables.

• Deep knowledge of media analysis methods and tools, including establishing benchmarks, tracking coverage trends, and translating insights into actionable communications strategy.

• Experience working in a matrixed environment and coordinating cross-functionally with internal and external partners to align on messaging, strategy, and priorities.