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About Child Care Aware® of America

Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) is the only national organization that supports every part of the child care system. In partnership with an on-the-ground network of Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) organizations, we work in states and communities to advance high-quality, affordable child care — transforming a patchwork of resources into a system that works for everyone. Together, we make child care strong, and that makes everyone stronger.

Position Summary

The Chief Communications Officer (CCO) is the senior executive responsible for repositioning CCAoA and advancing its national narrative, influence, and public standing to drive systemic change in child care. The CCO will change how the field, funders, policymakers, media, and the public understand CCAoA, moving it from one voice among many to the organization that leads and powers an on-the-ground national network.

The role requires someone who can take the genuine complexity of the early childhood field and reframe it with clarity and emotional resonance, turning policy, research, and real-world impact into a story people feel and motivates them to take action. Reporting to and partnering closely with the CEO, the CCO serves as a true thought partner who brings ideas, pushes thinking, and raises the organization's communications to the next level.

The CCO will translate a bold new strategic vision into a movement that people want to join, build influence across a lean organization largely through relationships and credibility rather than positional authority, and help bring the CEO's voice forward as one of the leading voices in the field. This is a 100% remote position.

Key Priorities

Reposition the brand and own the national narrative

• Lead a deliberate repositioning of CCAoA - driving greater clarity and alignment in how the organization is understood by the field, funders, policymakers, media, and the public.
• Define and steward a clear, consistent, and powerful national narrative that connects families, the workforce, the economy, and system-building into one unified story.
• Build message architecture that positions CCAoA and its network as central to solving the nation's child care challenges, grounded in real-world impact across communities.

Reframe complexity with emotional resonance

• Translate policy, research, and field insight into clear, persuasive, emotionally resonant public content that drives understanding and action.
• Shape how solutions are framed, internally and externally, so they gain traction and change behavior.
• Ensure CCAoA helps define the national conversation around early child care.

Build influence, thought leadership, and a movement

• Design and execute a comprehensive influence strategy spanning media, thought leadership, partnerships, and executive visibility.
• Elevate CCAoA's standing with federal and state policymakers, business leaders, funders, and national media.
• Translate the 10-year vision into a movement that network partners, funders, and allies want to be part of.

Elevate the CEO and executive voice

• Bring the CEO's voice forward as a leading national voice, through op-eds, speaking platforms, and earned media.
• Proactively create and pursue visibility opportunities rather than waiting to be asked; help the CEO become more external and more present in the field.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and executive team on reputation, messaging, and external dynamics, bringing candor, sound judgment, and a steady hand in moments of both opportunity and risk.

Integrate communications with strategy, programs, and the network

• Partner with program, policy, research, and development leaders from the outset so initiatives are not only effective, but legible, compelling, and actionable to external audiences.
• Embed communications into key operational moments, such as launches, pilots, policy windows, funding cycles, to maximize traction and uptake.
• Strengthen communications across the on-the-ground network, aligning national messaging while elevating local impact, and build shared tools and frameworks that increase collective impact.
• Lead across boundaries, influencing up, down, and across the organization without relying on positional authority, to ensure shared ownership and consistent execution.
• Partner with Development to support fund development, brand positioning, and donor engagement.

Lead and build the communications function

• Build and lead a high-performing communications function, a team of three supported by external consultants, grounded in trust, accountability, and shared purpose.
• Set clear priorities, performance expectations, and success metrics tied to organizational impact.
• Lead proactive and reactive communications, including crisis communications and rapid-response positioning.
• Bring strong operational discipline: coordinate work well, align resources to priorities, and deliver commitments with consistency and quality.

Key First-Year Success Metrics

Within the first year, the CCO will be expected to demonstrate progress against the following:

• A one-year communications roadmap, with clear priorities, audience strategy, and measures of success, is adopted by the executive team.
• CCAoA's messaging and positioning framework is validated, refined as needed, and adopted consistently across leadership, communications, development, policy, research, and network engagement.
• A clear operating model is established for the communications team, consultants, workflows, and governance.
• The CEO has a defined thought leadership platform that guides messaging, stakeholder engagement, speaking opportunities, and content priorities.
• All major external communications, including the website, publications, speeches, media, fundraising, policy, and conferences, reflect a single, consistent CCAoA narrative.
• Board members, staff, network leaders, and funders can consistently articulate CCAoA's distinct role using common language.
• An annual stakeholder perception survey shows increased recognition of CCAoA's leadership role and unique value proposition.
• Communications is engaged at the outset of major strategic initiatives and is viewed by executive leaders as a strategic partner in advancing organizational priorities, rather than solely a production function.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in communications, public affairs, or related fields, including significant executive-level responsibility.
• A demonstrated track record of repositioning an organization, measurably changing how it is perceived, not simply refreshing a brand or identity.
• Proven success shaping national narratives, influencing public discourse, and elevating organizational and executive visibility.
• Experience working at the intersection of policy, research, advocacy, and public engagement.
• The proven ability to take a complex field and make it clear and emotionally compelling. Familiarity with early childhood or child care is strongly preferred.
• A track record as a trusted strategic advisor and genuine thought partner to senior executives; someone who pushes thinking, brings ideas, and raises the bar.
• Demonstrated ability to build influence without authority across peers and programmatic staff.
• Experience building and leading high-performing teams and complex, cross-functional initiatives, including in lean, restructuring, or changing environments.

Who You Are

• A builder, someone who is energized by restructuring, bold vision, and making real change rather than holding steady.
• A storyteller who simplifies complexity and makes people feel something, not just understand something.
• A genuine thought partner, confident enough to push back, bring your own ideas, and help the CEO finish her thinking.
• Deeply relational and collaborative; you build influence through trust and credibility, and you respect the leaders and dynamics already in the room.
• Humility; you don't need to be the front person or the smartest person in the room.
• Curious and substantive; you ask why, get into the details when it matters, and value the same in others.
• Transparent, accountable, organized, and self-directed; you bring operational discipline and follow-through, and you make the people around you better.

Why You'll Love Working With Us

At Child Care Aware of America, we believe that a happy, healthy team is the foundation of our success. That's why we offer an exceptional benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and work-life balance:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: We provide top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance to keep you and your family healthy and thriving. Flexible Spending Account options for Health and Dependent Care, too!
• Generous Paid Time Off: Enjoy ample vacation days, sick days, paid holidays, school events leave, and personal leave to recharge and pursue your passions.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: We accommodate your needs to help you achieve a harmonious work-life balance.
• Retirement Plans: Plan for your future with our competitive 403b match program and retirement planning resources.
• Child Care Stipend: A monthly subsidy to help cover the cost of child care - including camps and before/after school care.
• Community: Our staff regularly plans engaging events to ensure that teams feel connected despite a virtual environment.

Compensation

We anticipate a salary range of $190,000 - $225,000. The salary range for this position reflects the hiring range within the Washington, DC metropolitan area. A geographic differential may be applied for candidates hired from regions with a lower cost of living, ensuring competitive and equitable compensation based on location.