Director of Strategic Communications, Education Philanthropy

The Director of Strategic Communications will lead the development and execution of a comprehensive communications strategy for Ascendium's Education Philanthropy. This role ensures that the philanthropy's perspectives, insights, and impact are clearly articulated and amplified across key audiences, including grantees, policymakers, partners, and peer funders.

While the broader organization maintains a centralized communications function focused on execution (e.g., digital, design, and production), this role serves as the embedded strategic communications leader for the philanthropy. The Director brings deep subject-matter expertise in philanthropy, postsecondary education, workforce training, and access to opportunity-translating program priorities into clear, compelling narratives.This is a highly collaborative, hands-on leadership role requiring both strategic vision and day-to-day execution.

This hybrid role is based in Ascendium's Madison, Wisconsin, headquarters location and will generally work in the office three days per week (Tues.-Thur.) and have the option of two days working remotely.

The planned salary for this position is approximately $130,000 with potential for higher compensation commensurate with experience.

On a day-to-day basis, you may do the following.

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and lead a strategic communications agenda aligned with Ascendium's philanthropic goals and priorities.
• Define and refine Ascendium's voice, narrative, and positioning as a funder across key issue areas addressed through its grantmaking.
• Identify opportunities to elevate the work and impact of grantees and influence broader field-level conversations and policy deliberations, particularly in service of specific grantmaking portfolio objectives.
• Translate complex programmatic strategies into clear, compelling messaging for diverse audiences.

Content Development & Thought Leadership

• Oversee the creation of high-quality written and multimedia content.
• Serve as a senior writer and editor, directly producing and refining key communications and supporting other staff in writing pieces for public distribution.
• Ensure consistency and quality across all external-facing materials.
• Partner with staff across units within the philanthropy to surface insights, stories, and lessons from grantmaking.

Internal Communications & Alignment

• Lead internal communications efforts within the philanthropy team to ensure alignment across teams and initiatives.
• Collaborate proactively across the philanthropy leadership team to gather input, synthesize perspectives, and align messaging.
• Support communications to and engagement of the Board of Directors, including preparation of materials and messaging.
• Operate effectively within a matrixed organizational structure, balancing multiple stakeholders and priorities.

External Engagement & Partnerships

• Oversee strategic media and field engagement efforts, including partnerships with journalists, outlets, and thought leaders, and strategic use of conference sponsorships.
• Oversee initiatives that position the organization as a leader in key issue areas.
• Provide strategic leadership for convenings, events, and public engagements that advance strategic goals.

Team Leadership & Management

• Supervise and develop an initial team of two staff (currently a writer/comms manager and a senior program officer for strategic engagement), with responsibility for scaling the team over time.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture focused on quality, clarity, and impact.
• Provide coaching and professional development to team members.

Cross-Organizational Collaboration

• Serve as the primary liaison to the organization's central communications team, which manages digital channels, social media, and design.
• Translate programmatic priorities into clear communications plans and requests that align with centralized processes and timelines.
• Advocate for and ensure that subject-matter expertise and strategic intent are reflected in final outputs.
• Coordinate messaging and execution across teams to maintain consistency while enabling flexibility and responsiveness to program needs.
• Build strong working relationships that support both efficient execution and high-quality, mission-aligned communications.

Budget & Vendor Management

• Manage a communications budget, including planning and allocation of resources.
• Identify, source, and manage external consultants and contractors as needed.
• Ensure high-quality deliverables and strong return on investment from external partners.

A highly qualified candidate will possess the following.

• 8-12+ years of experience in strategic communications, public affairs, journalism, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing communications strategies in complex organizations.
• Deep familiarity with issues related to philanthropy, postsecondary education, workforce development, or related policy areas.
• Proven ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with experience producing a wide range of content.
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to connect communications to organizational goals and impact.
• Experience working in matrixed environments with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills; ability to influence without direct authority.
• Experience managing staff and developing teams.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on execution.
• Experience managing staff and developing teams.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on execution.
• Knowledge equivalent to the completion of a bachelor's degree in counseling, education, business, or a related field of
• Valid state-issued driver's license.

Ascendium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has helped millions of learners pursue postsecondary education since 1967, when we were formed to help fulfill the promise of the landmark Higher Education Act of 1965. Over the years, we've grown to become the nation's largest federal student loan guarantor, providing information, tools, and counseling to help millions of borrowers nationwide avoid default and keep the door to reenrollment open. Using our years of experience in the student loan industry, we've developed a suite of products and services that support academic achievement, financial wellness, and student loan repayment success.

We use the net proceeds from our business operations to fund our education philanthropy. Our strategic grantmaking provides funding to organizations that increase the number of low-income learners who succeed in postsecondary education and workforce training as critical pathway to upward mobility, regardless of economic background, race, rurality, or history of incarceration, or other factors. Through grantmaking and related investments in evidence-building and strategic field engagement, we seek to identify emerging innovations and reforms, validate their effectiveness, and expand proven strategies to promote large-scale, systemic change.

Our philanthropy is focused on addressing systemic barriers to upward mobility, which derive from class disparities in opportunity, as well as from policies and practices of exclusion and discrimination. As we strive to continually strengthen our potential for impact, we take responsibility as a funder for learning and evolving our practice to ensure that our grantmaking reflects the root causes of barriers to opportunity for all low-income learners. To that end, we are committed to ongoing learning to build our internal capacity and strengthen the ability of our grantmaking to advance equitable opportunity.

Ascendium offers an outstanding benefits package designed to provide employees and their families with a high degree of security. These benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Student loan repayment assistance and tuition reimbursement.
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities.
• Generous time off, including up to eight weeks of paid parental leave.
• Retirement savings plan with employer match.

Ascendium provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, creed, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

H-1B sponsorship (initiation or transfer) is not available for this position.

If you would like assistance with the application process, please email Ascendium Human Resources. We invite all applicants to complete the Voluntary Affirmative Action questions when submitting application materials. The questions are found at the end of the online application process. To learn more about our commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity, please visit the Ascendium Careers webpage.

Ascendium requires criminal, employment, and education background investigations before hiring