About Activate Global
Activate empowers scientists and engineers to reinvent our world by bringing their research to market. We partner with leading funders and research institutions to offer the Activate Fellowship, providing the funding, community, mentorship, network, and time that scientists need to become entrepreneurs.
The results are game changing: Activate Fellows have launched 197 new companies since 2015. These companies have raised $4B in follow-on funding, created more than 2,800 U.S.-based jobs, and defined several new market categories. Activate supports fellows in Berkeley, CA; Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; Houston, TX; and across the U.S. through Activate Anywhere.
Position Summary
As Director of Communications, you will report to the Chief of Staff to lead our brand, content, and communications strategy—ensuring that Activate’s messages reach and motivate key stakeholders, including fellows, funders, industry partners, and policymakers, to help reach our goals. You will be responsible for developing and executing high-impact communications and marketing initiatives that grow awareness, strengthen engagement, and mobilize support for Activate and our fellows. We’re a close-knit, mission-driven team looking for a leader who can think and plan strategically and also roll up their sleeves alongside us to bring bold ideas to life.
Primary Responsibilities
Brand and Position
- Work with the Chief Development Officer (CDO) and Chief of Staff (CoS), engaging additional leadership team as necessary, to develop Brand/Position statement and messaging bible, differentiated by key stakeholders/target audiences.
Strategic Direction
- Develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy for all internal and external communications harnessing key messengers, messages, timing, and tactics to reach organization’s goals.
- Work with the full leadership team to ensure all communications are aligned with the Brand/Position statement, messaging bible and communications plan.
- Set editorial direction and lead content strategy across all modes of content.
- Stay on top of communications trends and technologies to innovate strategy.
Content Development
- Align all digital communications, including website, social media, email newsletters, blogs and outgoing communications with brand/position statement and messaging bible.
- Oversee all digital communications, including social media, email newsletters, website content, and blogs.
- Define KPIs for communications and regularly report on performance and impact.
- Use data and audience insights to refine messaging and improve engagement.
- Ensure all content is optimized for reach, engagement, and accessibility.
- Personally write, edit, and publish written and digital content as needed based upon the team's capacity and needs.
Team Leadership
- Own project management to ensure comms/marketing initiatives are executed efficiently and on time using implemented internal platforms, including Slack, Google Docs, Asana, Hubspot.
- Serve as the organization’s internal point of contact, ensuring consistent cross-functional efficiency and delivery.
- Mentor and manage a team of two direct reports and multiple contractors.
Ideal Candidate
- 6+ years of experience leading content strategy and multi-channel marketing, ideally in deep tech, science innovation, or mission-driven organizations.
- MBA or equivalent advanced degree in marketing, communications, business, or a related field is strongly preferred.
- Experience with creating multiple mediums of content (written, graphic) to translate complex ideas into engaging content for diverse audiences, from scientists and entrepreneurs to investors and policymakers.
- A wiz at using digital tools like Asana, Canva, Hubspot, Google Drive, etc.
- Proven track record of designing and executing high-impact marketing campaigns with a multi-person team and cross-functional relationships.
About the Role
This is a full-time position with a competitive salary of $150,000 with a generous benefits package that includes professional development, $2,000 in annual wellness funds, unlimited paid time off, healthcare premiums covered for employees and dependents at 90%, and the opportunity to join a retirement plan with a 3% match beginning after 3 months at Activate.
This position can be based at any of our following hubs: Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; Houston, TX; Berkeley, CA. While this is primarily a remote role, we ask for in-person presence once a month for programming and as needed for special events.
Encouraging Applications from All Backgrounds
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a welcoming workplace for all employees. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Activate Global, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Top Skills
What We Do
We empower scientists to reinvent the world by bringing their research to market.
Founded in 2015, Activate is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that empowers scientists to reinvent the world by bringing their research to market to address climate change and other global challenges.
Activate works between government and the private sector, transforming scientists into high-impact entrepreneurs through a fellowship that guides them along every step of the journey. The Activate Fellowship provides two years of funding and connects fellows with the resources, knowledge, and networks they need to succeed. The fellowship does not take equity in fellows' startups.
Activate's entrepreneurial fellowship model originated at Cyclotron Road, a division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and founding Activate partner. Today, Activate supports 20-30 new Activate Fellows each year in with plans to expand to 100 new fellows, across the United States, each year.
For more information, go to Activate.org.
