Director, Strategy, Growth & Communications - What Work Cities

The role

The Director leads the development and execution of the What Works Cities growth strategy and communications portfolio. This person manages the communications team and guides expansion, outreach, and partnership development to increase the initiative's reach and influence.

What you will do

• Lead the development and execution of WWC's growth strategy across North, Central, and South America.
• Set annual goals and KPIs aligned with growth.
• Lead the Strategy & Growth team to achieve annual targets.
• Identify and translate trends, opportunities and risks into strategic recommendations.
• Lead city segmentation, engagement pathways, and recruitment strategies.
• Identify, cultivate, and maintain strategic relationships with senior government leaders and partners.
• Lead the development and execution of a global communications and marketing strategy.
• Drive external growth strategies to embed the What Works Cities Standard across partner institutions.
• Manage editorial content to ensure brand consistency and strategy alignment.
• Lead storytelling and narrative development across earned and owned platforms.

Required qualifications

• 12+ years of relevant work experience
• Bachelor's degree
• Experience developing and leading growth, business development, partnership, or market expansion strategies
• Demonstrated success developing and executing successful integrated marketing and communication strategies across digital and traditional platforms
• At least 5-10 years of experience supervising multiple full-time staff and building multi-layer, high-performing teams
• Prior experience managing annual budgets and strategic initiatives
• Experience scaling a program and/or initiative
• Expertise in the communications and/or media sectors, with a particular focus on non-profit and philanthropic sectors
• Experience cultivating and managing senior-level partnerships and stakeholder relationships
• A deep understanding of the current media and communications landscape, especially at the local government level
• Strong media relations track record and experience
• Proficiency with Salesforce, Google Suite, Asana, Slack, Zoom, Tableau, ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude

Nice to have

• Experience working within city or local government, public sector consulting, philanthropy, or government innovation organizations
• Experience working across multiple countries, regions, or international markets
• Master's degree (MPP, MPA, MBA, International Affairs, Public Policy, or related field)
• Preference for international experience

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Choice in medical plans
• Dental/vision coverage
• Paid time off
• 403b retirement plan with employer contribution

Before you apply

• Applicants must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

About the company

Results for America (RFA) is a national nonprofit organization helping policymakers harness the power of evidence and data to solve challenges. Its flagship initiative, What Works Cities (WWC), helps city governments improve residents' lives by using data and evidence effectively.