Description

Chief Communications Officer
Strada Education Foundation

The Organization
About Strada Education Foundation
Strada Education Foundation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the connection between education and opportunity in the United States, with a particular focus on individuals who face the greatest barriers to economic mobility. Guided by the belief that education should lead to meaningful career pathways and long-term prosperity, Strada collaborates with learners, educators, employers, policymakers, and other partners to advance a more equitable and effective education-to-employment ecosystem.

Headquartered in Indianapolis with a large regional office in Washington, D.C., Strada traces its roots to 1960 through the founding of United Student Aid Funds. Following a strategic transformation in 2017, the organization shifted its focus from student lending to improving pathways between postsecondary education and work. Today, Strada operates as an independent, nonprofit foundation funded primarily through an endowment and committed to driving systemic change that expands opportunity for learners across the nation.

Strada's work centers on five interconnected focus areas that research and experience suggest are critical to improving outcomes for learners: Clear Outcomes, Quality Coaching, Affordability, Work-Based Learning, and Employer Alignment. Together, these focus areas help learners understand their options, navigate a path, manage the cost, build experience, and move toward fulfilling careers and choice-filled lives.

To advance its mission, Strada employs a multifaceted approach that combines several impact levers, including actionable research, catalytic grantmaking, technical assistance, nonpartisan policy solutions, social impact investing, and collaboration with a network of affiliates and external partners. Through these efforts, the organization seeks to identify scalable solutions, influence public discourse, support innovative practices, and help create stronger linkages between postsecondary education, workforce development, and employer needs.

Strada is widely recognized for its ability to convene leaders across sectors around some of the most important questions facing the future of education and work. Through research, thought leadership, partnerships, and investment, the organization works to advance practical, evidence-based solutions that help more individuals achieve successful educational outcomes, meaningful employment, and long-term economic mobility. As higher education, workforce development, and employer talent strategies continue to evolve, Strada occupies a distinctive position at the intersection of these systems and remains committed to building pathways that connect learning to opportunity for millions of Americans.

The Opportunity

Position:  Chief Communications Officer
Location:  Indianapolis, IN or Washington, DC
Reporting Relationship:  President and Chief Executive Officer
Website:  https://strada.org/

Purpose of the Position
Strada Education Foundation seeks a strategic, service-oriented, highly collaborative, and intellectually curious Chief Communications Officer (CCO) to serve as the organization's senior communications leader and a critical member of the executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the President & Chief Executive Officer, the CCO will lead enterprise communications strategy and help advance Strada's mission of strengthening connections between education and opportunity for individuals across the United States, particularly those who face the greatest barriers to economic mobility. The CCO will play a central role in ensuring that Strada's ideas, research, partnerships, and investments effectively influence national and state conversations around postsecondary education, workforce development, and economic opportunity, helping move key leaders from insight to action.

At a time when educators, employers, policymakers, and learners are seeking clearer pathways between education and career success, Strada occupies a unique position at the intersection of research, philanthropy, public policy, and systems change. The CCO will help translate the organization's work into compelling narratives that build awareness, shape dialogue, catalyze action, and reinforce Strada's standing as a respected national voice on what works to improve education-to-employment outcomes. This leader will ensure that complex ideas and evidence-based insights are communicated in ways that are accessible, influential, and relevant to diverse audiences.

The CCO will serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team, guiding externally-focused executive communications, thought leadership, media engagement, and reputation management. Working across a highly matrixed and intellectually sophisticated organization, the successful candidate will build strong partnerships with leaders throughout Strada's research, policy, grantmaking, investment teams, and affiliate organizations, helping align and amplify the organization's collective impact while preserving the unique expertise and voice of each team.

The Strategic Communications team serves a dual role at Strada: as an enterprise function that supports and amplifies work across the organization, and as an impact lever that helps advance broader ecosystem-level change. The CCO will lead a high-performing communications function responsible for strengthening external visibility, supporting enterprise priorities, and expanding the organization's influence among key stakeholders. The CCO will balance long-term strategic planning with responsiveness to emerging opportunities, ensuring that communications resources are deployed in ways that maximize reach, relevance, and impact.

Ultimately, the CCO will help position Strada as an indispensable partner in shaping the future of education and work in America. Through strategic leadership, thoughtful collaboration, and exceptional communications expertise, this executive will advance Strada's ability to influence systems, elevate promising solutions, and help create more equitable pathways to opportunity for millions of learners and workers nationwide.

Key Responsibilities
The CCO will provide strategic, collaborative, enterprise-level leadership for Strada's communications function, ensuring that the organization's ideas, research, partnerships, and strategic priorities are effectively communicated to audiences capable of advancing meaningful change across the education-to-opportunity ecosystem. Working closely with the CEO, executive leadership team, and leaders across Strada's focus areas and impact levers, the CCO will translate organizational strategy into communications strategies that strengthen visibility, influence key stakeholders, amplify evidence-based solutions, and enhance Strada's reputation as a trusted national leader. This executive will lead a high-performing communications function while fostering strong partnerships across a highly collaborative and matrixed organization, ensuring communications resources are deployed in ways that maximize enterprise impact, support organizational priorities, and advance long-term systems change.

Strategic Communications Leadership, Focus Area Amplification, and Ecosystem Influence

• Lead the development and execution of an enterprise-wide communications strategy that advances Strada's mission, strategic priorities, and long-term impact objectives, and accelerates progress across its five strategic focus areas.
• Translate research, policy insights, and organizational priorities into compelling communications strategies that increase awareness, catalyze key stakeholders towards action, and strengthen public understanding of issues at the intersection of education and opportunity.
• Identify emerging opportunities and trends that position Strada as a leading voice in national conversations regarding postsecondary education, workforce development, and economic mobility.
• Ensure communications investments and initiatives align with enterprise priorities and support measurable organizational impact.

Executive Communications, Thought Leadership, and Public Engagement

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the President & CEO and executive leadership team on communications strategy, positioning, reputation, and external engagement.
• Develop and elevate executive communications, thought leadership, media engagement, and public-facing content that advances organizational priorities and strengthens visibility.
• Strengthen Strada's presence among policymakers, employers, educators, philanthropic leaders, and other influential stakeholders through strategic communications and external engagement efforts.
• Ensure organizational leaders are effectively positioned to contribute to important national and field-level conversations aligned with Strada's mission and strategic objectives.

Enterprise Collaboration and Strategic Partnership

• Partner closely with leaders across Strada's focus areas, impact levers, affiliates, and other strategic initiatives to align communications efforts with organizational goals and stakeholder needs.
• Foster a culture of collaboration and service that positions Strategic Communications as a valued business and thought partner throughout the organization.
• Strengthen enterprise messaging, narrative alignment, and audience engagement across a complex and highly matrixed organizational environment.
• Support cross-functional initiatives that advance Strada's influence, partnerships, and long-term systems-change objectives.

Brand, Reputation, and Media Strategy

• Protect and enhance Strada's institutional reputation through proactive media relations, strategic messaging, and disciplined reputation management.
• Oversee earned, owned, digital, and emerging communications channels, ensuring a cohesive and compelling organizational voice across platforms.
• Build and maintain relationships with media, influencers, partners, and other external stakeholders that support organizational visibility and credibility.
• Lead crisis communications and issues management efforts, providing counsel and leadership during periods of heightened visibility or organizational risk.

Organizational Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing communications team committed to excellence, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and resource strategies that enable the function to effectively support enterprise goals.
• Oversee departmental budgeting, resource allocation, and external partnerships to ensure effective and efficient delivery of communications initiatives.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture that empowers team members while maintaining a strong focus on results and enterprise impact.

Measures of Success

Success in this role will be demonstrated through:

• Development and execution of an enterprise communications strategy that strengthens alignment around Strada's mission, priorities, and long-term objectives.
• Increased visibility and influence of Strada's research, insights, and thought leadership among policymakers, educators, employers, philanthropic leaders, and other key stakeholders.
• Enhanced reputation and positioning of Strada as a trusted national leader at the intersection of education, workforce development, and economic opportunity.
• Strong partnerships across Strada's focus areas, impact levers, and affiliate organizations, with Strategic Communications viewed as a valued strategic advisor and collaborator.
• A high-performing communications function that consistently delivers high-quality work, effectively prioritizes resources, and advances enterprise impact.
• Meaningful contribution to broader awareness, adoption, and advancement of solutions that strengthen pathways between education and opportunity.

The Candidate
Experience and Professional Qualifications
Strada Education Foundation seeks a strategic, intellectually curious, and highly collaborative communications executive who combines exceptional communications expertise with a deep appreciation for the role that education, workforce development, and public policy play in expanding economic opportunity. The ideal candidate will be an enterprise leader capable of translating complex ideas into compelling narratives, while building alignment across a sophisticated organization comprised of experts, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, investors, and external partners.

The successful candidate will bring a demonstrated ability to shape public discourse, elevate institutional reputation, and leverage communications as a catalyst for organizational influence and systems change. This individual will be equally comfortable serving as a strategic advisor to senior executives, engaging with national media, developing thought leadership platforms, and leading high-performing communications teams. They will possess exceptional judgment regarding what ideas, initiatives, and opportunities should be elevated, how to position them effectively, and how to ensure communications resources are focused on the organization's highest-impact priorities.

This leader must thrive within a highly collaborative, matrixed environment where influence, partnership, and relationship-building are essential to success. The CCO will work closely with leaders across Strada's focus areas and impact levers, helping translate research, policy insights, strategic investments, and field learnings into communications strategies that advance the organization's mission and strengthen its national influence. The successful candidate will bring both the strategic vision and operational discipline necessary to build organizational alignment, enhance visibility, and reinforce Strada's position as a trusted voice at the intersection of education and opportunity.

Candidates should have the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Progressive executive leadership experience within strategic communications, public affairs, corporate affairs, public policy, philanthropy, higher education, workforce development, social impact organizations, or similarly complex environments.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing enterprise communications strategies that strengthen organizational reputation, advance strategic priorities, and influence external audiences.
• Proven ability to shape national or industry-level conversations through media engagement, thought leadership, strategic storytelling, and public-facing communications initiatives.
• Significant experience advising senior executives and supporting executive communications, thought leadership, public positioning, and stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrated success translating complex research, policy, technical, or organizational content into compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Experience building and leading high-performing communications, marketing, public affairs, or external relations teams while fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Strong media relations experience, including cultivating relationships with national, trade, business, policy, and digital media outlets.
• Demonstrated experience managing organizational reputation, issues management, and crisis communications in highly visible or mission-driven environments.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across complex, matrixed organizations with multiple stakeholder groups, priorities, and perspectives.
• Experience managing substantial budgets and leveraging both internal teams and external partners to deliver strategic communications outcomes.
• Strong understanding of modern communications platforms, emerging technologies, digital engagement strategies, and evolving media landscapes.
• Proven capacity to drive communications work at pace, effectively managing competing priorities and delivering thoughtful, high-quality outputs within compressed timelines.
• Exceptional editorial judgment, with a demonstrated ability to set a high bar for writing and communications quality and build and lead teams that consistently deliver against that standard.
• Prior experience within philanthropy, education, workforce development, policy, research, social impact, or mission-driven organizations is preferred.
• Progressively responsible experience at a leading strategic communications or marketing firm serving mission-driven clients would be a plus.
• A passion for Strada's mission and a commitment to expanding pathways to education, career success, and economic opportunity for individuals facing the greatest barriers to advancement.

Key Relationships

Focus Area Leaders

• Jon Furr, SVP, Clear Outcomes
• Craig Robinson, SVP, Quality Coaching
• Justin Draeger, SVP, Affordability
• Laura Love, SVP, Work-Based Learning
• Heather McKay, SVP, Employer Alignment

Other Impact Lever and Mission-Focused Senior Leaders

• Ruth Watkins, President, Postsecondary Education
• Beth Cobert, President, Affiliates, Strategic Partnerships, and Policy Solutions
• Dave Clayton, SVP, Research
• Jess Hinkle, SVP, Strategic Investments
• Michele Chang, SVP & Chief Strategy Officer
• Chantée Eldridge, SVP, Learner Engagement & Chief Community Officer

Strategic Communications Team

• The Strategic Communications team includes approximately eight professionals, supplemented by third-party agency and specialist partners, and an annual budget, including staff, of roughly $4.5 million.

Additional Key Internal Relationships

• Executive Leadership Team (e.g., CFO, CHRO, Chief Legal Officer)
• Affiliate Leaders (i.e., CredLens, Digital Credentials Commons, Roadtrip Nation, Whiteboard Advisors)

Key External Relationships

• National and Trade Media
• Policymakers
• Postsecondary Education Leaders and National Associations
• Employers and Employer Associations
• Strategic Partners and Stakeholders Across the Education-to-Opportunity Ecosystem

Education

• A bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, public policy, marketing, political science, higher education, business, or a related field is required.
• An advanced degree in communications, public affairs, public policy, higher education, business administration, journalism, or a related discipline is preferred.

Compensation

• The estimated base compensation will be $300k – $350k with bonus opportunity up to 30%. Strada Education Foundation offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Application

• Interested and qualified candidates are welcome to submit an application to StradaEducationFoundationCCO@KornFerry.com

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Strada welcomes diverse candidates and values a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Bringing together people with a variety of personal, educational, and professional experiences strengthens our understanding of the learners we serve, leads to better decisions, and enhances our mission impact. We encourage applicants who will enrich our workplace through their knowledge, skills, perspectives, and expertise.