Senior Director of Communications

Accountability Statement

The Senior Director of Communications leads the design and delivery of Canopy’s communications strategy to achieve campaign impact and organizational priorities. This role brings strategic rigour, communications savvy, and outstanding people skills to lead a high-performing team that owns and drives ambitious communications goals. The role partners closely with two teams: the Impact Team, to keep communications aligned and integrated with campaign delivery, and Culture and Engagement (C&E), which leads on engagement. Communications and C&E collaborate on Canopy’s story arc.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy ownership and execution. Own and lead the design and execution of Canopy’s communications strategy and ensure creative campaign communications plans are developed and delivered to achieve key strategic impact and communications objectives.
• Brand elevation. Position Canopy as a distinct, recognizable voice in transforming the paper packaging and fashion industry supply chains from wood fibre to Next Generation Solutions to protect forests worldwide.
• Narrative consistency and storytelling. Ensure Canopy’s narrative and messaging cuts through and influences target audiences via key channels. Connect with different audiences through storytelling. Collaborate with C&E on Canopy’s story arc so the external narrative and engagement journey reinforce one another.
• Sticky and strategic content delivery. Ensure communications content activates target audiences to take action with Canopy, with strong dissemination pathways. Communications partners with C&E by creating content designed to support and amplify engagement efforts.
• Team leadership and management. Lead the Communications Team and nurture a motivating, high-performing team culture. Take direct responsibility for managing Communications Strategists and Team Operations, with oversight of media relations, digital and content functions. Nurture a team culture that enables all members to flourish.
• Strategic integration. Bring strategic communications expertise to Canopy’s senior leadership and the Impact Leadership Team (ILT). Ensure strategic alignment and integration of communications with campaign planning and delivery through work with Impact and C&E teams. Build a regular working rhythm with C&E, including joint planning at the start of campaigns and initiatives, so communications and engagement plans stay aligned.
• Cross-team partnership. Build trusted, collaborative relationships across teams, with C&E as a critical partner in delivery.
• External network management. Oversee effective management of external communications consultants and agencies, ensuring alignment, quality and value for money.
• Operational effectiveness. Accountability for communications planning, project management and budget management to support high performance.
• Evaluation and metrics. Ensure impact is assessed and learning is applied to strategic and tactical communications decisions and advice. Nurture a learning and “test, refine and amplify” culture. Share insights with C&E so engagement results inform storytelling, and storytelling results inform engagement.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Significant senior-level experience leading strategic communications, ideally within a mission-driven, nonprofit, or campaign-based organization.
• Proven track record building and elevating an organizational brand to drive change with strong storytelling and narrative craft across different formats and channels.
• Clear track record of developing creative communications campaigns and sticky individual products that help pop the organization in a crowded media/communications landscape.
• Experience managing and developing a communications team, with strong coaching and people-leadership skills.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to oversee and scope, sequence, and deliver high-profile initiatives on time and budget.
• Experience managing external agencies and consultants, including briefing, quality oversight, and performance evaluation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the proven ability to translate complex or technical concepts into clear, compelling narratives for varied audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and influence across teams and senior leadership.
• Experience communicating to a global or international audience/network, with sensitivity to regional nuance.
• Ability to undertake approximately 5-6 international trips per year, with experience delivering communications at international events.
• A great sense of humour!
• Embrace a “Yes, AND...” mindset to foster innovation and collaboration.

Desirable

• Experience in environmental, sustainability, or systems-change communications.
• Experience working in at least two of the following markets: North America, Europe, China, India.
• Familiarity with the following systems: Google, Canva, Asana.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your CV, a cover letter, and a separate response to the prompt below. Applications missing either the cover letter or the prompt response will not be considered.

On AI use and authenticity: You may use AI tools to brainstorm, edit, or proofread, but please do not use AI to write your cover letter or prompt response for you. We want to hear your voice, experiences, and perspective, not a polished, generic version generated by a model. If you use AI for minor editing assistance, please add a short note at the end of your prompt response (e.g., “I used [tool name] to proofread this response”). Applications written in a genuine, original voice will be prioritized.

Cover letter:

A standard cover letter expressing your interest in Canopy and the Senior Director of Communications.

Prompt response to the application exercise:

Please answer the following question in a clearly labelled section within your cover letter document:

Canopy’s signature campaign is gaining traction, but a major fashion brand, one of your key targets, has just published a sustainability report claiming it is “forest-positive”. Canopy’s research intelligence provides evidence that they are continuing to source from Ancient and Endangered Forests. Internal teams are divided: some want to publicly call out the greenwashing; others fear losing a seat at the table with that brand.

Question: What is your communications recommendation, and why? Include:

• Your strategic rationale in 3–4 sentences.
• The single most important audience to move, what you want them to do and how you’ll approach this.
• One risk you’re accepting, and how you’ll mitigate it.

Please keep your response to 300–400 words.

Originally posted on Himalayas