Senior Manager, Internal Communications

At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world.  We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we’re building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action.

Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

Purpose of the RoleAs the Senior Manager of Internal Employee Communications, you will be reporting directly to the Senior Director of Labor Relations & Talent. You will serve as a strategic partner and lead implementer responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive internal communications strategy that supports the full range of communications with our professional services and public facing staff. Your primary goal is to ensure that all employees - regardless of access to technology or location - receive timely, clear, and consistent information regarding major Foundation decisions, organizational culture, and operational updates. You will work closely with our Communications team within the External Affairs department to ensure internal communications are integrated with our public communications and so that all staff can be ambassadors for the Foundation.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Strategy & Planning

  • Establish Communication Policy: Design and operationalize an all-staff communication policy that defines the what, when, and how of organizational updates to transition from ad-hoc messaging to a predictable cadence.

  • Manage Intake & Workflow: Develop and manage a centralized intake process (using tools like Asana) for all-staff communication requests, serving as the managing editor to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with Foundation values.

  • Internal Consulting: Act as a strategic partner to departments across the Foundation, advising leadership on the most effective ways to reach their specific sub-audiences.

• Executive Support

  • CEO and ELT partnership: Partner closely with the Office of the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to draft, review, and refine official correspondence, ensuring a consistent and empathetic organizational voice.

  • Information Cascading: Create communication toolkits for ELT members and department heads to ensure that high-level decisions are accurately and consistently cascaded down to individual teams.

• Communication Channel Management (ex: Slack, Email, Asana)

  • Inclusive Channel Strategy:  Audit and manage the Foundation’s internal channels (Email, Slack, Town Halls) with a specific focus on reaching offline or frontline staff who do not have regular computer access.

  • Digital Transformation: Evaluate and potentially lead the implementation of new internal communication platforms (e.g., a modern Intranet or employee app) to streamline information discovery.

  • Town Hall Programming: Collaborate with the Office of the CEO and lead the content strategy and logistical rollout for quarterly Town Halls, ensuring these sessions are interactive, informative, and accessible to all staff.

• Internal Campaigns

  • Labor Relations Support: Partner with the Senior Director of Labor Relations & Talent to develop transparent communications regarding labor updates, ensuring all staff (union and non-union) feel informed and respected. 

  • Culture Building: Design internal campaigns and storytelling initiatives that celebrate Foundation milestones, amplify diverse employee voices, and reinforce the organization’s core values.

  • Feedback Loops:  Establish mechanisms– such as pulse surveys or focus groups– to measure the effectiveness of internal communications and pivot strategies based on employee feedback.

• Stakeholder Consultation

  • Collaborative Partnership: Facilitate regular listening tours and consultation sessions with department heads to understand their unique communication challenges and nuances. 

  • Relationship Management: Build trust-based relationships across all levels of the organization– from executive leadership to frontline staff– to ensure communication strategy is informed by a broad range of internal perspectives.

  • Conflict Resolution: Act as a mediator for competing communication priorities, ensuring the all-staff channel remains focused on high-impact, relevant information.

• Event Coordination

  • Communication Logistics: Oversee the end-to-end communication lifecycle for major internal events, including invitations, registration tracking, pre-event teasers, and post-event follow-up materials. 

  • Virtual & Hybrid Production: In collaboration with IT/AV teams, manage the run-of-show for virtual and hybrid meetings to ensure a seamless experience for both in-person and remote attendees. 

  • Speaker Preparation: Coordinate with internal presenters and external guest speakers to align their talking points with the Foundation’s strategic messaging and tone.

• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Establishment of a formalized all-staff communication policy and standard operating procedures.

• Launch of a communication structure that effectively reaches frontline and non-exempt staff without direct technology access.

• Development of an Executive Leadership Team (ELT) internal communication toolkit to ensure standardized information cascading across the organization.

• Implementation of a streamlined intake and approval process for all-staff correspondence.

• Creation of a high-level internal communications roadmap for the first 6-12 months.

• Successful management of communication for major organizational transitions and announcements.

Required Qualifications

• Experience: 6-8 years of experience in corporate communications, executive communications, or employee engagement, preferably in a union, complex, or high-stakes environment.

• Strategic Thinking: Proven ability to develop communication plans that account for diverse employee types (exempt vs. non-exempt) and varying levels of technology access.

• Writing Excellence: Exceptional drafting and editing skills with a service mentality and the ability to capture various executive voices.

• Change Management: Experience navigating organizational transitions and helping staff feel supported through clear, transparent messaging.

• Project Management: Proficiency in managing complex workflows and intake systems (e.g., Asana) to keep an operational tempo for the organization.

The salary range for this role is between $104,310  and $130,435. 

This is a remote role based in Chicago.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [email protected] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.