Senior Director of Communications

Senior Director of Communications

Global freedom has declined for nearly two decades. From Hong Kong to Belarus to Nicaragua, authoritarian regimes are jailing journalists, dissidents, and pro-democracy voices simply for speaking the truth even as the demand for freedom has never been more urgent. Democratic backsliding, transnational repression, and shrinking civic space are accelerating around the world, and the case for freedom has never needed a stronger, clearer, more compelling messenger.

For 85 years, Freedom House has stood as the world's leading nonpartisan advocate for democracy and human rights the only organization that fuses rigorous, authoritative research with direct, on-the-ground support for human rights defenders and unmatched bipartisan access on Capitol Hill and in capitals worldwide. Its work has helped expose authoritarian abuses, defended the free press, and gives voice to political prisoners who cannot safely speak for themselves.

With new CEO leadership, a bold FY27 strategy, and its landmark 85th Anniversary fundraising campaign underway, Freedom House is entering its most consequential period of growth in decades and is seeking a Senior Director of Communications to give the organization a stronger, sharper, and more prominent voice on the global stage. This is a rare opportunity to shape how the world's leading advocate for freedom and democracy is seen, heard, and believed at precisely the moment its message matters most.

This is a nuanced, high-visibility role that will touch every facet of the organization from research and frontline advocacy to policy, development, and executive leadership and it calls for a communicator who can move nimbly across Freedom House to elevate its work, sharpen its narrative, and build a digital presence and public voice worthy of its mission.

Freedom House's online engagement has reached its strongest level in years over the past six months proof of what focused, disciplined storytelling can do. The organization is ready to build on that momentum with a modern, video-forward, digital-first communications function, and it is looking for an entrepreneurial storyteller who will drive that evolution forward rather than wait to be directed.

Reporting to Freedom House's executive leadership and serving as a member of the CEO's Cabinet, the Senior Director of Communications will lead Freedom House's integrated communications function earned media, owned channels, digital strategy, executive voice, and donor-facing storytelling and will be central to translating the organization's research, advocacy, and frontline work into public pressure, audience growth, and institutional visibility around the world.

Founded in 1941 on the conviction that freedom flourishes where governments are accountable to their people, Freedom House is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that identifies threats to freedom, mobilizes decision-makers to confront them, and supports the activists and organizations defending and expanding freedom worldwide. Its core values belonging, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and respect guide an organization dedicated to ensuring the United States remains both a democratic model at home and a consistent champion of freedom abroad.

Freedom House named Jamie Fly as its Chief Executive Officer effective February 2, 2026. A widely respected leader in democracy support, media freedom, technology, and national security, Fly joined Freedom House as it marks its 85th anniversary and pivots toward a diversified private- and public-sector funding model. He brings decades of experience across government, civil society, and the private sector including service as President and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, senior roles on the U.S. National Security Council staff, at the Department of Defense, and on Capitol Hill, and most recently as Senior Counselor at Palantir Technologies, where he supported efforts to defend Ukrainian democracy. He is a recipient of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service and the Czech Foreign Ministry's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to Diplomacy.

As U.S. government funding that long masked structural challenges across the democracy-support field recedes, donors and audiences alike are shifting toward field-based implementation and partners with a clear point of view. Freedom House is uniquely positioned to lead this moment drawing on eight decades of institutional credibility, genuinely bipartisan standing, and a research base no peer organization can match. Its strategy rests on three pillars: Research the flagship Freedom in the World and Freedom on the Net reports remain the backbone of Freedom House's institutional authority. Frontline Assistance direct support to human rights defenders and political prisoners, including the Free Them All: The Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners. Policy & Advocacy bipartisan Congressional engagement and international policymaker access in the areas of deepest programmatic and research credibility.

The Senior Director of Communications will be the connective tissue across all three pillars translating research into narrative, frontline work into public pressure, and policy wins into visibility that strengthens Freedom House's standing with donors, policymakers, and the public.

Freedom House is led by CEO Jamie Fly, supported by President Gerardo Berthin and Chief of Staff Masha Donnelly. The Chief Advancement Officer, Meto Koloski (Development), and Chief Financial Officer Jin Kim (Finance & Operations) report to the CEO working alongside senior directors leading Research and Analysis, the Fred Hiatt Program to Free Political Prisoners, Policy and Advocacy, Public Relations, and International Programs across Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Eurasia, and Asia. As a member of the CEO's Cabinet, the Senior Director of Communications will sit at this same table with direct visibility into, and influence across, every part of the organization's mission.

On May 20, 2026, Freedom House marked its 85th anniversary at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC, launching Investing in Freedom's Future a campaign to raise $85 million over five years to sustain its research, expand support for human rights defenders, and confront authoritarian abuses worldwide.

The Senior Director of Communications will play a defining role in this campaign building the public narrative, media visibility, and digital presence that carry Investing in Freedom's Future to donors, policymakers, and engaged audiences everywhere, and ensuring the campaign's momentum translates into a durable, prominent voice for Freedom House long after its five years conclude.

Freedom House is seeking a strategic and proactive Senior Director of Communications to lead its public communications strategy at a defining moment for the organization and for the global fight for freedom. The central purpose of the role is to turn Freedom House's research, advocacy, emergency assistance, political prisoner work, and frontline relationships into public pressure, audience growth, donor confidence, and institutional visibility.

This person will build communications campaigns, sharpen Freedom House's public voice, and ensure the organization's work reaches the people who can fund, amplify, and act on it including donors, policymakers, allied governments, journalists, diaspora communities, civil society partners, and engaged digital audiences. The Senior Director will lead an integrated communications function across earned media, owned channels, digital content, email, website strategy, executive communications, partner amplification, and donor-focused storytelling.

Freedom House works on complex and sensitive foreign policy and human rights issues. The communications leader must bring the judgment and substantive fluency to advise the CEO as a trusted member of his Cabinet, manage a communications team, work closely with regional and issue experts, understand political context quickly, and translate complicated research and programmatic work into clear, accurate, compelling communications that advance Freedom House's mission to defend and expand freedom globally.

Freedom House is modernizing its communications function moving away from traditional think-tank outputs toward a digital-first, video-forward approach and is looking for an entrepreneurial, self-directed storyteller who will help drive that evolution rather than wait for direction from senior leadership.

Develop and lead an integrated communications strategy tied to Freedom House's institutional priorities, fundraising goals, advocacy objectives, and audience growth. Define priority audiences by issue, campaign, and objective, including donors, policymakers, allied governments, journalists, diaspora communities, civil society partners, and engaged digital audiences. Serve as principal communications counsel to the CEO and help shape the CEO's public voice across speeches, op-eds, media, social platforms, donor communications, and major institutional moments. Work with Advocacy to support policy priorities by turning policy objectives into clear public messages, campaigns, media products, and audience-specific communications.

Build and execute communications campaigns around Freedom House's core work, including political prisoners, authoritarian repression, internet freedom, transnational repression, democratic resilience, and frontline support. Lead Freedom House's owned-channel strategy, including website, email, newsletters, LinkedIn, social platforms, short-form video, and campaign landing pages, with a focus on audience growth, engagement, and conversion. Champion a video-forward, digital-first storytelling approach building on Freedom House's strongest online engagement in years with particular emphasis on the stories of political prisoners and human rights defenders, including Russian activists, which resonate with private funders and engaged digital audiences. Oversee digital content strategy and ensure Freedom House is producing platform-appropriate content, including visual explainers, short videos, data-driven content, direct testimony, campaign updates, and donor-facing proof points. Develop and maintain relationships with national and international journalists, editors, producers, podcast hosts, and other media figures. Lead proactive media outreach, pitch Freedom House experts and op-eds, and identify opportunities for the organization in print, broadcast, podcasts, digital media, and other public platforms. Prepare executives and