Communications Manager

About the role

We are looking for a Communications Manager to turn the Foundation’s strategy and multiple perspectives into a coherent and impactful, audience-focused communications. This is a full-time, Berlin-based role in a small international team. Salary: €54,000–€64,000, depending on experience. Applications close on 18 September 2026.

What success looks like

Success in this role means that the Foundation’s strategy is translated into clear, compelling communications for its priority audiences. Our messaging is sharper and more consistently used, and our impact is demonstrated through strong stories and evidence from our network. Our external communications - from media and digital content to reports and event materials - look and sound coherent, with consistency  across our verbal and visual brand. Light-touch internal processes help us prioritise well, coordinate effectively and consistently deliver excellent work.

About us

We’re proud to be a fast-moving, small organisation. Priorities can change quickly, information is not always complete, and you will often work across several projects and types of task at once. You’ll thrive if you enjoy figuring things out, can create enough structure to keep work moving, communicate early when something is unclear, and can adapt without losing momentum.

Key responsibilities

• Translate the Foundation’s strategy into focused communications priorities and compelling work for our different audiences ( including political parties and institutions, philanthropic funders and civil-society partners)  and channels

• Build the Foundation’s core messaging, adapting it for our agreed  priority audiences while strengthening clarity and consistency across the organisation and channels.

• Identify and develop powerful impact stories that demonstrate the significance of the Foundation’s work and drive engagement with them across all our channels

• Build and maintain audience-led communications plans across owned channels, media, partners, networks and other relevant platforms.

• Maintain high visual brand standards, and support the writing, design and production of reports, presentations, digital and social content and other communications materials.

• Introduce light-touch internal processes for planning, approvals, prioritisation and quality control, making effective use of colleagues, freelancers and external specialists as needed.

• Provide clear communications advice, manage competing perspectives and make constructive recommendations about priorities and trade-offs.

• Remain hands-on in producing and editing excellent and modern communications, while supporting the promotion and amplification of the Foundation’s events and programmes.

• Support the Foundation’s events through audience-focused messaging, promotion, content development and post-event amplification, working closely with the colleagues who lead them.

• Manage our Communications Coordinator and comms interns

About you

You’re a sharp, versatile communicator who combines excellent writing and editorial judgment with a good visual eye. You’re an energetic doer and practical problem-solver who enjoys turning complex work into engaging communications for different audiences.  You bring sound judgment and confidence: you can listen closely, make sense of different views and recommend a practical way forward when priorities compete. You combine strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, bringing ideas freely, responding well to feedback and adapting without losing sight of the goal.

Essential experience and capabilities

• Communications craft: Excellent writing and editing skills, a strong design eye and sound brand judgment. You can turn complex strategies, research and evidence into clear, compelling communications across messaging, digital content, reports, presentations and event promotion; brief and review creative specialists; and provide hands-on design support using Canva or a similar platform.

• Strategic judgment: The ability to connect communications choices to organisational goals, develop strong messaging and identify the stories, channels and opportunities most likely to make an impact. You bring strong  judgment and can develop media angles and materials and  pitch stories to traditional and new media.

• Execution and organisation: The ability to take ownership of significant work, create structure around multiple moving priorities, coordinate contributors and consistently get high-quality work over the line.

• Learning agility: The curiosity and ability to become effective quickly in unfamiliar subjects, formats, software and tools by finding good examples, asking useful questions, testing approaches and applying feedback.

• Adaptability: The ability to make progress with incomplete information, recognise when to act or consult, communicate trade-offs, and change course constructively when needed.

• Antifragility: The ability to learn and become more effective through challenge, uncertainty and setbacks. You reflect on what is not working, absorb feedback without becoming defensive, adapt quickly and use difficult moments to strengthen your judgment, systems and approach.

• Initiative and problem-solving: you are resourceful and  spot gaps and opportunities, propose practical ways forward and do not wait for every step to be specified.

• Collaboration: The ability to work generously with colleagues who bring deep expertise and strong perspectives, contribute a clear point of view, handle different perspectives and remain open to better ideas.

Useful experience

• Editing video or podcasts

• Using CRM or email-marketing platforms.

• An interest in politics, government, democracy or leadership development.

• Networks in  traditional or new media

• Additional language skills, including Spanish, German or French.

• Experience managing and developing a more junior colleague.

What we offer

• A smart, hardworking and supportive team committed to your growth and learning. We try to make our workplace as friendly and enjoyable as possible.

• The opportunity to work for a nonprofit dedicated to real impact.

• A Berlin-based role with office days on Mondays and Wednesdays.

• Generous leave: 20 days, the last Friday of every month off, your birthday, one week in summer and the Christmas period, alongside flexible working conditions once established in the role.

• International, diverse and enthusiastic colleagues from Australia, South Africa, Jordan, Germany, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina, Ukraine, Paraguay, Turkey, Colombia and Spain.

Application

Apply with your CV. No cover letter needed. Please also answer the following questions:

1. Do you currently have the right to work in Germany? If so, on what basis?

2. Please link to two or three examples of communications work you substantially shaped. Together, they should demonstrate messaging or positioning and at least one of: impact storytelling, a campaign, media relations or audience-focused digital content. Explain your contribution and key choices. (Max 200 words, excluding links.)

3. Tell us about a communications programme you owned. How did you decide what to prioritise, what not to do and how to adapt when circumstances changed? (Max 200 words)

4. Who is a current or former politician you respect, and why, even if you disagree with them? (Max 200 words)

The Foundation welcomes applicants from different backgrounds. If you meet most essential criteria, we encourage you to apply.