Vice President, Communications

This hybrid position requires two days per week in our San Francisco office.

About you

You’ve got goals, and you’re energetic when it comes to working toward them. You want to enter an environment that welcomes diverse experiences and broadens your own. With the right support from your team, you’re not afraid to embrace your creativity and take risks that have the potential to move the business forward.

About this role 

Are you ready to shape the narrative in the fast-evolving world of learning and development?  As the Vice President of Communications, you’ll sit at the intersection of innovation, strategy, and storytelling, crafting the voice of our brand to inspire learners, instructors, and stakeholders alike.

Leading a team of thought leadership, communications and media relations professionals as well as working alongside your peers in marketing you will lead the effort to define and communicate our brand’s voice across channels, amplify our mission to transform lives through learning, and establish us as a trusted thought leader in the space. You will ‌ ensure our story resonates with the right audiences at the right time.

If you thrive on translating complex ideas into compelling narratives, building strong media relationships, creating compelling internal messages and driving measurable impact through strategic communication, this is the role for you. 

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in media and press relations, with a proven track record of securing high-profile coverage and building effective communication strategies internally and externally.

What you'll be doing

• Strategic Communications:
  • Develop and implement comprehensive communication strategies that align with our business objectives.
  • Collaborate with the executive team to shape the company’s narrative and messaging.
  • Work with our people and learning teams to help build the Udemy on Udemy story. 
• Media and Press Relations:
  • Develop a strategy for media outreach to build and maintain strong relationships with key media outlets, journalists, and industry influencers.
  • Secure high-impact media coverage and speaking opportunities to enhance our brand reputation.
  • Manage crisis communications and mitigate potential negative press.
• Content Development:
  • Oversee and contribute to the creation of compelling content, including press releases, blog posts, whitepapers, and data driven thought leadership articles.
  • Leverage AI to accelerate productivity. 
  • Ensure all communications are consistent with our brand voice and messaging.
• Event Support:
  • Work with regional teams to support and execute industry events, conferences, and webinars to showcase our products, thought leadership and point of view. 
• Analytics and Reporting:
  • Monitor and analyze the effectiveness of communication strategies and campaigns.
  • Provide regular reports on media coverage, engagement metrics, and other key performance indicators.
• Internal Communications:
  • Develop and execute internal communication strategies to keep employees informed and engaged.
  • Foster a culture of transparency and collaboration across the organization working with your team to support all hands and other company communication vehicles.

About your Skills

• Strategic Thinking and Planning:
• Ability to develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies that align with the company's business objectives.
• Capacity to anticipate and address potential challenges and opportunities in the market.
• Media and Press Relations:
• Strong relationships with key media outlets, journalists, and industry influencers.
• Proven track record of securing high-impact media coverage and managing crisis communications effectively.
• Excellent Communication Skills:
• Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities to craft compelling narratives and messaging.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to various stakeholders, including employees, investors, and customers.
• Content Development and Management:
• Proficiency in creating and overseeing the production of high-quality content, such as press releases, blog posts, whitepapers, and thought leadership articles.
• Ensuring all communications are consistent with the brand voice and messaging.
• Analytical and Data-Driven Decision Making:
• Ability to monitor and analyze the effectiveness of communication strategies and campaigns.
• Utilizing data and metrics to inform and adjust communication strategies for optimal impact.
• Leadership and Team Building: 
• The ability to inspire, mentor, and grow a high-performing team, encouraging different thinking and fostering an environment where collaboration thrives.

What you’ll have

While this work is based more on the skills a person has than what they have done, we think a typical profile could include the following: 

• Proven experience (10+ years) in communications, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Strong background in media and press relations, with a network of industry contacts.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Internal comms experience 
• Experience in the EdTech or SaaS industry is a plus.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in using communication tools and platforms.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, or a related field.

We understand that not everyone will match each of the above qualifications. However, we also realize that everyone has unique experiences that can add value to our company. Even if you think your background might not perfectly align, we'd love to hear from you!

Life at Udemy

We aspire to be as vibrant and dynamic as the communities we serve, as inquisitive as those who use our platform, and as revolutionary as the future we strive to open for everyone. Here are some of the things we love about life at Udemy:

• We’re invested in creating an inclusive environment that welcomes a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. From creating employee resource groups, ensuring we’re a Fair Pay Workplace, and building a flexible work culture, our belonging, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BEDI) initiatives always put our people first. We want you to be able to bring your authentic self to work because when we all do, we’re better for it. 
  
  
• Learning is what we do – inside and out. Our Learning & Development team is second to none, helping ensure your journey is one of continuous progression. You’ll also have unlimited access to Udemy courses, monthly UDays (meeting-free professional development days), and a generous annual professional development stipend.
  
  
• Our reason to exist is to revolutionize learning – that calls for taking risks and learning from failures. Whether it’s our hackathons (a company-wide effort to envision new possibilities for our product) or sharing our prototypes, we see experimentation as a crucial step on the path to success.
  
  
• We’re committed to creating world-class employee experiences and are proud of the recognition of this by Great Place to Work. 

Of course, the best thing about being part of Udemy is knowing your work makes a difference for people and organizations around the world. You’ve got the skills; why not use them to help others develop theirs?

At Udemy, we value diversity and inclusion and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, medical condition, or disability. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Our Benefits Start With U

Our benefits package at Udemy “starts with U” and is grounded in mission-driven benefits that intentionally align with our core values. Here’s a sneak peek at just a few highlighted benefits if you’re a full-time Udemate based in the United States:

• Core Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life/AD&D, and disability coverage
• HSA/FSA/Commuter: Pre-tax savings/spending plans, including HSA employer contributions
• Transgender Benefits: Expanded medical coverage for gender-affirming care
• Parental Benefits: Financial assistance for fertility (including egg-freezing), adoption, and surrogacy expenses; twelve weeks of paid family bonding for birth, surrogacy, adoption, and foster placement (plus up to six to ten weeks of paid disability leave for birthing parents) as well as a two-week “ease-back” program that enables parents to return part-time at full pay
• Whole U: Fully paid memberships for meditation/mindfulness, therapy/coaching visits, financial planning, virtual family care, reproductive health, breastmilk shipping, and caregiving support
• Learning: Free access to Udemy and Udemy Business plus a yearly stipend to spend on professional development
• Retirement: Pre-tax and Roth 401(k) plan with an employer contribution
• Vacation: Flexible vacation for salaried Udemates and fifteen days per year for hourly
• Holidays: Twelve paid holidays throughout the year

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