New

Vice President, External Relations

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
life insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, 401(k)
United States, New York, New York
733 3rd Avenue (Show on map)
Aug 23, 2025
WHO WE ARE: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society mobilizes people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. To fulfill this mission, the Society funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, facilitates professional education, collaborates with MS organizations around the world, and provides programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. We partner with volunteers to accomplish our work. Staff members engage volunteers through effective and timely communications, facilitating meaningful opportunities, and continually seeking and providing feedback for reciprocal growth and learning. The Vice President of External Relations leads the organization's external communications strategy to enhance brand visibility, reputation, and stakeholder engagement. This role oversees media relations, influencer partnerships, and external communications, ensuring alignment with the overall marketing and brand strategy Main Responsibilities Develop and execute integrated external communications strategies that support brand positioning and marketing goals. Ensure consistent messaging across all external channels, including media, public relations, and digital platforms. Serve as the primary spokesperson and media contact for the organization. Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists, media outlets, and industry influencers. Oversee press releases, media kits, and executive communications. Leads the creation and dissemination of external messaging such as core narratives and talking points, both proactively and reactively, to support external engagement at all levels. Works closely with internal stakeholder to align external messaging with internal and strategic communications. Leads thought leadership efforts to best position the organization at public events, conferences, and industry forums. Develop and implement crisis communication plans. Monitor public sentiment and proactively manage reputational risks. Lead a team of communications and PR professionals and oversees the work of the PR and influencers agency partners. Collaborate closely with content and creative, digital marketing, marketing and others to align cohesive storytelling and campaign execution. General distribution of time: Business Vertical Vision and Strategy - 30% Team Leadership (culture, high-level mentorship, decision making support) - 40% Integration work with Peers (process refinement and strategic projects) - 30% What We're Looking For: Bachelor's degree in journalism, media, or related field 10+ years of experience managing public relations teams and efforts, with at least 5 years in a leadership role. Strong understanding of influencer marketing and thought leadership work Proven success in managing and supporting media partnerships. Strong team leadership, interpersonal, and presentation skills. Experience working in fast-paced, high-visibility environments. Overall responsible for the entire business vertical including full P&L accountability Provides overall vision, strategic support, and leadership to various teams modeling strong cultural approach to drive accountability, empowerment, innovation, and frugal resource stewardship Collaborates with peers to integrate cross-vertical processes towards efficiency Drives long term business transformation across several key areas with a main focus on data and audience intelligence Provides data-driven decision making for all projects within the vertical to ensure strategic prioritization Constantly monitors and evaluates progress across major KPIs, both tactical and long-term, including overall ROI for each initiative Location Requirements Remote - Flexible Location Work is primarily performed remotely, however, when possible and necessary, teams meet in person to conduct the business of the organization and build team relationships. Compensation \| Benefits: The estimated hiring compensation range for this role is $130,000-$150,000. Final offers will be based on the candidate'sgeographic location, consider career experience and may vary from this range due to these and other factors. You will have the opportunity for a highly competitive, comprehensive benefit package that the Society provides to employees. Your benefits include a considerable Paid Time Off Plan; Paid Holidays; 401k Retirement Savings Plan with Society match; Commuter Benefit Plan; Comprehensive Health & Welfare benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Flex Spending Accounts, Life Insurance, Disability Coverage, Spring Health Membership offering free therapy and professional coaching, as well as additional voluntary benefit offerings. Not to mention, you will join an incredible mission focused team of people! We're committed to supporting the growth of every employee through a structured and transparent approach to career development. We use Talent Portraits to define clear expectations, development opportunities, and advancement paths - whether you're growing as a people leader or deepening your expertise as an individual contributor. Each role is thoughtfully placed within one of these pathways (Leadership or Partner) to help you understand how it fits into our broader organization and your potential career journey. This position is classified as Leadership - Leading Leaders. The National MS Society is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strive to create a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We need you and your unique talents and perspectives to help us write the last chapter on MS. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: We appreciate your consideration of our job opportunities and strive to make it as effortless as possible to apply for our positions. With only a few required sections and the option to use our resume parsing tool, we aim to streamline the application experience, saving you time and effort. Additionally, if you wish to include a cover letter with your application, please feel free to attach it along with your resume, and any other documents required, to the Resume/CV document upload section at the bottom of the My Experience page. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and look forward to receiving your application! Important: You will not be able to modify your application after you submit it. The "My Experience" page is the only opportunity to add your cover letter and supporting document attachments. If you experience any trouble submitting your materials, please check out our FAQ & Contact Us page.