Associate Director - Senior Speechwriter

The Trust for Public Land; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Vacation and sick pay

Holidays

403(b) retirement plan (up to 7% match

Job summary

Trust for Public Land is seeking a Senior Speechwriter to shape the voice of our CEO and elevate organizational thought leadership nationwide. This role develops speeches, op-eds, talking points, and presentations, translating mission, strategy, and program results into clear narratives for donors, policymakers, and the public.

As the subject matter expert for executive communications, you will advise on style and delivery for diverse audiences and collaborate with Communications team leads to

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in communications, journalism, English, public policy, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in executive communications, speechwriting, or related field.
• Exceptional writing and editing with proven executive voice and storytelling ability.

Responsibilities

• Serve as speechwriter and executive communications lead for the CEO, developing speeches, op-eds, and talking points.
• Lead CEO presentations and speaking engagements from concept to delivery with strong narrative and visuals.
• Translate complex data, research, policy priorities, fundraising goals, and community stories into clear narratives.
• Advise on format, tone, level of detail, and delivery for different audiences and moments.
• Create event scripts and run-of-show materials for national and regional events.
• Maintain organization-wide writing standards for clear, consistent communications across channels.

Skills

Speechwriting

Executive communications

Public policy

Storytelling

Project management

Stakeholder management

Presentation delivery

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications/journalism/English/public policy

Tools

PowerPoint

Job description

• Washington DC, United States

Who We Are

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is the leader of a movement to connect everyone in America to the outdoors. A national nonprofit, TPL partners with communities to create high-quality parks and protect public lands- especially in communities that need them most- to improve public health, create social cohesion, strengthen historic and cultural connections to place, and increase climate resilience. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,500 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, generated more than $112 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 10 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.

Position Summary

Trust for Public Land is seeking a Senior Speechwriter to shape and elevate the voice of our CEO and advance organizational thought leadership nationwide. This role develops speeches, op-eds, talking points, articles, social media copy, internal and Board communications, briefing materials, and visual presentations. The Senior Speechwriter translates TPL’s mission, strategy, research, policy priorities, fundraising goals, program results, and community stories into clear, persuasive narratives for donors, policymakers, partners, media, staff, Board members, community leaders, and the public. As TPL’s subject matter expert for executive communications, this position also advises on how speeches, presentations, op-eds, and other thought leadership materials should be written and delivered for different audiences, formats, and moments. Working closely with Communications team leads and partners across the organization, the Senior Speechwriter ensures that executive communications are timely, consistent, persuasive, and connected to TPL’s priorities.

Essential Functions

CEO Communications Speechwriting and Presentations, 60-70 Percent

• Serve as speechwriter and executive communications lead for the CEO, developing speeches, op-eds, articles, talking points, briefing documents, social media content, CEO-to-staff and CEO-to-Board communications, and other high-stakes internal and external materials.


• Lead CEO presentations and speaking opportunities from concept through delivery, including narrative development, slide structure, visual storytelling, speaker notes, rehearsals, and supporting materials for Board meetings, donor engagements, staff convenings, major events, and external appearances.


• Translate complex data, research, policy priorities, fundraising goals, program achievements, and community stories into clear, persuasive narratives.


• Advise the CEO and other senior leaders on format, tone, level of detail, and delivery, and provide practical feedback on pacing, clarity, and audience connection.


• Create event scripts, run-of-show documents, panel materials, briefings, and other supporting content for national and regional events.


• Maintain the organization-wide benchmark for writing and editing standards to support clear, consistent, and compelling communications across channels.

Organizational Thought Leadership and Priority Moments, 20-30 Percent

• Support high-priority organizational moments and major convenings by partnering with relationship managers, program teams, and internal and external collaborators to develop remarks, scripts, and run-of-show materials.


• Develop remarks, presentations, and supporting visuals for TPL leaders in coordination with the Creative team and established TPL templates.


• Write op-eds for national campaigns and major media moments, developing original content for the CEO and other leaders and adapting it for broader use across the organization.

Collaboration Project Management and Tracking, 10 Percent

• Serve as the central coordinator and project lead for CEO communications opportunities and speaking engagements.


• Maintain a central tracker of assignments, deadlines, owners, approvals, decisions, and status; provide concise updates and flag risks early.


• Synthesize stakeholder input, reconcile competing edits, and help teams reach timely decisions.


• Build strong working relationships across teams and handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, English, public policy, political science, or a related field.


• At least seven years of experience in executive communications, speechwriting, thought leadership, journalism, communications, or a related field.


• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with substantial speechwriting experience and the ability to capture and sustain an executive’s voice.


• Experience advising and preparing CEOs or other senior leaders for speeches, panels, presentations, and other high-stakes moments, including rehearsals and delivery.


• Strong PowerPoint and presentation development skills, including narrative structure, slide development, and visual storytelling.


• Ability to translate complex data, research, policy, fundraising, program work, and community stories into clear, compelling narratives.


• Strong audience judgment and the ability to adjust tone, format, and level of detail across audiences and channels while maintaining message consistency.


• Excellent project management skills, including the ability to manage competing deadlines, track complex workflows, and keep work moving.


• Strong collaborative and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to synthesize input, reconcile edits, and provide clear, candid counsel.


• Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.


• A strong commitment to TPL’s shared values - Belonging, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Hope - and the ability to work effectively across the organization.

Compensation

Trust for Public Land is a hybrid work environment, and this role will ideally be located near a Trust for Public Land office. As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Trust for Public Land’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; vacation and sick pay plus holidays; a year-end office closure; and a 403(b) retirement plan, currently with up to a 7 percent company match. We offer competitive salaries commensurate with experience. The anticipated hiring range for this position is $110,000-$125,000.

Trust for Public Land’s active goal is to be an inclusive and equitable place to work and build community. As the organization works to eliminate racial and other disparities, we welcome candidates with diverse backgrounds and multicultural skillsets. We recognize that a great candidate for this job may not precisely meet all the above criteria.