Chief Marketing & External Communications Officer

Socket.dev; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 290,000 - 361,000; Full time

Job summary

Epirus in Torrance, CA seeks a Vice President of Marketing and Communications to shape and externalize the company’s core messaging, vision, and positioning under the Strategy function. They will partner with executive leadership to build the external narrative, manage media relations, press strategy, and public communications, while guiding an external design partner and leading a small team.

You will lead industry events, speaking engagements, editorials, and investor relations support,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or related field.
• 10+ years of marketing, communications, and/or public relations experience shaping and externalizing strategic messaging with executive leadership.
• A strategic communicator who can break big ideas into clear, structured themes and messages.
• Experience building and controlling an external narrative, including media relations and press strategy.
• Experience developing relationships with government/defense media personnel preferred.
• Ability to propose and operate against structured, measurable marketing frameworks and reporting.
• Comfortable directing and briefing external or internal creative/design partners rather than producing hands-on work.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with a knack for simplifying complex topics and technologies.
• Strong initiative and urgency, comfortable with moderate budget autonomy.
• Passion for startup environments and Epirus' defense industry role.
• Desire to build senior relationships with military/defense stakeholders and grow into broader scope.

Responsibilities

• Shape and externalize Epirus' core messaging, vision, and positioning with executive leadership.
• Build and control the external narrative, including media relations, press strategy, and public-facing communications.
• Develop and maintain relationships with Department of War (DoW) media personnel.
• Propose structured, measurable marketing objectives, frameworks, and reporting.
• Direct and brief an internal design house to execute on brand and creative work.

Skills

Strategic communication

Executive partnership

Media relations

Marketing frameworks

Communication clarity

Initiative & urgency

Defense industry knowledge

Stakeholder management

Autonomy

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing/communications or related field

Job description

Epirus in Torrance, CA seeks a Vice President of Marketing and Communications to shape and externalize the company’s core messaging, vision, and positioning under the Strategy function. They will partner with executive leadership to build the external narrative, manage media relations, press strategy, and public communications, while guiding an external design partner and leading a small team.

You will lead industry events, speaking engagements, editorials, and investor relations support,