Director of Strategic Communications

Digital Force Technologies; San Diego (CA); Presencial; USD 140.000 - 175.000; Tempo integral

Benefícios oferecidos por esta vaga

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision care

401K matching

Life insurance

Short-term disability

3 weeks PTO

13 company holidays

Resumo da vaga

Digital Force Technologies (DFT) is seeking a Director of Strategic Communications to translate complex defense tech into clear, audience-focused messaging and lead integrated communications programs. You will advise executives, shape brand voice, and coordinate across engineering, product, and operations to protect sensitive information while driving visibility among customers, partners, and media.

In this role you will manage editorial strategy, develop case studies and thought-leadership

Qualificações

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, or equivalent relevant experience.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in strategic communications, corporate communications, public affairs, or public relations.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives and leading integrated communications programs.
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, and presentation-development skills.
• Proven ability to translate complex technical subjects into clear, audience-focused communications.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, national security, advanced technology, or another technically complex and highly regulated environment.
• Strong media-relations experience and sound judgment when managing sensitive or high-stakes issues.
• Ability to collaborate across technical, commercial, operational, and corporate functions.
• Hands-on working style, strong project management skills, and the ability to prioritize competing demands.

Responsabilidades

• Partner with engineering, product, and operational experts to develop compelling, substantiated stories about DFT’s capabilities.
• Translate technical concepts into audience-appropriate messaging for customers, partners, employees, prospective hires, and the media.
• Develop approved case studies, capability narratives, fact sheets, executive presentations, and thought-leadership content.
• Establish clear standards for claims, terminology, supporting evidence, and customer references.
• Coordinate reviews to protect proprietary, customer-sensitive, export-controlled, or classified information, as applicable.
• Own the corporate editorial strategy and content calendar across the website, social channels, and other communications platforms.
• Ensure a consistent brand voice and high editorial standards across written, visual, and multimedia content.
• Partner with business development and marketing stakeholders to support priority campaigns and industry events.
• Direct external writers, designers, public relations agencies, and other communications partners as needed.
• Use audience and channel performance data to improve content relevance and effectiveness.
• Develop internal communications that help employees understand company strategy, priorities, and milestones.
• Partner with leadership and human resources on organizational announcements, change communications, and employer storytelling.
• Create mechanisms for sharing approved customer impact, employee achievements, and company progress.
• Strengthen consistency between DFT’s internal culture and external narrative.
• Establish communications workflows, editorial standards, approval processes, and annual planning practices.
• Manage communications budgets, vendors, and resources.
• Define meaningful performance measures tied to reputation, audience engagement, message adoption, and business priorities.
• Build and mentor a communications team as organizational needs evolve.

Conhecimentos

Strategic comms

Executive advisory

Writing & storytelling

Technical storytelling

Defense industry

Media relations

Cross-functional collab

Project management

Crisis comms

Audience segmentation

Formação

Bachelor's degree

Descrição da vaga

Digital Force Technologies (DFT) is a defense technology provider with a 26-year history of developing and fielding advanced sensor systems, force protection solutions, and tactical surveillance products. DFT’s extensive history of innovation, in-house expertise, and robust network of technology partners allows DFT to rapidly addresses critical Department of Defense (DoD) and Federal Agency requirements. DFT’s engineering team is a diverse and skilled group, determined to develop advanced technical solutions. DFT offers a unique chance to develop and work with modern technologies while delivering impact and seeing products grow from concept to reality. DFT is a results driven culture focused on innovation, creativity, and growth. If you have a passion for solving complex problems, making an immediate impact on a dynamic, and fast-moving, product development team, we’d love to hear from you!

What We Need:

DFT’s public positioning centers on integrated mission systems, SeraphimOS, sensor fusion, AI-enabled decision support, and tactical edge hardware. The Director of Strategic Communications will make those capabilities understandable and relevant to distinct audiences while preserving technical accuracy.

What You’ll Do:

• Partner with engineering, product, and operational experts to develop compelling, substantiated stories about DFT’s capabilities.
• Translate technical concepts into audience-appropriate messaging for customers, partners, employees, prospective hires, and the media.
• Develop approved case studies, capability narratives, fact sheets, executive presentations, and thought-leadership content.
• Establish clear standards for claims, terminology, supporting evidence, and customer references.
• Coordinate reviews to protect proprietary, customer-sensitive, export-controlled, or classified information, as applicable.

Digital Content and Brand Stewardship:

• Own the corporate editorial strategy and content calendar across the website, social channels, and other communications platforms.
• Ensure a consistent brand voice and high editorial standards across written, visual, and multimedia content.
• Partner with business development and marketing stakeholders to support priority campaigns and industry events.
• Direct external writers, designers, public relations agencies, and other communications partners as needed.
• Use audience and channel performance data to improve content relevance and effectiveness.

Internal Communications and Organizational Alignment:

• Develop internal communications that help employees understand company strategy, priorities, and milestones.
• Partner with leadership and human resources on organizational announcements, change communications, and employer storytelling.
• Create mechanisms for sharing approved customer impact, employee achievements, and company progress.
• Strengthen consistency between DFT’s internal culture and external narrative.

Function Leadership and Measurement:

• Establish communications workflows, editorial standards, approval processes, and annual planning practices.
• Manage communications budgets, vendors, and resources.
• Define meaningful performance measures tied to reputation, audience engagement, message adoption, and business priorities.
• Build and mentor a communications team as organizational needs evolve.

Required Skills/Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, marketing, a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• At least 10 years of progressive experience in strategic communications, corporate communications, public affairs, or public relations.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives and leading integrated communications programs.
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, and presentation-development skills.
• Proven ability to translate complex technical subjects into clear, accurate, audience-focused communications.
• Experience in defense, aerospace, national security, advanced technology, or another technically complex and highly regulated environment.
• Strong media-relations experience and sound judgment when managing sensitive or high-stakes issues.
• Ability to collaborate across technical, commercial, operational, and corporate functions.
• A hands‑on working style, strong project management skills, and the ability to prioritize competing demands.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience communicating about mission systems, sensing, autonomy, AI-enabled software, force protection, or Counter-UAS technologies.
• Familiarity with defense acquisition audiences and the communications needs of government customers and industry partners.
• Experience coordinating communications reviews with legal, security, contracts, and customer stakeholders.
• Established relationships with defense and national security media.
• Experience supporting a growing technology company, building a communications function, or managing agency relationships.
• Experience developing crisis-communications plans and preparing executive spokespeople.

What Success Looks Like During the First Year:

• Establish an approved corporate narrative and messaging framework used consistently across priority channels.
• Implement a coordinated communications plan aligned with leadership and business development objectives.
• Build a repeatable pipeline of technically accurate, approved stories and executive content.
• Strengthen DFT’s visibility among relevant customer, partner, media, and talent audiences.
• Put reliable review, publishing, and issues-response processes in place.
• Establish a performance dashboard that measures communications outcomes rather than activity alone.

What We Offer:

DFT offers a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, vision, 401K w/ company match, life insurance, short term disability, 3 weeks PTO, 13 company holidays, and much more. In addition, DFT provides a company culture that encourages:

• Motivation

Salary Range: $140,000 - $175,000 - The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.

If you are looking for a dynamic place to work where your contribution makes a difference in supporting the mission, DFT is the right company for you.

EEOC Statement -

DFT is an equal-opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.