Head of Communications

OpenAI Foundation; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

The OpenAI Foundation is seeking a dynamic Head of Communications to lead the organization’s public narrative and reputation in a fast-evolving tech landscape. You will shape strategy, messaging, and executive visibility to advance our mission of responsible AI benefits.

You will manage media relations, crisis response, and strategic external positioning, partnering with senior leaders to articulate a compelling vision and drive global engagement across audiences and channels.

Qualifications

• Ability to explain AI benefits to the general public.
• 15+ years building comms for leading organizations; tech experience preferred.
• Strong media relations with top-tier national media and global networks.
• Proficiency with analytics tools and digital media strategy.
• Global experience with cultural sensitivity.

Responsibilities

• Lead internal and external communications, media relations, and executive visibility.
• Shape long-term strategy and craft the organization's vision.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to raise impact of advocacy efforts.
• Develop crisis plans and rapid-response for press inquiries.
• Serve as primary media liaison and represent the Foundation at events.

Skills

Public communications strategy

Executive communications

Media relations

Digital & social media

Global communications

Job description

About OpenAI Foundation

AI is already changing how people work, learn, and access care. It has the potential to unlock extraordinary benefits—faster medical breakthroughs, accelerated scientific discovery, more personalized services in healthcare and education, new tools for creativity and invention, higher productivity and economic growth, improved public services like transportation systems, and so much more.

But building powerful systems to benefit humanity is only a part of the work of our mission. Advanced AI models will also present new challenges that are already surfacing, and we need to be prepared to identify these challenges and develop solutions to address them.

These are the two dimensions of what we’re building the Foundation to do. We aim to enable the use of AI to find solutions to humanity’s hardest problems, transform what people are capable of, and deliver real benefits in people’s lives—while working hard with partners to be ready for new challenges, and to help make society resilient, as AI advances.

This work is just beginning. Over the next year, as we quickly ramp up, the Foundation expects to invest at least $1 billion across life sciences and curing diseases, jobs and economic impact, AI resilience, and community programs. This includes early investments toward our previously announced $25 billion commitment to curing diseases and AI resilience.

About the role

The OpenAI Foundation believes that highly effective communication with the public is incredibly central to achieving the Foundation’s mission of ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. The Head of Communications will be a key leader at the Foundation, taking responsibility for the organization’s communications strategy and reputation.

What you'll do

• Lead all internal and external communications, including media relations, thought leadership, executive visibility, crisis/issues management, and leadership and employee communications.
• Help determine the long-term strategy and direction of the organization. Craft and communicate a vision.
• Partner with senior leaders on strategic external positioning to increase their impact as organization advocates. Mentor other executives and spokespeople as they become more active in the public sphere.
• Develop crisis management plans and procedures, and establish an infrastructure to take action as required rapidly. Develop thoughtful, strategic, and meaningful responses to time-sensitive press inquiries as they arise.
• Act as the organization's primary media liaison and organization spokesperson for significant initiatives. Represent the organization at media and corporate events.

Qualifications

• Must be highly effective at developing and executing communications strategies for explaining the benefits of artificial general intelligence to the average member of the public.
• Fifteen or more years of experience developing and executing successful communications strategies for industry-leading organizations. Experience in a fast-growing technology company is preferred.
• Deep understanding of the media industry landscape and proven hands‑on media relations experience with top‑tier national media. A strong network of established contacts, combined with demonstrated skill and comfort in proactively building new relationships with top‑tier media outlets worldwide.
• Clear command of leading-edge communications, measurement, and analytics tools. Firm grasp of social media and the broader digital media landscape.
• Proven experience operating on a global level with an international perspective and sensitivity to cultural nuances.