Head of Communications

OpenAI Foundation; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 316,000 - 435,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenAI Foundation is seeking a Head of Communications to lead the organization's communications strategy and public reputation. This role will be central to shaping how AI benefits humanity and how the Foundation speaks to media, partners, and the public.

The position requires extensive experience in strategic communications, media relations, and global outreach, with a track record of executive visibility and crisis response.

Qualifications

• Fifteen or more years of experience developing and executing communications strategies.
• Experience in a fast-growing technology company is preferred.
• Deep understanding of the media landscape with top-tier national media relationships.
• Strong command of digital media, measurement, and analytics tools.
• Experience operating globally with sensitivity to cultural nuances.

Responsibilities

• Lead all internal and external communications, including media relations, thought leadership, executive visibility, 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 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.

Skills

Media relations

Strategic communications

Public speaking

Global communications

Cultural sensitivity

Tools

Media analytics tools

Social listening

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, 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 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.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this role is $316,000 to $435,000 USD.

This range reflects our good‑faith estimate of the base salary we reasonably expect to pay for this position upon hire. Actual base salary will be determined based on job‑related factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience, skills, expertise, the scope of the role, and work location, as applicable.

This salary range does not include benefits or any other compensation for which the role may be eligible.

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.