Senior Director, Narrative & Editorial

Smile Train; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan with employer match

Generous PTO

Paid parental leave

Mental health resources

Professional development stipend

Hybrid work model

Domestic and international travel

Job summary

Smile Train, the world’s leading cleft-focused nonprofit, seeks a Senior Director, Narrative & Editorial in New York. You will shape the global narrative, govern content across channels, and partner with Development, Programs, Advocacy, and Creative teams to ensure high-quality, cohesive communications.

You will mentor writers, establish standards, and drive campaigns that advance our mission with inclusive, culturally responsive storytelling. Hybrid NYC office with global impact.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in editorial leadership, journalism, strategic communications, or content strategy.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills across multiple formats and audiences.
• Demonstrated success developing organizational narratives and editorial strategies.
• Deep understanding of digital communications and channel-specific content strategies.
• Expertise in adapting voice, tone, and messaging for different audiences while maintaining brand consistency.
• Experience managing editorial calendars and complex content workflows.
• Expert understanding of SEO, website content strategy, and social media best practices.
• Excellent collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading teams and mentoring writers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and evolve Smile Train's global narrative, aligning messaging with the organization's mission, strategy, and leadership in comprehensive cleft care.
• Translate organizational priorities into compelling stories for donors, partners, policymakers, healthcare professionals, media, and the public.
• Develop messaging frameworks and editorial themes that support integrated campaigns and elevate conversations around health systems, equity, and comprehensive cleft care.
• Serve as the organization's chief editor, ensuring excellence in writing, editing, accuracy, accessibility, and consistency.
• Establish editorial standards, style guides, and governance.
• Lead the editorial calendar and edit executive communications, speeches, reports, thought leadership, and campaign content.
• Oversee editorial strategy across the website, social media, executive communications, newsletters, email, campaigns, blogs, and organizational communications.
• Ensure each channel has a distinct voice and audience-specific strategy while reinforcing a cohesive brand narrative.
• Use audience insights and analytics to optimize content performance.
• Partner with Development, Programs, Advocacy, Executive Leadership, Regional Communications, and Creative Services to deliver integrated, high-impact storytelling.
• Provide strategic editorial guidance for fundraising, marketing, and organizational communications.
• Champion editorial quality, brand consistency, and inclusive, culturally responsive communications.
• Mentor communications professionals, strengthen editorial processes, and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Skills

Editorial leadership

Storytelling

Strategic communications

Content strategy

Team mentoring

Stakeholder management

SEO knowledge

Job description

Organizational Overview

Smile Train is the world’s leading cleft-focused organization. Our vision is a world where everyone has access to safe, high-quality comprehensive cleft care and can live a full and healthy life. We train and support doctors and other medical professionals to provide our patients with free, life-changing, comprehensive cleft treatment. This sustainable model has allowed us to support more than 2 million cleft surgeries in 95+ countries since our founding in 1999, and we’re still just getting started. We are truly changing the world one smile at a time.

Make a Difference!

As Smile Train's Senior Director, Narrative & Editorial, you will develop and steward the organization's global narrative while ensuring editorial excellence across every communications channel. Reporting to the Vice President, Communications, this strategic leader serves as Smile Train's chief storyteller and editor, shaping how the organization communicates across digital, social, executive, donor, and organizational communications.

This role owns editorial strategy, content governance, and narrative development, ensuring every communication reflects Smile Train's mission, voice, and strategic priorities. Success requires deep expertise across communication channels and an understanding that each platform—from LinkedIn and Instagram to the website, donor materials, and executive communications—demands a distinct editorial voice while reinforcing one cohesive brand narrative.

The Senior Director will oversee editorial planning and serve as a trusted partner to Development, Programs, Advocacy, and Creative teams, ensuring all communications meet the highest standards of quality, consistency, audience engagement, and brand integrity.

Key Responsibilities

Narrative Strategy

• Lead and evolve Smile Train's global narrative, aligning messaging with the organization's mission, strategy, and leadership in comprehensive cleft care.
• Translate organizational priorities into compelling stories for donors, partners, policymakers, healthcare professionals, media, and the public.
• Develop messaging frameworks and editorial themes that support integrated campaigns and elevate conversations around health systems, equity, and comprehensive cleft care.

Editorial Leadership

• Serve as the organization's chief editor, ensuring excellence in writing, editing, accuracy, accessibility, and consistency.
• Establish editorial standards, style guides, and governance.
• Lead the editorial calendar and edit executive communications, speeches, reports, thought leadership, and campaign content.

Content & Channel Strategy

• Oversee editorial strategy across the website, social media, executive communications, newsletters, email, campaigns, blogs, and organizational communications.
• Ensure each channel has a distinct voice and audience‑specific strategy while reinforcing a cohesive brand narrative.
• Use audience insights and analytics to optimize content performance.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Development, Programs, Advocacy, Executive Leadership, Regional Communications, and Creative Services to deliver integrated, high-impact storytelling.
• Provide strategic editorial guidance for fundraising, marketing, and organizational communications.

Brand Stewardship & Leadership

• Champion editorial quality, brand consistency, and inclusive, culturally responsive communications.
• Mentor communications professionals, strengthen editorial processes, and foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a strategic storyteller and accomplished editorial leader who can shape an organization's narrative while maintaining exceptional standards for writing and editing. They translate complex ideas into compelling, audience-centered content that builds trust, inspires action, and advances organizational goals.

They possess deep expertise across digital, social, executive, and organizational communications, understanding how each channel requires a distinct voice while reinforcing a unified brand narrative. Highly collaborative, they build trusted partnerships across functions and are skilled at elevating ideas through thoughtful editing and strategic counsel.

An experienced people leader, they mentor writers, establish editorial standards, and build scalable processes that improve quality, consistency, and efficiency. They balance strategic vision with hands‑on execution and are equally comfortable developing enterprise messaging, editing executive speeches, shaping global campaigns, or refining digital content.

Intellectually curious, audience-focused, and committed to editorial excellence, they believe storytelling is a powerful driver of reputation and change. They are motivated by the opportunity to position Smile Train as the global leader in comprehensive cleft care through compelling, ethical, and strategically driven communications.

Required Education and Experience

• 12+ years of experience in editorial leadership, journalism, strategic communications, or content strategy.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills across multiple formats and audiences.
• Demonstrated success developing organizational narratives and editorial strategies.
• Deep understanding of digital communications and channel-specific content strategies.
• Expertise in adapting voice, tone, and messaging for different audiences while maintaining brand consistency.
• Experience managing editorial calendars and complex content workflows.
• Expert understanding of SEO, website content strategy, and social media best practices.
• Excellent collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading teams and mentoring writers.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Experience in global health, nonprofit, or humanitarian organizations.
• Experience translating medical, scientific, or policy content into accessible public-facing communications.
• Experience working across international teams and multicultural audiences.

Compensation

$110,000 to $115,000 annually

Accountability Expectations

• Ownership of Outcomes: Take full responsibility for one’s own performance, ensuring alignment with Smile Train’s mission and objectives.
• Transparent Communication: Communicate openly and effectively with team members, fostering trust and a shared understanding of expectations and priorities.
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrate empathy, understanding, and cultural sensitivity to contribute to an inclusive and supportive team environment.
• Empowerment: Effectively communicate with supervisors to ensure you are equipped with the resources, guidance, and autonomy you need to excel in your role.
• Team Cohesion: Contribute to a culture of collaboration, mutual respect, and shared accountability, helping the team to thrive in a fast‑paced, mission-driven environment.

Why You’ll Love Working Here!

Meaningful Work - Be part of work that creates meaningful, lasting impact - changing the world one smile at a time.

We’ve Got You 100% Covered - Prioritize the health of you and your family with top‑tier, comprehensive health, pharmacy, dental, and vision coverage.

Plan for Your Future - Build toward your long‑term goals with our 401(k) retirement plan and generous employer match to help invest in your future.

Rest and Recharge - Enjoy a generous PTO package, paid holidays, and sick time so you can rest, recharge, and return feeling your best.

Family Matters - We support employees through life’s most important moments with paid parental leave and family care benefits, giving you time and flexibility for the people who matter most.

Mind Your Mental - Free access to professional mental health counseling to keep you grounded.

Learn and Grow - Take advantage of an annual professional development stipend and opportunities to expand your skills and continue learning.

Work Your Way - Balance collaboration and flexibility with our hybrid work model, based out of our conveniently located Midtown Manhattan office.

Travel the World - See our impact firsthand while partnering with global colleagues and programs through opportunities for domestic and international travel.

Application Process

Smile Train is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates from all groups and communities to apply.

To apply, please complete the application online. Include your CV and a cover letter explaining why you would be a good fit for Smile Train and this role. Only those who provide a cover letter as directed will be considered. We encourage interested applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible.