Job Description
About the Position
The Director of Advocacy Communications is responsible for strengthening how the Internet Society communicates its advocacy positions to key advocacy audiences, including legislators, regulators, civil society organizations, think tanks, media, and relevant academic communities.
This role requires demonstrated experience in advocacy communications within civil society, the Internet ecosystem, or adjacent public-interest policy environments, with a strong understanding of how communications influence policy debates and public discourse.
Reporting to the Director of Communications, Community & Advocacy and operating as a member of the Strategic Communications team, the
role supports delivery of the ISOC 2030 Strategy by ensuring the organization is communications-ready to:
- Clearly articulate what it advocates for and against
- Run effective global and regional advocacy communications campaigns
- Respond rapidly and coherently to developments affecting the Internet and its governance
The Director of Advocacy Communications is expected to be familiar with relevant policy issue — able to understand, translate, and
communicate policy positions — while focusing primarily on narrative, messaging, campaigns, and media engagement.
Why This Role Matters
As global Internet challenges intensify, the Internet Society’s ability to influence debates depends not only on strong policy positions, but on how effectively those positions are communicated to advocacy audiences. This role supports ISOC efforts to engage legislators, regulators, civil society, media, and thought leaders with clarity, credibility, and impact — advancing a globally connected, open, secure, and trustworthy Internet.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Advocacy Messaging & Campaigns
- Develop and deliver proactive advocacy communications campaigns
aligned with ISOC’s strategic priorities and global challenges
highlighting what’s at stake.
- Craft clear, compelling narratives that translate policy and technical inputs into accessible, persuasive advocacy messaging.
- Ensure consistency and discipline in how ISOC’s advocacy positions are communicated globally and regionally.
Audience-Focused Communications
- Lead the development of audience-specific advocacy narratives in conjunction with colleagues across the organization.
- Tailor messaging, tone, and formats to effectively engage these audiences across different regions and contexts.
Media & Public Engagement
- Develop media engagement strategies related to advocacy priorities.
- Work with colleagues to prepare spokespeople with strong advocacy messaging, talking points, and briefing materials.
- Identify opportunities for proactive media engagement, commentary, and narrative placement.
Strategic Communications Readiness
- Build and maintain advocacy communications tools, including:
- Message frameworks and narrative guidance
- Campaign toolkits
- Rapid-response communications materials
- Ensure the organization can respond quickly, coherently, and credibly to global or regional policy developments.
- Ability to discern regional policy developments that have global
consequences with a high risk of Internet fragmentation, erode Internet
security and trust
Cross-Organizational Collaboration
- Work closely with colleagues across policy, community engagement, programs, and leadership to align advocacy communications.
- Act as a strategic partner, helping teams sharpen messaging without leading policy development.
- Support a coordinated, “One Communications” approach across ISOC and the Foundation.
- Work in close collaboration with ISOC’s Head of Global Advocacy.
Desired Qualifications
- 7–10+ years of experience in advocacy communications, strategic communications, or campaign communications.
- Proven experience communicating to advocacy audiences, including
policymakers, regulators, civil society, think tanks, media, and/or
academia.
- Background in civil society, Internet governance, digital rights, technology policy, or a related public-interest field.
- Strong policy fluency: Able to understand policy positions and debates and translate them into effective communications.
- Demonstrated experience supporting or leading media engagement,
including press materials, messaging, and spokesperson preparation.
- Excellent writing, editing, and narrative-building skills.
Key Attributes
- Clear, structured thinker with an ability to translate policy into meaningful messaging.
- Comfortable operating at the intersection of policy, advocacy, and communications
- Collaborative and confident working across teams and disciplines
- Calm and effective in fast-moving, politically sensitive environments
- Strong alignment with the Internet Society’s mission and 2030 Strategy
