Director of Marketing & Communications
Help shape the story of cybersecurity’s future.
Are you a strategic communicator who knows how to turn complex ideas into compelling stories? Do you enjoy building audiences, creating high-impact content, strengthening a brand, and connecting people to a mission that matters?
The National Cryptologic Foundation (NCF) is seeking a Director of Marketing & Communications to lead how we tell our story, engage our audiences, and amplify our impact across cyber education, innovation, workforce readiness, and the cryptologic community.
This is an opportunity for a communications professional who is equal parts strategist, storyteller, content creator, and brand builder. You will work across the organization to transform ideas and initiatives into communications that inform, inspire, and move people to action.
About the Role
The Director of Marketing & Communications will develop and lead an integrated marketing and communications strategy that increases the NCF’s visibility, strengthens its brand, expands audience engagement, and supports organizational priorities.
You will serve as the central communications partner to leaders across development, education, innovation, and workforce initiatives, helping translate their work into stories and campaigns that resonate with donors, partners, educators, students, cyber professionals, policymakers, media, and the broader public.
The ideal candidate is a strong writer and editor, strategic thinker, creative storyteller, digital communicator, and confident relationship builder who can move comfortably between developing a communications strategy and writing the email, social post, article, talking points, or campaign copy that brings it to life.
Most importantly, you should be excited by the challenge of making complicated subjects—cybersecurity, cryptology, emerging technology, intelligence, and national security—understandable, relevant, and compelling.
What You’ll Do
Lead the NCF’s Communications & Marketing Strategy
- Develop, implement, and continuously refine an integrated marketing and communications strategy aligned with the NCF’s mission and organizational priorities.
- Build communications’ plans and campaigns that support programs, events, partnerships, fundraising, education initiatives, and workforce efforts.
- Establish clear messaging and positioning for the NCF and ensure consistency across audiences, channels, and platforms.
- Identify opportunities to increase the NCF’s visibility, reach new audiences, and strengthen engagement with existing stakeholders.
- Serve as a strategic communications advisor to organizational leadership and program teams.
Own the Content & Storytelling
- Develop compelling stories that demonstrate the NCF’s impact and bring its mission to life.
- Write and edit high-quality content across channels, including websites, newsletters, email campaigns, social media, reports, articles, speeches, presentations, brochures, and other communications materials.
- Translate technical, scientific, and policy-oriented information into clear, accessible content for both expert and general audiences.
- Develop editorial calendars and content strategies that create a consistent, relevant flow of communications.
- Identify stories, voices, milestones, and opportunities that can showcase the NCF’s programs, people, partnerships, and impact.
- Oversee the development, production, distribution, and maintenance of print and digital communications materials.
Grow the NCF’s Digital Presence
- Lead content strategy across the NCF’s website, social media, email, and other digital channels.
- Manage website content and ensure information, news, events, stories, and organizational resources are current, accurate, engaging, and aligned with brand standards.
- Develop digital campaigns designed to increase awareness, engagement, event participation, donor engagement, and other desired actions.
- Use audience insights and performance data to continually improve content, messaging, and channel strategy.
- Help the NCF build a stronger and more engaged digital community around its mission.
Strengthen the NCF Brand
- Own and champion the NCF’s brand voice, messaging, and visual identity.
- Establish and maintain brand standards across internal and external communications.
- Ensure that every audience touchpoint—from social media and email to major reports and events—reflects a consistent, professional, and compelling NCF brand.
- Develop messaging frameworks, talking points, templates, and other tools that help colleagues communicate consistently and effectively.
Lead Media Relations & External Communications
- Build productive relationships with journalists and other media contacts.
- Monitor relevant news and identify opportunities for NCF experts, leaders, and programs to contribute to important conversations.
- Respond to media inquiries and proactively pursue appropriate media opportunities.
- Develop press releases, media pitches, briefing materials, talking points, and other external communications.
- Prepare organizational leaders and subject-matter experts for media interviews and public engagements.
- Represent the NCF at conferences, meetings, and other external events as appropriate.
Measure What Matters
- Establish meaningful marketing and communications metrics and reporting practices.
- Track audience growth, reach, engagement, website performance, email performance, campaign results, and other relevant indicators.
- Analyze results and translate data into actionable recommendations.
- Test new approaches and continuously improve the NCF’s communications based on what audiences respond to.
- Develop regular reports that demonstrate the reach and impact of the NCF’s communications’ efforts.
Collaborate Across the Organization
- Partner closely with the Directors of Development, Education, and Innovation to develop campaigns and communications that advance organizational goals.
- Work with program leaders and subject-matter experts to uncover stories, develop content, and communicate complex initiatives effectively.
- Support conferences, fundraising campaigns, educational initiatives, major announcements, and other high-priority organizational moments.
- Build strong relationships with NCF partners, stakeholders, and members of the broader cryptologic and cybersecurity community.
What We’re Looking For
Essential Communications & Marketing Skills
Exceptional writing and editing. You can write clearly, concisely, and persuasively for different audiences and know how to adapt tone, format, and message to the channel.
Strategic communications thinking. You can move beyond “what should we post?” to ask: Who are we trying to reach? What do we want them to understand or do? What is the right message, channel, and timing?
Storytelling. You know how to find the human story inside complex subject matter and turn it into content people want to read, watch, share, or act on.
Content development. You are comfortable developing content from concept through execution, including articles, social posts, email campaigns, web content, reports, presentations, talking points, and other collateral.
Digital marketing expertise. You understand how websites, email, social media, digital campaigns, and content work together to build awareness and engagement.
Audience development. You understand how to identify audiences, develop relevant messaging, build relationships, and grow an engaged community.
Brand management. You have an eye for consistency and understand how voice, visual identity, messaging, and audience experience combine to build a strong brand.
Measurement and analytics. You are comfortable using data to understand what is working, what is not, and how communications can be improved.
Media relations. You can build credible relationships with journalists, identify newsworthy opportunities, develop pitches, and prepare leaders and experts for media engagement.
Project management. You can manage multiple priorities, deadlines, stakeholders, and campaigns without losing sight of quality or strategy.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, public affairs, or a related field.
- 5–8 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, marketing, public relations, media relations, public affairs, or a related field.
- Demonstrated success developing and executing integrated communications or marketing campaigns.
- Strong portfolio of writing, storytelling, content, or marketing work.
- Experience with social media, content marketing, email marketing, and digital communications.
- Experience managing website content through a CMS.
- Experience with email marketing platforms and digital communications tools.
- Experience with marketing analytics, audience research, campaign measurement, or performance reporting.
- Familiarity with CRM systems; experience with Bloomerang is a plus.
- Excellent interpersonal, presentation, relationship-building, and collaboration skills.
- Ability to manage projects independently while working effectively across teams.
- Curiosity about cybersecurity, cryptology, emerging technologies, national security, intelligence, or related issues—and the ability to quickly learn enough to communicate them effectively.
We are especially interested in candidates who can show us—not just tell us—how they have used communications to increase awareness, engage an audience, strengthen a brand, tell a compelling story, or drive measurable action.
What Success Looks Like
In this role, success means that the NCF:
- Has a clear, recognizable, and compelling voice and brand.
- Reaches more people with stories that demonstrate the importance and impact of its work.
- Has a stronger and more engaged digital audience.
- Consistently produces high-quality, mission-aligned content.
- Converts programs, events, partnerships, and accomplishments into compelling communications opportunities.
- Uses data and audience insights to make smarter communications decisions.
- Is increasingly visible as a trusted voice in cybersecurity, cryptology, education, innovation, and workforce readiness.
Compensation & Work Location
Salary: $65,000–$85,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
This is a hybrid position, with a minimum of two days per week in the National Cryptologic Foundation office:
808 Landmark Drive, Suite 223
Glen Burnie, MD
Remote work is available on other days.
Benefits
- Health, vision, and dental insurance
- 10 days of paid vacation annually in first two years
- 11 paid holidays
- 3 personal days
About the National Cryptologic Foundation
The National Cryptologic Foundation advances cyber innovation and workforce readiness by bringing together leaders, educators, students, industry, government, and the broader cryptologic community.
Our work focuses on three core areas:
- Educate — Prepare citizens to be cyber smart and develop pathways into the future cyber workforce.
- Engage — Convene and connect partners to address emerging cyber and cryptologic challenges.
- Commemorate — Preserve and honor our cryptologic history and those who have served within the cryptologic community.
Why the NCF?
Cybersecurity is one of the defining challenges of our time—and communicating why it matters has never been more important.
At the NCF, you will have the opportunity to shape the conversation, elevate important work, connect people to meaningful opportunities, and help tell the story of the people and ideas building a more secure digital future.
If you are a strategic communicator who loves a good story, thrives on making complex ideas accessible, and wants your work to have a meaningful mission behind it, we want to hear from you.