Senior Director of Communications

(Senior Director or Head of Communications depending on experience)
Student Basic Needs Coalition (SBNC)

Salary: $80,000–$95,000 depending on experience
Location: Remote within the United States

The Student Basic Needs Coalition (SBNC) is a national nonprofit working to ensure that every college student can access the resources they need to succeed. We partner with colleges and student leaders across the country to connect students to public benefits like SNAP and Medicaid, strengthen campus systems for basic needs support, and advocate for policies that improve college affordability.

SBNC combines student leadership, research, and technology to reduce barriers to accessing benefits. Our platform, Navvy, helps colleges identify students eligible for benefits and connect them to application support. Through peer navigator programs and national partnerships, SBNC has helped unlock millions of dollars in food assistance for students nationwide.

We are seeking a Senior Director of Communications to lead SBNC’s storytelling, digital strategy, and thought leadership as the organization expands its national reach.

This is a startup-style communications role. The Senior Director of Communications will operate as a one-person communications team, responsible for both shaping SBNC’s communications strategy and executing the work needed to bring it to life. The right candidate will be comfortable moving between big-picture strategy and hands-on execution, building systems and content that can scale as the organization grows.

Top-line outcome:
The Senior Director of Communications will increase awareness of student eligibility for public benefits and expand the reach of SBNC’s digital tools, research, and student-led programs.

This role will translate SBNC’s work into clear, compelling communications that reach students, college leaders, policymakers, and the broader public. The Senior Director of Communications will ensure that our messaging highlights both the experiences of students navigating public benefits systems and the solutions SBNC is building to reduce those barriers.

This position reports to the Executive Director and works closely with program, research, and product teams.

Core Responsibilities

1. Digital Content and Website Strategy (35–40%)

Lead the development and maintenance of SBNC’s web presence to expand awareness of student benefits and increase engagement with Navvy.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintaining and improving SEO performance for CollegeSNAPProject.org, CollegeMedicaid.org, and StudentSNAPStories.org
• Using analytics and search insights to increase the number of students completing the benefits screener through these sites
• Managing website content updates related to research findings, program launches, and student resources
• Leading a one-time rewrite of SBNC’s main website to reflect the organization’s evolving strategy and technology work

These sites currently generate 100+ daily benefits screener submissions, and this role will focus on expanding that reach.

Success markers

• Increase average daily screener submissions from SEO-driven websites
• Complete full rewrite of SBNC’s main website within the first 4–6 months
• Increase organic search traffic to benefits-related content
• Improve keyword rankings for core terms related to college SNAP and Medicaid eligibility

2. Communications for Students and Campus Partners (25–30%)

Develop communications that help students and colleges engage with SBNC’s programs and technology.

Responsibilities include:

• Drafting bi-weekly or monthly email communications to campus partners that provide updates, insights, and thought leadership related to student basic needs and benefits access
• Creating email or text message follow-up communications for students using Navvy, working with the Data and Evaluation Manager to refine messaging based on engagement data
• Supporting clear and accessible language in student-facing communications that reduces stigma and helps students navigate benefit applications

Success markers

• Consistent delivery of partner communications (bi-weekly or monthly)
• Strong open and engagement rates for campus communications
• Improved student follow-through rates on benefit applications after receiving follow-up communications
• Development of standardized messaging templates for student outreach and partner communications

3. Thought Leadership and Public Narrative (25–30%)

Help position SBNC as a national voice on student basic needs, public benefits access, and college affordability.

Responsibilities include:

• Crafting LinkedIn content approximately three times per week based on insights from SBNC’s programs, research, and technology work
• Recommending and drafting posts for the Executive Director and Co-Founder
• Identifying opportunities for media coverage, commentary, and op-eds
• Supporting the development of one published media piece or op-ed per month on average

Success markers

• Consistent LinkedIn posting cadence (approximately three posts per week)
• Growth in engagement and reach across SBNC’s LinkedIn presence
• Publication of approximately 12 media pieces or op-eds per year
• Increased visibility of SBNC’s work in higher education and policy conversations

4. Elevating Student Experiences Navigating Public Benefits (10–15%)

Ensure that the experiences of students using Navvy and navigating the public benefits system inform SBNC’s communications and storytelling.

Responsibilities include:

• Collecting insights and stories from Navvy users and students navigating the SNAP and Medicaid application process
• Working with program and research teams to highlight common barriers students face when applying for benefits
• Translating these experiences into content that helps campuses, policymakers, and partners better understand the student benefits gap
• Integrating student experiences into website content, thought leadership, and media opportunities
• Identifying opportunities to share stories through StudentSNAPStories.org and other SBNC platforms

Success markers

• Publication of student experience stories on SBNC platforms
• Integration of student insights into thought leadership and media content
• Development of a consistent pipeline for collecting student experiences from Navvy users and peer navigator programs
• Increased visibility of student perspectives in SBNC’s public communications

Qualifications

We are looking for someone who can communicate effectively with both higher education and technology audiences, and who is comfortable translating complex policy or product ideas into clear public narratives.

Ideal candidates will have:

• 5–9 (or 10+ for Head of Communications) years of experience in communications, journalism, marketing, public affairs, or a related field
• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills across multiple formats
• Experience translating complex topics (policy, research, or technology) into accessible content
• Experience managing digital content, websites, or SEO strategy
• Interest in higher education, economic mobility, or social policy
• Comfort working in a fast-paced, mission-driven organization
• Experience writing about or communicating technology products is a plus

Experience with any of the following is particularly valuable:

• Higher education communications
• Public policy or economic mobility organizations
• Technology or AI products
• Media outreach or op-ed placement

Why This Role Matters

Millions of college students are eligible for public benefits but never receive them due to lack of awareness and complex application processes.

SBNC is working to change that by combining student leadership, research, and technology to build systems that connect students to the resources they need.

The Director of Communications will play a critical role in ensuring that the insights, stories, and solutions emerging from this work reach campuses, policymakers, and the public.