Internal Communications Lead

Are you a creative communicator who loves building connection, clarity, and culture? Do you enjoy crafting impactful messages, collaborating across teams, and driving internal engagement that reflects organizational values? If so, National 4-H Council is looking for YOU to be our next Internal Communications Lead!

At National 4-H Council, we believe in empowering nearly 6 million young people each year with the confidence and skills to lead for a lifetime. As the nation's largest youth development organization, we create #Opportunity4All by delivering high-impact programs in STEM, Agriculture, Healthy Living, and Civic Engagement.

As an Internal Communications Lead, you'll be part of the Corporate Communications team and play a vital role in strengthening our internal communications structure from the ground up. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Public Relations, you'll work closely with business units across the organization to design strategic communication plans, manage key internal channels, and ensure Associates are informed, inspired, and aligned with our mission. You'll help cultivate a culture of transparency, connection, and pride-empowering every Associate to become a champion of our work.

In this role, you'll:

• Collaborate with teams across the organization to create clear, values-driven internal communications.
• Manage and enhance employee-facing channels such as All Associate meetings, CEO Town Halls, Viva Engage, and SharePoint.
• Coach leaders and support executives in developing authentic, engaging internal messages.
• Create consistent messaging that reinforces Council's goals, highlights key initiatives, and builds organizational pride.
• Help develop onboarding materials and internal brand presence to support employee connection at every stage.
• Lead content creation, project management, and performance tracking to continuously refine strategy and engagement.

If you're a strategic thinker, gifted storyteller, and team collaborator who's passionate about creating a vibrant internal culture-this is your moment to shine. We want to hear from you!

Mission

4-H, the nation's largest youth development organization, grows confident young people empowered for life today and prepared for careers tomorrow. In collaboration with the USDA and our network of 110 public universities, we serve every county and parish in the United States in more than 3,000 local 4-H Extension offices. Our programs have a positive impact on young people: 4-H youth are 2x more likely to excel in school, 4x more likely to contribute to their communities, 2x more likely to make healthier choices, and 2x more likely to pursue STEM education or careers.

National 4-H Council, 4-H's private sector nonprofit partner, builds public-private partnerships and provides resources and leadership development opportunities that expand the reach and impact of 4-H. With the Beyond Ready Initiative, 4-H has the potential to reach 10 million young people annually to help them lead healthy, productive and engaged lives. Young leaders will have the experience and mentorship to succeed in an evolving workforce and thrive in their communities.

Position Summary

National 4-H Council is looking for an Internal Communications Lead to join our Corporate Communications Team. This exciting new role has the opportunity to support the development of an internal communications structure. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Public Relations, this role will assist in designing and executing Council's internal communications program by partnering with leaders from each Business Unit to develop compelling content, strong internal communications programs, and support & reinforce organizational objectives. This position requires a strategic, critical thinker and content developer who can bring new thoughts and ideas to internal stakeholders and then implement those ideas.

Responsibilities

Business Unit Collaboration

• Collaborate with Stakeholder Relations, Finance & Business Operations, People & Culture, and Development & Marketing to manage employee communications that support key initiatives - such as new programs, organizational changes and projects.
• Partner with business units to optimize and enhance the effectiveness of key employee communication channels (All Employee meetings, Viva Engage, CEO Town Halls, SharePoint) to effectively support employee participation.
• Provide coaching on internal messaging best practices and support executives in crafting messages in their authentic voices.
• Partner with Finance & Business Operations, People & Culture and Development & Marketing Teams to:
  1. Serve as a liaison between business unit partners to ensure alignment, support cross-team initiatives, and strengthen organizational culture through consistent and values-based communication.
  2. Collaborate to design and implement internal communication plans that align with the goals of Council to ensure team members and stakeholders are informed about initiatives and process changes.
  3. Collaborate to help create and deliver content, distribute newsletters to align messaging with organizational priorities, highlight key system updates and user insights, and drive engagement among stakeholders.
  4. Design and implement communications that reinforce National 4-H Council values, cultivate ownership and pride, and empower employees to become ambassadors.
  5. Assist with employee value proposition efforts that connect future, new and current employees with National 4-H Council, including updating brand proposition presence, onboarding materials and employee communication channels.
• Identify and pursue industry awards and recognition opportunities.

Project Management

• Build and communicate internal communications processes.
• Create, manage, evaluate and implement a company-wide strategy with consistent and clear messaging around National 4-H Council's mission and priorities. Build internal communications process based on stakeholder feedback and organizational needs.
• Tailor internal communication efforts to align with organizational goals, with transparency and clarity. Manage projects from inception to completion.

Content Creation

• Produce and distribute content that is clear and aligned with National 4-H Council's voice and brand for various internal communication projects.
• Partner with the Corporate Communications team and cross functional stakeholders to effectively manage messaging for sensitive or challenging situations to ensure effective communication and alignment across internal and external communications.
• Analyze email, public relations, and social media data and insights to assist in developing reports and presentations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, mass communications, public relations, journalism or related areas, or equivalent combination of relevant work experience and training.
• 5+ years of communications experience - including at least 3 years in-house - with a proven track record of leading large-scale internal communications initiatives in multi-layered environments.
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience managing internal communication relationships and experience designing messages and campaigns to encourage employee participation.

Required Qualifications

• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills, with the ability to craft clear, engaging messages that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Proven track record of building and implementing internal communications programs that support business goals and foster company culture.
• Collaborative and results-oriented mindset, with the ability to partner across business units , influence key stakeholders, and drive initiatives forward autonomously.
• Exceptional project management skills, with keen attention to detail and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Data-driven approach to communication, with experience measuring the impact of initiatives and refining strategies based on feedback and performance metrics.
• Experience in executive internal communication campaigns with objectives, strategies and tactics connected to tangible metrics and outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in communications, public relations, journalism or a related field.
• Experience working in the non-profit industry a plus.
• Experience in writing and editing content for executive speeches and thought leadership.
• Excellent written communications, interpersonal, organizational, planning and time management skills with a proven ability to successfully handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 including Outlook, SharePoint, Word, Viva Engage, Teams.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a remote team.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to pivot and prioritize objectives based on organizational needs.

Travel Requirements: Travel may be necessary up to 20% of the time (local, regional, national). Would require travel by air, car or rail. Travel may take place during nights and/or weekends.

ADA Requirements: The physical demands described here represent those that an Employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Regularly required to sit; use hands and fingers to perform repetitive motions, reach with hands and arms, and talk or hear. Frequently required to walk; must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds or negligible weights frequently.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close and distant vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Disclaimer

This position description indicates, in general, the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other essential functions (as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act) expected of an incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of an incumbent. An incumbent may be asked to perform other duties as needed.