Director, Communications

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Director, Communications leads the communications function and sets the Institute-wide communications, media relations, and reputation strategy in alignment with the Chief Marketing, Brand and Communications Officer’s enterprise brand and organizational strategy. The Director advises senior leaders, protects and strengthens the Institute’s reputation, and ensures communications advance Sundance Institute’s mission, artists, programs, and priorities.

Reporting to the Chief Marketing, Brand and Communications Officer (CMBCO), the director manages the Associate Director, Communications. The Associate Director serves as the primary day-to-day manager of the Communications team and directly supervises three year-round Manager roles. The Director establishes strategy, decision frameworks, and quality standards while empowering the Associate Director and Managers to execute within clear areas of ownership.

This full-time, hybrid position. The employee must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of one of Sundance Institute’s primary locations: Boulder, CO; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY; or Salt Lake City, UT. The role requires in-person collaboration and onsite work during the annual Sundance Film Festival and other designated events or functions. Travel and extended hours, including evenings and weekends, are required at key points throughout the year.

Top priorities include but are not limited to…

Communications Strategy & Reputation

• Setting and leading the Institute-wide communications, media relations, and reputation strategy in alignment with organizational and brand priorities.

• Advising the Chief Marketing, Brand and Communications Officer, CEO, and senior leaders on positioning, reputation, executive visibility, and significant communications opportunities or risks.

• Establishing clear messaging frameworks and communications priorities for the Sundance Film Festival, Artist Programs, public programs, organizational initiatives, and other priority moments.

• Leading communications strategy for complex organizational transitions, high-profile announcements, and issues that may affect public trust or the Institute’s reputation.

• Monitoring cultural, media, nonprofit, arts, and entertainment trends and use insights to refine strategy and identify emerging opportunities or risks.

Executive, Crisis & Issues Communications

• Owning crisis and issues communications strategy in partnership with the Chief Marketing, Brand and Communications Officer, GC/COO, CEO, and other designated leaders.

• Developing and approving a crisis communications playbook, individual crisis communication plans, holding statements, Q&As, talking points, executive remarks, and other sensitive or high-impact communications.

• Preparing senior leaders and organizational spokespeople for media interviews, public appearances, and high-stakes communications.

• Liaising with partners, sponsors and all internal and external stakeholders to execute crisis communications plans

• Determining when communications matters require legal, executive, or cross-functional review and guide timely escalation and response.

Functional Leadership & Stewardship

• Directly managing the Associate Director, Communications, setting clear outcomes, decision authority, performance expectations, and development goals.

• Approving annual communications plans, major campaign strategies, team priorities, and resource allocations developed with the Associate Director.

• Overseeing the Communications budget, agency and consultant strategy, and responsible use of resources, evaluating investments against organizational priorities and measurable outcomes.

• Establishing team operating principles, approval standards, and performance measures that support consistent quality, responsiveness, collaboration, and accountability.

• Partnering with the Associate Director on workforce planning for year-round and seasonal communications needs while maintaining the Associate Director’s day-to-day people-management authority.

Media Relations, Messaging & Visibility

• Cultivating senior-level relationships with national, international, trade, arts, culture, entertainment, and nonprofit media.

• Identifying and securing U.S. and international high-impact opportunities, including panels, events and conferences, that elevate Sundance Institute, its artists, programs, executives, and thought leadership.

• Providing final Communications approval for major announcements, executive communications, crisis materials, and other high-risk or high-visibility content.

• Ensuring public-facing communications reflect the Institute’s mission, voice, values, brand standards, and commitments to equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partnering with Marketing, Brand, Social, Editorial, Advancement, Legal, People and Culture, and program leaders to align strategies, sequencing, audiences, and decision-making.

• Clarifying communications ownership and approval pathways for cross-functional initiatives and resolve competing priorities when needed.

• Representing Communications in organizational planning and leadership forums and maintaining timely, context-rich information flow to senior leadership.

You have the following direct or transferable skill sets:

• 10 years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public relations, publicity, media relations, or a related field, including leadership of complex organizational or live-event communications.

• Demonstrated experience setting communications strategy, advising executives, managing reputation, and leading crisis or issues communications.

• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including managing leaders, setting priorities, delegating authority, providing feedback, and supporting professional development.

• Exceptional writing, editing, messaging, presentation, and consultation skills across executive, media, and public-facing communications.

• Strong judgment and discretion when navigating confidential, sensitive, legally complex, or reputational matters.

• Established relationships with relevant national, international, trade, arts, culture, entertainment, or nonprofit media.

• Experience managing budgets, agencies, consultants, and competing resources against strategic priorities and measurable outcomes.

• Ability to build trust and collaborate across functions, roles, identities, perspectives, and levels of an organization.

• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

• Experience with independent film, festivals, nonprofit arts or cultural institutions, and the film distribution ecosystem preferred.

• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, marketing, a related field, or equivalent experience preferred.

You will be successful in this role if you…

• Set a clear communications strategy that advances organizational priorities and strengthens trust in Sundance Institute.

• Give leaders and employees clear decision frameworks, timely counsel, and the context they need to act effectively.

• Serve as a connecting thread for cross functional workflows, ensuring consistent communication flow across the organization.

• Build an accountable, inclusive, and collaborative team culture that breaks down silos and produces consistently excellent work.

• Anticipate reputational opportunities and risks and respond with sound judgment, clarity, and composure.

• Develop compelling narratives and relationships that expand meaningful awareness of the Institute, its artists, and its programs.

In addition to an annual salary of $120,000.00 to $150,000.00*, this position** is eligible for our comprehensive benefits package, highlights include:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance

• 25 paid Institute holidays plus accrued vacation time

• Paid sick, family, and medical leave

• Employee Wellness initiatives

• 401(k) with automatic 3% employer contribution after one year of employment

• Sundance Film Festival passes and benefits (varies each year)

*Final rate of pay is determined based on the applicant's geographic location, relevant experience and skills, and internal equity among similar positions within our organization.

**Applications open 11/5/2026 and will be accepted for at least one week