Director, Public Affairs

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Job Category

Global Affairs

Job Details

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. Here, ambition meets action. Tech meets trust. And innovation isn’t a buzzword — it’s a way of life. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

Ready to level-up your career at the company leading workforce transformation in the agentic era? You’re in the right place! Agentforce is the future of AI, and you are the future of Salesforce.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Director of Public Affairs to operationalize and drive our public affairs campaign program. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Relations, this role is central to translating strategic priorities into integrated, results-driven campaigns that advance the company's policy objectives, support our sales teams, protect and grow our reputation, and expand its influence with policymakers, third-party stakeholders, and the public.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience executing sophisticated public affairs strategies—spanning strategic communications, earned and paid media, coalition building, and issues management. This is a high-impact, execution-focused leadership role for a person who thrives in a fast-moving environment and can seamlessly translate policy goals into compelling public narratives and tangible advocacy outcomes.

What You'll Actually Be DoingCampaign Operations & Execution

• Oversee the end-to-end operationalization of the public affairs campaign program, from planning through performance measurement.

• Design, implement, and manage integrated public affairs campaigns spanning earned media, paid media, digital advocacy, and direct stakeholder engagement.

• Oversee the full lifecycle of campaign communications—planning, content production, channel execution, and reporting—ensuring tight coordination across functions and in collaboration with the Corporate Communications team.

• Build and manage project plans, timelines, budgets, and vendor relationships to keep campaigns on track and on strategy.

• Develop and maintain a campaign infrastructure that enables rapid response and long-term narrative building simultaneously.

Strategic Communications & Messaging

• Develop compelling, audience-specific messaging and narratives that advance the company's public policy priorities across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Quality-control a range of communications materials, including talking points, op-eds, fact sheets, policy briefs, digital content, and executive collateral.

• Partner with corporate communications to integrate public affairs narratives into broader company storytelling, particularly in earned media.

• Ensure media partnerships and paid media campaigns are directed toward priority policy issues.

Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and operationalize a grasstops employee advocacy program, coordinating with government affairs teams to activate internal champions.

• Represent the company at relevant events, conferences, and stakeholder forums to advance policy relationships and organizational visibility.

• Work with the Federal Affairs team to grow participation and engagement in the political action committee. 

Issues Management & Reputational Risk

• Anticipate emerging policy, political, and reputational risks, and proactively develop rapid response and scenario planning frameworks.

• Lead crisis and issues communications planning, serving as a key cross-functional coordinator when challenges arise.

• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and political developments to assess impact on company operations and public positioning.

• Collaborate with Legal, Policy, Product, and Executive Communications teams to ensure consistent, defensible messaging during sensitive periods.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as a critical connector across the Public Affairs, Government Affairs, Commercial, and Communications functions.

• Advise internal business leaders and executives on public affairs dynamics, emerging risks, and strategic opportunities.

• Manage and direct external resources, including agencies, consultants, and digital vendors, to maximize campaign effectiveness.

• Support the VP of Public Affairs in developing team strategy, operational frameworks, and function-wide initiatives.

• Ability to manage a small team with the potential to grow your people leadership skills.

You're Our Person If...Required

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Affairs, Political Science, Public Policy, or a related field.

• 10-15 years of experience in public affairs, strategic communications, political campaigns, or a closely related field.

• Demonstrated success executing integrated public affairs or advocacy campaigns from inception through measurement.

• Deep knowledge of the U.S. policy and legislative landscape and processes, with experience working across federal and/or state levels.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex policy issues into clear, persuasive narratives.

• Proven ability to manage multiple high-priority workstreams simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience managing agency and vendor relationships, budgets, and cross-functional project teams.

• Strong political instincts and judgment, with the ability to anticipate and navigate sensitive issues.

Even Better If...

• Background in political campaign management, government, or public affairs agency settings.

• Familiarity with digital advocacy platforms, paid media tools, and grassroots mobilization technology.

• Experience with grasstops and third-party coalition program development.

• Prior work on AI, data privacy, or tech policy issues is a plus.

Location & Travel

This position is based in Washington, DC or San Francisco, CA and will work a hybrid schedule in the office 3 days a week. Candidates in either location will be considered; occasional travel between offices and to key policy events is expected (approximately 15–20% of the time).

We have a public-facing website https://salesforcebenefits.com/ that explains our various benefits, including medical, dental, 401k, ESPP, generous parental leave, adoption assistance, fertility benefits, and more. Visit for the full breakdown!
 

Unleash Your Potential

When you join Salesforce, you’ll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best. Together, we’ll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future — but to redefine what’s possible — for yourself, for AI, and the world.

Accommodations

If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request via this Accommodations Request Form.

Please note that Salesforce uses artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help our recruiters assess and evaluate candidates’ resumes and qualifications throughout the recruiting process. Humans will always make any candidate selection and hiring decisions. Please see our Candidate Privacy Statement for more information about how we use your personal data and your rights, including with regard to use of AI tools and opt out options.

Posting Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non-discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. What does that mean exactly? It means that at Salesforce, we believe in equality for all. And we believe we can lead the path to equality in part by creating a workplace that’s inclusive, and free from discrimination. Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal. Any employee or potential employee will be assessed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications – without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, transgender status, age, disability, veteran or marital status, political viewpoint, or other classifications protected by law. This policy applies to current and prospective employees, no matter where they are in their Salesforce employment journey. It also applies to recruiting, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, assessment of job performance, discipline, termination, and everything in between. Recruiting, hiring, and promotion decisions at Salesforce are fair and based on merit. The same goes for compensation, benefits, promotions, transfers, reduction in workforce, recall, training, and education.

In the United States, compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, job level, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Certain roles may be eligible for incentive compensation, equity, and benefits. Salesforce offers a variety of benefits to help you live well including: time off programs, medical, dental, vision, mental health support, paid parental leave, life and disability insurance, 401(k), and an employee stock purchasing program. More details about company benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Salesforce will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

At Salesforce, we believe in equitable compensation practices that reflect the dynamic nature of labor markets across various regions. The typical base salary range for this position is $164,000 - $261,500 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the base salary range for this role is $196,800 - $285,300 annually. The range represents base salary only, and does not include company bonus, incentive for sales roles, equity or benefits, as applicable.