The California Endowment is seeking a Senior Manager, Editorial & Creative Strategy for Communications, Los Angeles Office. Reporting to the Vice President, Strategic Communications and Narrative, this hybrid role will report 2 days on-site in one of our five offices (Los Angeles, Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego).
We expect to accept applications until November 20, 2026. However, because we review candidates as they apply, the role may be filled before this date. To ensure your application is considered in the first wave of interviews, please submit your materials as soon as possible.
The California Endowment (The Endowment) is a private, statewide health foundation established in 1996 whose mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. We envision a California that leads the nation as a powerful and conscientious voice for wellness, inclusion, and shared prosperity.
Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, the Endowment has regional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego, with staff working throughout the state. We challenge the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people’s health. We believe that health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention.
Position Summary:
The Senior Manager, Editorial & Creative Strategy leads editorial planning, storytelling, creative direction, and communications integration across The Endowment. This role is responsible for translating institutional priorities, organizational learning, community insights, and strategic initiatives into compelling communications that strengthen understanding of The Endowment’s work and advance its mission, influence, and impact.
Working across the enterprise, the Senior Manager, Editorial & Creative Strategy develops content strategies and creative approaches that strengthen organizational storytelling, elevate thought leadership, and connect audiences to The Endowment’s work. The role serves as The Endowment’s creative lead, overseeing the development of integrated communications campaigns, digital content, publications, executive content, and storytelling initiatives that support organizational priorities and advance community-centered narratives.
This position reports to the Director, Institutional Communications, playing a critical role in managing external creative and production partners as an integrated extension of the Communications team, providing strategic direction, quality assurance, and brand stewardship while ensuring communications are delivered on time, on strategy, and aligned with organizational goals.
Key Responsibilities:
Editorial Strategy, Storytelling & Thought Leadership
- Develops and manages an enterprise-wide editorial strategy that aligns communications activities with organizational priorities, strategic initiatives, and key moments throughout the year.
- Leads editorial planning processes and maintains an integrated communications calendar that coordinates content, campaigns, events, and organizational priorities.
- Develops compelling stories and content that communicate The Endowment’s mission, priorities, learning, and impact.
- Translates complex ideas, community insights, and organizational learning into accessible and engaging content for diverse audiences.
- Leads storytelling efforts that support and amplify The Endowment’s Community Infrastructure Strategy and related initiatives.
- Supports the development of thought leadership content including articles, reports, speeches, presentations, publications, and other strategic communications assets.
- Identifies opportunities to elevate organizational learning and position The Endowment as a leading voice on issues related to health equity, philanthropy, community power, and systems change.
- Ensures storytelling reflects tce+ principles and is grounded in racial equity, trust-based philanthropy, and community-centered partnership.
Creative Direction, Brand Stewardship & Campaign Development
- Serves as the creative lead, establishing creative direction and ensuring communications effectively convey organizational priorities and values.
- Oversees creative development across publications, campaigns, digital assets, videos, photography, presentations, and other communications materials.
- Develops creative briefs and provides strategic direction to internal stakeholders and external partners.
- Leads the development and implementation of integrated communications campaigns across digital, print, multimedia, and event-based channels.
- Ensures all communications align with brand standards, messaging frameworks, accessibility requirements, and quality expectations.
- Maintains consistency in visual identity, voice, tone, and storytelling across communications channels and products.
- Reviews and approves creative deliverables to ensure alignment, quality, and effectiveness.
Leadership Content, Website & Digital Communications
- Provides content development support for leadership communications and public-facing thought leadership.
- Drafts and edits speeches, presentations, talking points, articles, reports, opinion pieces, and strategic communications materials.
- Leads website content strategy and collaborates with digital partners to ensure content remains relevant, engaging, and aligned with organizational priorities.
- Develops content strategies that increase visibility, engagement, and understanding among key audiences.
- Ensures digital content supports organizational goals, audience needs, accessibility standards, and user experience best practices.
- Identifies opportunities to leverage emerging communications platforms, technologies, and storytelling formats.
Agency Partners & Communications Operations
- Manages relationships with external communications, creative, digital, and production partners as an integrated extension of the Communications team.
- Oversees the work of creative and design agencies, video production partners, digital and web agencies, photographers, multimedia producers, copywriters, and other specialized consultants.
- Establishes scopes of work, timelines, budgets, deliverables, and performance expectations for external partners.
- Provides guidance and creative direction to agency partners while ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
- Ensures communications projects are delivered on time, within budget, and consistent with quality and brand standards.
- Identifies opportunities to improve workflows, production processes, and communications effectiveness through strong vendor management and collaboration.
Communications Integration, Performance & Organizational Partnership
- Serves as a trusted communications partner to departments and teams across the enterprise.
- Facilitates collaboration across departments to identify communications opportunities and integrate storytelling into organizational initiatives.
- Ensures communications efforts are coordinated across teams and channels to maximize impact, consistency, and audience engagement.
- Establishes metrics and evaluation approaches to assess content performance, audience engagement, campaign effectiveness, and communications impact.
- Uses analytics, audience insights, and stakeholder feedback to continuously improve communications products, campaigns, and storytelling approaches.
- Contributes to enterprise communications planning and supports the successful execution of enterprise-wide priorities.
- Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Desired Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
- Ability to articulate a clear strategic vision and align team efforts with organizational goals.
- Committed to and holds a deep understanding of how to advance equity through communications.
- Skilled at working toward shared goals alongside teammates, departments, and external partners.
- Ability to represent the communications team with authority and credibility with leadership, staff, media, and stakeholders.
- Adept at navigating ambiguity, shifting environments, and competing priorities.
- Excellent writing, editing, and messaging skills across diverse formats and audiences.
- Strong strategic planning, project management, and team leadership skills.
- Proven ability to manage complex projects, budgets, and cross-departmental collaboration.
- Demonstrated ability to create culturally responsive teams.
- Problem solver, critical thinking allows anticipating what will be encountered and needed up ahead.
- Commitment to fostering inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive teams and workplace practices.
- Ability to lead and develop a high-performing, diverse team through coaching, mentorship, and accountability.
- Familiarity with health equity frameworks.
Minimum Experience:
- Ten (10) + years of progressively responsible experience in communications or related field, preferably within philanthropy, nonprofit, or public sector organizations.
- Minimum five (5) years of staff management.
- A bachelor’s degree in communications or related field is equivalent to 4 years of relevant experience.
- Experience with media relations, digital communications, and brand management.
- Experience working in California’s health and/or social impact ecosystem.
Salary Range:
Target Hiring Range: $116,000-$146,000
Full Salary Range: $116,000-$175,000
Compensation offers are determined based on the candidate’s relevant experience, market data, and internal equity. Most offers fall within the target hiring range, with the full salary range reserved to support growth and progression over time in the role.
TCE Benefits and Perks
- Shared medical and dental premiums for employees and eligible dependents
- 100% employer-paid benefits: vision, life and AD&D, STD, LTD and employee assistance program
- Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Reimbursement towards gym fees and/or wellness program and mental health care
- 9-80 schedule with synchronized off days
- Hybrid work schedule available for most positions
- 11 paid holidays + paid winter holiday closure
- Generous paid time off (PTO)
- 401k plan with generous employer match and contributions
- Matching gifts program
- Paid parking or public transportation subsidy
- Professional development and training opportunities
- Tuition Reimbursement Program
- Monthly BYOD stipend
The California Endowment’s goal is to hire qualified staff reflecting the rich diversity of all Californians. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to advancing health and racial equity in California. We are committed to creating a work environment in which all individuals are valued and respected. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. We define diversity in broad terms to include race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, geography, socio-economic status, veteran status, and prior criminal history, in accordance with local, state and/or federal laws.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening, apply for a position, or participate in the interview process, please connect with us at hrforms@calendow.org and describe the specific accommodation request for a disability-related limitation.