Director of Communications

Company Description Swiftly is on a mission to help cities move more efficiently. We are the leading transit data platform for agencies to share real-time passenger information, manage day-to-day operations, and improve service performance. Today, over 200 transit agencies in 12 countries – including LA Metro, MARTA, SEPTA, and MBTA – rely on Swiftly to improve on-time performance by up to 40% and increase passenger information accuracy by up to 50%. The result is better service reliability, increased ridership, and more efficient transit operations.   Even though Swiftly's HQ office is located in San Francisco, CA, we are open to candidates in most locations across the U.S. as well as Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. At this time we are unable to provide Visa sponsorship.   About the Role Swiftly is hiring a Director of Communications to define what a category-leading reputation looks like in transit. You'll lead our content, brand, PR, and social media functions and be accountable for the systems, standards, and metrics that turn narrative into measurable reputational impact. You'll report to the VP of Sales and Marketing and partner closely with the leaders of demand generation and product marketing so our story shows up consistently everywhere Swiftly does. This job is for someone ambitious: a creative, systems-minded leader who wants to tell a reimagined story about transit and build the team and infrastructure to deliver it. Swiftly is on a mission to help cities move more efficiently. We are the leading transit data platform for agencies to share real-time passenger information, manage day-to-day operations, and improve service performance. Today, over 200 transit agencies in 12 countries, including LA Metro, MARTA, SEPTA, and MBTA, rely on Swiftly to improve on-time performance by up to 40% and increase passenger information accuracy by up to 50%. The result is better service reliability, increased ridership, and more efficient transit operations. What You'll Do Team Leadership Lead and grow a high-performing team across content, brand, PR, social, and proposals, setting the bar on quality, trusting each individual to own their domain, and using AI and emerging tools to scale the team's speed and creativity. Build the foundational systems and workflows that enable AI to scale the team's output without sacrificing quality or the human insight that drives Swiftly's thought leadership. Brand Strategy and Narrative Define Swiftly's brand strategy across our audiences, decide how we measure brand awareness and positioning, and create our strategy for moving the needle. Build the narrative system that aligns the business, partnering with Sales, Product, Customer Success, People, and the executive team so every external and internal moment reinforces the same story. Develop a content strategy that builds Swiftly's reputation as the authoritative voice in transit technology while directly contributing to revenue goals, balancing thought leadership with pipeline-building content developed in close partnership with Demand Generation. Steward Swiftly's brand identity in partnership with our brand designer, evolving the visual and verbal system as we mature. Treat proposals as a strategic communications surface, ensuring our RFP responses carry the same narrative power as our marketing. Operate as a senior voice in company decisions, bringing narrative and brand judgment into product, go-to-market, and strategy. Public Relations and Thought Leadership Develop and execute a proactive media and thought leadership strategy, and prepare leadership for the moments that matter: keynotes, launches, and big bets. Executive Communications Serve as a strategic communications advisor to senior leadership, developing executive messaging, presentations, keynote content, and stakeholder communications. Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Develop and maintain strategic relationships with transit agencies, industry associations, public sector leaders, and ecosystem partners to strengthen Swiftly's visibility, credibility, and influence. Partner with executive leadership to support government relations, policy communications, and stakeholder engagement efforts, ensuring Swiftly's messaging aligns with evolving industry priorities and public sector needs. Media Monitoring and Crisis Communications Establish media monitoring and competitive intelligence tracking programs to identify emerging opportunities, risks, and industry trends, providing leadership with actionable insights. Lead crisis communications planning and response readiness, developing messaging frameworks and protocols that protect and strengthen Swiftly's reputation during critical moments. Investor Communications Support company-level communications for investors and strategic partners. Customer Communications Partner with the Customer team to develop communications that support retention and renewals. What You Bring 10+ years in communications, corporate marketing, or brand, with leadership experience at a fast-growing B2B SaaS or mission-driven tech company. A track record of defining, instrumenting, and moving a north star reputation metric. Exceptional writing and storytelling skills: you can turn a complicated product and a nuanced industry into a story that's clear, sharp, and durable. Experience managing multidisciplinary teams across content, brand, PR, and proposals, and knowing how to motivate and inspire creatives. A history of thriving as a strategic partner to executives, sales, and product. A history of shipping messaging frameworks, narrative platforms, or positioning systems that got adopted. A strong point of view, a collaborative style, a learning mindset, and a love for working in a fast-paced environment with people you truly enjoy. Genuine excitement about public transit and mission-driven work. Even better if you have:   Experience communicating to or about public sector, government, or civic audiences Background in transit, mobility, transportation, or civic technology.