XPRIZE Overview
XPRIZE is an established global leader in designing and executing large-scale competitions to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. As a 501(c)3, our unique model democratizes innovation by incentivizing crowd-sourced, scientifically viable solutions to create a more equitable and abundant future for all. Since our founding in 1994, we’ve launched $519 million in prize competitions that are driving more than $31 billion in social and economic impact — a 60x return on philanthropic investment. These competitions not only de-risk early-stage breakthrough ideas but also mobilize capital, talent, and momentum to accelerate solutions from concept to real-world scale.
We operate across 5 areas of impact, including:
- Deep Tech + Exploration
- Energy + Climate + Nature
- Food + Water + Waste
- Health
- Learning + Society
Join XPRIZE to help create meaningful impact as we strive to empower humanity to achieve breakthroughs and architect a more equitable and abundant future for all.
Position Description
XPRIZE runs some of the most consequential competitions in the world. The science is rigorous, the stakes are real, and the stories — of teams, breakthroughs, and the human problems being solved — are genuinely extraordinary. The foundation seeks a leader who can shape those stories into a cohesive narrative and ensure that narrative reaches the right audiences (including potential donors and sponsors) with intention and consistency across every owned channel.
The Vice President, Content & Creative is responsible for how XPRIZE tells its story — in writing, in digital content, in social, and in creative expression. This leader serves as an integral member of the marketing leadership team, owning the content and creative architecture of the marketing department: the editorial voice, the brand standards, the digital intelligence that tells us whether that voice is landing, the content calendar that connects campaign moments to always-on brand presence, and the team that brings it all to life.
This leader works in close partnership with Media Relations to ensure messaging alignment across owned content, digital storytelling, and earned media. The ideal candidate thinks naturally across the owned-to-earned spectrum and understands that a well-told owned story is the foundation of a compelling press narrative.
This leader will face strategic and executional demands from day one. The ideal candidate is someone who is energized by that kind of environment: someone who can establish direction while simultaneously delivering, and who understands that building something durable requires running while you construct it.
Responsibilities
- Narrative and Editorial Leadership
- Define and steward the XPRIZE brand voice across all written and editorial content, including prize campaign assets, annual reports, op-eds, executive thought leadership, blog and long-form editorial, and digital copy.
- Translate complex scientific and technical subject matter into compelling narratives for donors, sponsors, media, and the general public.
- Creative Direction and Brand Standards
- Own the creative pillar of the marketing department — including brand standards, design systems, visual identity, and creative production.
- Oversee both in-house designers and external creative partners to produce high-quality, on-brand assets across foundation publications, campaign creative, event materials, reports, and digital channels.
- Lead the creative brief process, establish quality standards, and ensure that visual expression is coherent and intentional across every prize and program.
- Digital Strategy and Audience Intelligence
- Own the enterprise-wide digital measurement framework and deploy it to inform content and creative strategy.
- Develop and maintain email strategy and performance standards, SEO and platform optimization, audience segmentation and journey optimization.
- Partner with the Campaign Strategy team to ensure digital intelligence flows into planning, decision-making, and campaign measurement.
- Develop sponsor, donor, and executive-facing reporting that demonstrates marketing’s impact on fundraising goals and campaign objectives.
- Content Planning and Calendar
- Own the content calendar across owned channels — social, email, web, and editorial. Ensure that every major prize milestone, campaign moment, and brand initiative has a proactive content plan.
- Establish templates, playbooks, and repeatable frameworks that allow the team to work at speed without sacrificing quality.
- Translate research, prize outcomes, and impact data into thought leadership content — including long-form editorial, white papers, and donor-facing narratives.
- Owned-to-Earned Partnership
- Serve as the primary internal partner to Media Relations, ensuring that owned content strategy and earned media strategy are integrated rather than siloed.
- Provide the narrative foundation — messaging frameworks, story angles, and content assets — that enables media relations efforts to land with consistency and impact.
- Identify and develop story opportunities that have both owned content and press potential, and ensure that major prize milestones are supported by a coordinated content and communications approach.
- Social Media
- Oversee the social media function, ensuring that channel strategy, content planning, and execution are aligned with broader campaign objectives and brand voice.
- Partner with the Campaign Strategy team on prize milestone moments and with the digital intelligence function to continuously optimize performance across platforms.
- Develop influencer and amplification strategies that extend XPRIZE’s reach to new and existing audiences.
- Team Leadership and Development
- Lead, develop, and provide direction to a team of content, digital, social, and creative professionals.
- Build durable team capabilities, establish performance goals, and create a culture of editorial excellence and creative ambition.
- Manage and direct external consultants, vendors, and agency partners with the same rigor applied to the internal team.
Qualifications
- 12+ years of experience in content strategy, editorial leadership, communications, or integrated marketing, with at least 4 years in a senior leadership role managing teams.
- Proven ability to develop and execute an organization-wide content and communications strategy that advances brand visibility, storytelling, and thought leadership across digital, social, and owned channels.
- Demonstrated experience leading the successful creation, promotion, and distribution of high-impact, cross-platform content that drives audience engagement and expands organizational reach.
- A portfolio demonstrating expertise in translating complex, technical, or scientific subject matter into compelling narratives for multiple audiences — including donors, sponsors, media, and the general public.
- Demonstrated understanding of the relationship between owned content and earned media. Experience working in close partnership with communications or media relations functions, with an orientation toward integrated narrative strategy across owned and earned channels.
- Strong track record of strengthening digital and social channels through data-driven strategy, performance optimization, and audience intelligence — including email, SEO, segmentation, and platform analytics.
- Experience managing graphic design work — both in-house designers and external creative partners — to produce high-quality visual assets including lookbooks, campaign creative, annual reports, and event materials.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and direct consultants, vendors, and agency partners alongside full-time direct reports.
- Experience with marketing technology stacks including project management tools, DAM systems, email platforms, and analytics tools.
- Comfort operating in a fast-moving environment with competing priorities and hard deadlines.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, including the ability to influence without authority, navigate ambiguity, handle objections, and work collaboratively with colleagues and staff.
- A sense of curiosity, self-awareness, and a focus on continuous improvement
- Must have a passion for the mission of XPRIZE and the work we are doing to build a better future.
The anticipated base salary for this position is $190,000 to $210,000 and may also qualify for an annual incentive. This role is eligible for our extensive benefits package and generous paid time off including vacation, sick, and holidays. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors including the qualifications of the individual applicant, years of relevant experience for the role, level of education attained, and certifications and/or other licenses held. XPRIZE is a remote-first environment.
The XPRIZE FOUNDATION is an equal opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate in employment. Equal access to employment, services, and programs is available to all persons. Those applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application and/or interview process should notify a representative of the organization.
Please note: Though submitting a resume to the XPRIZE FOUNDATION implies that you are interested in a position(s), it does not imply that you are an applicant. You are not considered an applicant until you have been contacted directly by a Talent Acquisitions representative requesting that you begin the designated application process, which may involve phone and/or in-person interview(s), job-related testing, and background checks.