Internal Communications Manager at Upwork

Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s work marketplace. We serve everyone from one-person startups to large, Fortune 100 enterprises with a powerful, trust-driven platform that enables companies and talent to work together in new ways that unlock their potential.

Last year, more than $3.8 billion of work was done through Upwork by skilled professionals who are gaining more control by finding work they are passionate about and innovating their careers.

We're seeking a savvy internal communications manager who excels at creative storytelling and possesses strong writing skills. This versatile role requires you to take on a diverse range of projects that are critical to the success of the business, demanding adaptability, quick thinking, and the ability to solve problems and interact with executives effectively. You'll be responsible for managing internal communications strategies and campaigns for various technical teams and business units (BUs), including but not limited to IT, Information Security, Engineering, and our internal AI/ML initiatives. In addition, you will support executives across our four key business units: CX & Trust, Enterprise, Marketplace, and Payments, as well as Product Marketing.

You'll be a vital member of the internal communications team within the marketing organization at Upwork, reporting directly to the Senior Director of Internal Communications. We're looking for an individual who is enthusiastic about joining a team that aims to innovate and make an impact in the communication space within an exciting company that is redefining the future of work. If you're passionate about building strong partnerships, have a curious mindset (particularly in the emerging technology space), and are eager to collaborate with team members and business partners, we encourage you to apply. 

Your Responsibilities:

• Execute a variety of initiatives led by the Internal Communications team, including global campaigns, engaging employees through creative storytelling (written, visual, and live events), managing centralized employee and leader communication resources, supporting employee engagement initiatives, and managing our communication channels

• Provide strategic input on messaging and positioning, and influence stakeholders as needed to ensure communications provide context, clarity, and are aligned with our desired goals

• Identify and support projects that improve the strength of the entire Internal Communications team (ex: identify shared editorial opportunities and find new ways to streamline similar work, recommend new AI tools, etc.)

• Support our weekly company-wide meetings, our quarterly All Hands meetings, and our Annual Kickoff gathering, including managing content, coaching speakers in rehearsals and developing presentations 

• Actively manage content on behalf of your stakeholders on our company-wide intranet, The U

• Regularly assess the effectiveness of Upwork’s internal communications channels and share recommendations to create momentum and awareness as well as to test the effectiveness of communications activities

What it takes to catch our eye:

• Demonstrated experience and leadership in managing comprehensive technical strategic communications programs to advance an organization's mission, strategy, and goals

• Excellent project management skills, with ability to manage multiple tasks with frequently changing requirements and deadlines, and the ability to operate fairly independently, with minimal guidance from manager

• Excellent judgment and creative problem solving skills

• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills 

• Extensive successful writing and editing experience (externally or internally)

• Demonstrated skill and comfort in proactively building relationships with executives, as well as ability to work effectively with people at all levels of the organization

• Ability to work closely with executives to develop, secure approval of, and deploy their communications

• Ability to develop advanced concepts and solutions to problems that require a high degree of ingenuity, creativity and innovation

• Experience working with teams to plan video scripts and manage informal video creation a plus

• Maintains a calm presence when dealing with issues

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape talent solutions for how the world works today. We are a remote-first organization working together to create exciting remote work opportunities for a global community of professionals.  While we have physical offices in San Francisco and Chicago, currently we also support hiring of corporate full-time employees in 19 states in the United States. Please speak with a member of our recruitment team to determine whether you are located in a state in which we are hiring corporate full-time employees. 

Our vibrant culture is built on shared values and our mission to create economic opportunities so that people have better lives. We foster amazing teams, put our community first, and have a bias toward action. We encourage everyone to bring their whole selves to work and grow together through development opportunities, mentorship, and employee resource groups. And oh yeah, we've also got amazing benefits - including medical insurance for you and your family, unlimited PTO, 401(k) with matching, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and a generous Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Check out our Life at Upwork page to learn more about our benefits and the employee experience.

Check out our Life at Upwork page to learn more about the employee experience.   

Upwork is proudly committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we never discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.