Director of Narrative Strategy

Job Description

About the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis The Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis serves Harris County, the largest county in Texas and the third largest in the United States. In a fast-moving policy environment, our decisions shape statewide and national conversations on democracy, justice, health, climate resilience, and economic dignity.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis is a nationally respected leader with a decades-long record of advancing civil rights, justice, and equity in Texas. Alongside a strategic leadership team, an expert policy division, and a community affairs team with deep ties across the county, we’re building one of the most sophisticated and values-driven communications shops in local government.

Position Overview

Commissioner Ellis is our office’s lead storyteller. As Director of Narrative Strategy, you are the keeper of the story—leading the office’s strategic communications, message development, and framing to shape how we explain Harris County’s work (often in moments that shape statewide and national conversations), why it matters, and how it resonates with residents and key audiences.

You develop the big idea that anchors the office’s communications and maintain its consistency across fleeting moments and long-term campaigns. Working closely with the Communications Director and Deputy Communications Director, you advise senior leadership with clear narrative options, coach writers and spokespeople, and set the quality bar for language that is consistent, accurate, accessible, and grounded in dignity.

This is a leadership role that sits at the center of the communications operation. You collaborate with the Media Relations Director, Creative Director, and Digital Director to ensure alignment across press, digital, and visual storytelling—providing clear frames, usable briefs, and timely guidance while respecting lane ownership. You also partner with our Policy and Community Affairs & Advocacy teams to ensure our storytelling reflects lived experience, equity, and delivery on the ground.

As both architect and editor, you translate priorities into narrative strategy and equip the full communications team with the tools they need to carry the story into public view—across coverage, speeches, web and email, social platforms, and partner communications. Your work ensures that what we say, how we say it, and why it matters are always clear to the people we serve.

Our communications operation integrates narrative, press, digital, and creative into a unified engine that meets the moment, moves public organizing, and delivers results for the people we serve. We hold high standards and provide high support, offering candid feedback, teamwork without ego, strategic thinking, calm decision-making, and a shared commitment to human dignity and public service.

If you want to do work that leaves a mark—on your career, on this country, and on issues that shape our future—you belong here. We recruit nationally; relocation to Houston is required.

General Information

This is a full-time position offering a competitive yearly salary of $120,000 - $150,000 commensurate with experience; comprehensive benefits, including relocation assistance; and opportunities for professional growth. Some evenings and weekends are required.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Narrative architecture: Build the annual narrative strategy and quarterly message maps so the same big idea shows up clearly—adapted by channel and audience— across all communications; and ensure narrative alignment across press, digital, creative, policy rollouts, and community-facing materials.

• Strategic storytelling (constituent delivery): Ensure the team publishes 2–3 short delivery stories each week that clearly answer: what changed, who benefits, and how residents can act; maintain a consistent delivery format: plain-language, one actionable link, one resident-friendly metric;

• oversee formats including social carousel/reel/thread or a 150–300 word newsroom/email item with accessibility and timely Spanish versions for priority items.

• Cross-lane integration (with clear boundaries): Provide usable briefs and message quality checks to support execution across teams; maintain clear handoffs; Media Relations handles pitching, inquiries, and placements, Digital oversees web/email/social operations, and Creative handles visual production. Keep handoffs tight and on time. Keep collaboration tight, timely, and respectful of lane ownership.

• Rapid-response framing: In coordination with the Media Relations Director and Deputy Communications Director, set first lines for breaking moments and prepare pivots and counters for likely scenarios.

• Voice and templates: Own OCRE’s voice and tone, ensuring consistency across platforms and moments; develop and maintain reusable templates including message guides; social scripts for delivery posts; 150–300 word newsroom/newsletter blurbs; partner toolkits; and a one-page creative brief (audience, purpose, proof point, call to action, accessibility checks).

• Training, coaching, and management: Lead message briefings and narrative workshops for staff, surrogates, and partners; coach principals for interviews, town halls, and editorial boards alongside the Media Relations Director, serve as a sounding board for earned media, and manage and mentor a team of writers and storytellers, raising clarity and consistency across outputs.

• Audience and equity lens: Embed accessibility and Spanish-language inclusion into narrative planning from the start; coordinate Spanish versions through County translation services or partner organizations. • Testing and learning: Partner with the Digital Director, run small tests (openers, hooks, formats, timing); produce a monthly “what worked / what to change” memo and update the narrative playbook accordingly.

• Partner amplification: Coordinate validator briefings and practical toolkits with Community Affairs & Advocacy; support editorial-board prep and coalition narratives.

• Quality bar: Uphold a high bar for accuracy, plain language, non-partisan ethics, and public trust.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in strategic communications, advocacy, campaigns, or editorial leadership with a focus on narrative strategy and high-stakes writing/editing.

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic communications and narrative leadership, including message development, framing, and adaptation across audiences and channels, particularly on issues of equity and justice affecting communities of color.

• Proven ability to shape public narratives and secure carry-through across coverage, speeches, web/email, and social; able to write hands-on when needed.

• Expert editor and coach who can move work from good to clear, compelling, and usable. Strong collaborator with Creative, Digital, and Media Relations; calm, decisive judgment under deadline.

• Experience designing and interpreting message tests

• Commitment to equity, plain language, accessibility, and Spanish-language inclusion; multilingual ability is a plus (Spanish strongly preferred).

• Government or public-interest experience in a diverse urban context is a plus.