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Harris County · 7 hours ago

Director of Narrative Strategy

Houston, TX

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$120K/yr - $150K/yr

7+ years exp

Harris County is the largest county in Texas and the third largest in the United States, led by Commissioner Rodney Ellis who is committed to advancing civil rights and equity. The Director of Narrative Strategy will lead the office's strategic communications and narrative development, ensuring alignment across various communication channels and enhancing public understanding of the county's work.

Government Administration

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

Qualification

Strategic communicationsNarrative strategyMessage developmentHigh stakes writing/editingEquityJustice focusAudience adaptationPublic narratives shapingCoachingMultilingual abilityCollaboration

Required

High School Diploma. Equivalent work experience or certifications may also be considered

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