Who are we?

Sidewalk Labs is an Alphabet company with a mission to radically improve urban life. We aim to create inclusive, large-scale communities by bringing together an innovative planning approach, products and services designed to address urban challenges, and capital for real estate and advanced infrastructure. 

Since our founding in 2015, we've grown into an organization of over 100 employees based primarily in New York and Toronto. Our cross-disciplinary team consists of experts from real estate, urban planning, government, finance, technology, and engineering, among other backgrounds.

To date, we've incubated and invested in multiple companies focused on solving city problems, and we've launched the Sidewalk Toronto project, which aims to create a community along Toronto's waterfront that achieves new standards of sustainability, affordability, and economic opportunity for all.

With the potential to catalyze and scale new models for inclusive growth, our work is both highly exciting and complex. We are working to achieve something unprecedented — help us build it!

What is the role?

We are looking for an Associate Director of Corporate Communications to join our Policy & Communications team. You will play a critical role explaining our ideas and urban innovations to the world in a clear and compelling way.

This role calls for an ambitious mid-career writer and communicator capable of describing our complex work to a global audience of government leaders, urban-tech companies, real estate developers, city policy experts, and others focused on improving urban life. You will have a hand in writing internal blog posts or external op-eds, managing our social media channels, developing public presentations about our mission and approach for company leadership, and working with reporters to understand our work.

Expertise or experience in key areas of urban life or urban innovation is preferred. This position is a real growth opportunity to make an impact in a unique organization.

Day-to-day, you will work closely with the Policy & Comms team on:

• Writing blog posts and supporting other content needs for ongoing initiatives in development by our innovation teams
• Managing key editorial channels, particularly social media feeds and websites, with opportunities to develop original content for company blogs, podcasts, and multi-media channels
• Ghostwriting speeches or external media pieces for executive leadership and in-house subject experts
• Managing speaking requests and coordinating presentations for external events, and developing content for internal events
• Working with our public relations team to brief reporters, create traditional press and communications material, and coordinate media briefings
• Supporting general writing and editing needs across the company, including slideshows, reports, and other materials

What You Will Achieve

Within your first 3 months you will:

• Master the editorial style guide and tone
• Develop proficiency in communicating the full breadth of Sidewalk ideas and innovations
• Support creation of core editorial channels, specifically social media and website content
• Support corporate communications needs across the company, including talks, presentations, and reports
• Play a lead role planning coordinating external appearances by company leadership

Within your first 6 months you will:

• Assume day-to-day management of social media feeds, website content, and potentially other editorial channels
• Assume primary responsibility for corporate communications needs, including external presentations by company leadership
• Provide reliable writing or storytelling support to communications and press teams, as well as in-house expert teams
• Assume full management of internal and external events
• Draft and place op-eds or other articles by in-house experts in national or global publications

After 12 months you will:

• Provide strategic input on long-term editorial and communications planning
• Help measure and expand audience growth and engagement across all editorial channels
• Serve as the first line of response for all company-wide writing or narrative needs

What We Expect

To thrive on this journey with us, you will need to bring a strong interest in urban life, at least 5+ years of relevant experience, and demonstrate the following skills:

• Exceptional writing ability: You are an exceptional writer, ideally with substantial experience in journalism, publishing, or digital media. You are an experienced editor who knows how to structure a strong narrative and improve a weak one. You have the ability to make complex material accessible and enjoyable to a general audience without sacrificing the details.
• Media familiarity: You are comfortable engaging with the press and global media, and have experience pitching stories to top news outlets, either as a journalist or as a communications lead. You have the ability to develop, manage, and execute a communications strategy, working closely with a public relations firm.
• Keen urbanist insight and technological interest: You are familiar with all the challenges facing high-demand cities, and ideally have deep knowledge in some particular areas. You are skeptical of technology as a quick-fix but recognize the potential of innovations — physical, digital, policy, or design — to improve urban life when responsibly applied to an urban environment.
• Versatility and adaptability: You are a quick study across a wide variety of subject areas and have the ability to work closely with many different types of colleagues from a wide variety of backgrounds. You also have the ability to apply your considerable research, communications, and storytelling skills in new and creative ways.
• Management and self-discipline: You are capable of leading a project through all phases with minimal guidance, and a self-starter capable of getting a new initiative off the ground. You have managed large teams of both internal colleagues and external freelancers / vendors, and you’re an organized worker who can balance short-term deadlines against and long-term ambitions. 
• Professionalism: You handle demanding assignments and tight deadlines with poise and reliability. Your work reflects a high level of polish and can stand up to a global spotlight. You are a dependable teammate who’s willing to do the little things to help a colleague in need. 

Equal Opportunity Statement

The community of the future is a place for everyone, and Sidewalk Labs is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All employment is based on merit and business need.