Director, External Relations

Job Description:

• Develop and execute Andela’s global PR strategy, including executive thought leadership, product announcements, corporate milestones, and brand storytelling.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key journalists, editors, and media outlets covering technology, AI, the future of work, hiring trends, and emerging markets.
• Manage and direct PR agencies, setting clear goals, reviewing deliverables, and holding partners accountable to results.
• Serve as a strategic communications advisor to the executive team, preparing messaging, talking points, and briefing materials for media engagements.
• Oversee the development of press releases, bylines, op-eds, media pitches, and other external communications assets.
• Track and report on earned media coverage; use data to continuously refine strategy and demonstrate impact.
• Manage crisis communications planning and response in partnership with legal and executive leadership.
• Design and lead Andela’s analyst relations program, building productive, ongoing relationships with key industry analysts at firms such as Gartner.
• Develop and execute a tiered analyst engagement strategy, including regular briefings, inquiries, advisory sessions, and analyst days.
• Manage Andela’s positioning and participation in key analyst vendor evaluations and reports (e.g., Magic Quadrants, Waves, MarketScapes), coordinating cross-functional input from Product, Sales, and Marketing.
• Ensure analyst intelligence and market insights are socialized internally, informing product strategy, messaging, and go-to-market planning.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with analyst firms, ensuring services are fully leveraged and aligned with strategic priorities.
• Oversee Gartner Peer Insights and similar peer review programs in partnership with customer success and sales teams.
• Directly manage one full-time External Relations team member, providing coaching, development, and clear goal-setting.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with PR and AR agencies, ensuring alignment to strategy and efficient use of resources.
• Build scalable processes, playbooks, and reporting frameworks to support a growing communications function.
• Partner closely with Marketing, Product, Sales, and People teams to align external communications with business priorities and company narratives.
• Support high-visibility moments such as product launches, funding announcements, executive hires, and industry events.
• Represent Andela at industry conferences, analyst summits, and media events as appropriate.

Requirements:

• 10+ years of experience in corporate communications, public relations, and analyst relations
• Demonstrated success running both PR and AR programs — ideally within a B2B technology company or professional services firm
• Proven experience managing and growing external agencies as well as direct reports
• Deep existing relationships with relevant technology media and/or industry analyst communities
• Experience managing or supporting participation in major analyst reports such as Gartner Magic Quadrants, Forrester Waves, or similar

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Flexible work arrangements