Elastic, the Search AI Company, enables everyone to find the answers they need in real time, using all their data, at scale — unleashing the potential of businesses and people. The Elastic Search AI Platform, used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500, brings together the precision of search and the intelligence of AI to enable everyone to accelerate the results that matter. By taking advantage of all structured and unstructured data — securing and protecting private information more effectively — Elastic’s complete, cloud-based solutions for search, security, and observability help organizations deliver on the promise of AI.
Elastic is looking for a Senior Director of Global External Communications to lead how we build reputation, relevance, and influence with the external audiences that matter most to our business.
This is a senior leadership role within Corporate Communications, responsible for turning Elastic's company story and strategic priorities into a coordinated global external communications strategy spanning corporate and technical communications, regional communications, public sector, ecosystem storytelling, and competitive and market moments.
A critical part of the role is helping Elastic translate highly technical product innovation into stories that resonate beyond the developer audience. Working closely with Product, Product Marketing, Developer Marketing, and specialist technical communications leads, this leader will help take the technical narratives and proof created for developers and determine how they become compelling stories for IT decision-makers, business and technology media, and other influential external audiences.
This leader will move us beyond a traditional PR model built around announcements and media relations toward an always-on external communications engine: one that identifies the perceptions we need to shape, the audiences we need to influence, the stories and proof that will move them, and the most effective ways to make those stories travel.
The role reports to the VP, Corporate Communications and will serve as her senior operating leader for global external communications.
What You Will Be Doing- Lead Elastic's global external communications strategy. Set the strategy for how Elastic builds external reputation and influence across corporate, business, technical, regional, public sector, and ecosystem audiences. Translate company priorities into a focused external communications agenda, making clear choices about where we invest and what we deprioritize.
- Turn technical innovation into stories that influence technology decision-makers. Work deeply with Product, Product Marketing, Developer Marketing, Engineering, and specialist technical communications leads to understand Elastic's technology, roadmap, differentiation, and developer narratives. Identify how technical narratives and proof created for developers can be translated into compelling stories for CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, technology leaders, and the media and influencers who shape their views. This person must be technically credible enough to engage directly with product and engineering leaders, ask the right questions, spot the story inside complex technology, and help their team make it relevant without oversimplifying it.
- Lead and develop specialist technical communications. Oversee communications leads embedded across Elastic's key solution areas. Enable them to operate as strategic partners to their GMs, Product, PMM, Engineering, and Developer Marketing teams, including identifying strong stories within the business, shaping communications strategy for their areas, and translating technical innovation for developer and ITDM audiences.
- Build an always-on earned influence engine. Move the organization beyond a launch-led PR approach to sustained storytelling around the issues and market conversations where Elastic can lead. Create programs that combine technical authority, thought leadership, customer proof, ecosystem credibility, executive voices, and earned media to build sustained influence rather than one-off moments.
- Lead corporate and business communications. Own the earned communications strategy around Elastic's corporate story, business momentum, strategic priorities, major company moments, and reputation. Build and maintain influential relationships with top-tier business and technology media.
- Partner closely with Analyst Relations and Social & Editorial. Work with AR to understand how analysts see our markets, where our positioning is resonating or falling short, and where third-party validation can strengthen our stories. Partner with Social & Editorial to ensure priority external stories are designed for amplification from the outset and can travel across owned and social channels. PR, AR, and Social retain their distinct expertise and ownership while operating against shared company priorities.
- Lead global and regional communications as one system. Own the regional communications operating model and ensure global priorities are translated intelligently for priority markets rather than recreated locally. Build a strong two-way flow in which regional teams activate company stories locally while bringing market intelligence, customer proof, competitive signals, and emerging opportunities back into the global organization.
- Use our ecosystem as a force multiplier. Oversee communications across Elastic's partner and AI ecosystem, identifying opportunities for credible third parties to strengthen our stories, extend our reach, and reinforce Elastic's position in the AI technology landscape.
- Lead global public sector communications. Oversee our strategic public sector communications program, including engagement with government, public sector technology, and policy-relevant audiences in priority markets.
- Modernize the external communications operating model. Build an organization designed for the AI era. Determine where human expertise and judgment create differentiated value, where AI and automation can increase speed and scale, and where agencies provide specialist capability or market leverage. Eliminate low-value activity rather than simply making it more efficient.
- Build an intelligence-led function. Use media intelligence, competitive signals, analyst insight, social listening, audience data, and performance measurement to understand what is landing, where perceptions are shifting, and where Elastic should act. Feed those insights back into the broader story and communications planning process.
- Lead the global external communications team and agency ecosystem. Build and develop a high-performing team of specialist communications leaders. Establish clear accountability, raise the standard of strategic and technical communications thinking, and ensure agencies operate as extensions of Elastic's strategy rather than independent engines of activity.
- Significant senior leadership experience in external or corporate communications within enterprise technology, cloud, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, developer platforms, or AI.
- Strong technical fluency and genuine curiosity about technology. You don't need to be an engineer, but you must be comfortable engaging deeply with Product and Engineering leaders and understanding sophisticated technical concepts.
- A demonstrated ability to take highly technical products, capabilities, and developer stories and find the larger story that matters to our technical audience of CIOs, CISOs, CTOs, IT leaders, and the market.
- Experience leading specialist technology communications teams and enabling subject-matter experts to operate effectively with Product, PMM, Engineering, and senior business leaders.
- Demonstrated experience building and leading a sophisticated global external communications function rather than simply managing media relations.
- Strong understanding of developer and practitioner audiences alongside technical enterprise technology decision-makers and the important differences in what earns credibility with each.
- Excellent editorial judgment, with the ability to recognize the genuinely interesting story inside complex technology and the confidence to reject activity that isn't likely to create meaningful impact.
- Deep understanding of how reputation and market perception are built through earned media, technical communities, speaking, podcasts, executives, customers, partners, analysts, social channels, and other credible third parties.
- Strong relationships with influential business and technology media.
- Experience leading global and regional teams and managing complex agency ecosystems.
- A data- and intelligence-led approach to communications strategy and measurement.
- A track record of using AI, technology, automation, and new operating approaches to increase communications effectiveness and productivity.
- The ability to operate comfortably with senior executives, challenge constructively, make decisions with incomplete information, and bring clarity when priorities are moving quickly.
#LI-JM5
Compensation for this role is in the form of base salary. This role does not have a variable compensation component.
The typical starting salary range for new hires in this role is listed below. In select locations (including Seattle WA, Los Angeles CA, the San Francisco Bay Area CA, and the New York City Metro Area), an alternate range may apply as specified below.
These ranges represent the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the ranges may be modified in the future.
An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.
Elastic believes that employees should have the opportunity to share in the value that we create together for our shareholders. Therefore, in addition to cash compensation, this role is currently eligible to participate in Elastic's stock program. Our total rewards package also includes a company-matched 401k with dollar-for-dollar matching up to 6% of eligible earnings, along with a range of other benefits offered with a holistic emphasis on employee well-being.
As a distributed company, diversity drives our identity. Whether you’re looking to launch a new career or grow an existing one, Elastic is the type of company where you can balance great work with great life. Your age is only a number. It doesn’t matter if you’re just out of college or your children are; we need you for what you can do.
We strive to have parity of benefits across regions and while regulations differ from place to place, we believe taking care of our people is the right thing to do.
- Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary
- Health coverage for you and your family in many locations
- Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles
- Generous number of vacation days each year
- Increase your impact - We match up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) for financial donations and service
- Up to 40 hours each year to use toward volunteer projects you love
- Embracing parenthood with minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave
Different people approach problems differently. We need that. Elastic is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation.
We welcome individuals with disabilities and strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all individuals. To request an accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email [email protected]. We will reply to your request within 24 business hours of submission.
Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws, view posters linked below: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Poster; Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision Poster; Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster and Know Your Rights (Poster)
Elasticsearch develops and distributes technology and information that is subject to U.S. and other countries’ export controls and licensing requirements for individuals who are located in or are nationals of the following sanctioned countries and regions: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, or Russia, including the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia (The Crimea region of Ukraine, The Donetsk People's Republic (DNR), The Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), Kherson or Zaporizhzhia). If you are located in or are a national of one of the listed countries or regions, an export license may be required as a condition of your employment in this role. Please note that national origin and/or nationality do not affect eligibility for employment with Elastic.
Please see here for our Privacy Statement.
Elastic Denver, Colorado, USA Office
Denver, United States
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the Colorado Tech Scene
Key Facts About Colorado Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 260,000; 8.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Lockheed Martin, Century Link, Comcast, BAE Systems, Level 3
- Key Industries: Software, artificial intelligence, aerospace, e-commerce, fintech, healthtech
- Funding Landscape: $4.9 billion in VC funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Access Venture Partners, Ridgeline Ventures, Techstars, Blackhorn Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Denver, Colorado State University, Mesa Laboratory, Space Science Institute, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Gottlieb Institute
