Director of Brand & Communications

About the Organization

The Center on Rural Innovation (CORI) is a social enterprise driving economic prosperity in rural America through entrepreneurship and tech job creation. Focused on the 500 U.S. micropolitan communities with populations between 10,000 and 50,000, our Rural Innovation Network spans 40 regions across 25 states. At CORI, we believe rural America can lead in the innovation economy.

Our 35-person team works alongside local leaders to build thriving, tech-enabled ecosystems, combining community strategy, research, and talent development with the CORI Innovation Fund, our venture arm investing in scalable rural startups. Together, our programs and capital create a powerful model for unlocking innovation and inclusive growth across rural America.

About the Opportunity

CORI is entering a breakthrough moment. With bold goals to grow the Rural Innovation Network, elevate founder pipelines, and lead the nation in rural AI readiness, we are reshaping what is possible for small town America.

The Director of Brand & Communications will be a creative force behind this transformation. CORI’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Wired, Fortune, The Hill, and Venture Beat, and we’re ready for the next level. We are looking for a dynamic brand-builder — someone with a point of view, a strong creative instinct, and the drive to shape CORI’s national presence.

This is someone who sees storytelling as strategy, and who gets energized by fast-moving teams, ambitious goals, and the chance to help redefine the narrative about rural innovation.

If you want to help build a national movement where rural leaders, learners, and founders are at the center of the innovation economy, this is the role.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Growth Officer (and working closely with the Founder & CEO), the Director of Brand & Communications serves as CORI’s chief brand storyteller and visibility architect.

You will:

• Build a bold, modern, cohesive enterprise brand.
• Craft narratives that spark imagination and shift perceptions of rural America.
• Create high-impact digital, editorial, and media campaigns.
• Elevate CORI’s thought leadership in tech innovation, AI readiness, and rural entrepreneurship.
• Empower a small but talented team and a set of external agencies.
• Collaborate deeply across Programs, Operations, Data, and Growth divisions and the CORI Innovation Fund (CIF).

Your success will be visible in how the nation sees rural innovation: increased brand awareness, stronger partnerships, expanded visibility for our communities and rural founders, and breakthrough moments that elevate CORI’s impact. Key audiences include national policymakers, investors, philanthropy, and rural leaders across the country.

This role is perfect for someone with creative drive and leadership energy.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Brand Leadership & Narrative Strategy (30%)

• Build and steward CORI’s brand identity—voice, visuals, narrative architecture—and ensure coherence across all channels.
• Develop bold, future-forward messaging that elevates rural innovation as a national priority.
• Lead storytelling that translates CORI’s research, AI insights, ecosystem work, and venture investments into compelling narratives for funders, policymakers, and the public.
• Partner closely with the CEO and CGO on keynotes, major announcements, thought leadership, and strategic visibility.

Creative Content & Storytelling (25%)

• Lead creation of high-impact stories about rural founders, learners, and community leaders.
• Oversee editorial calendars, newsletters, blogs, social content, case studies, and digital storytelling.
• Bring a strong creative POV to campaigns, copywriting, visual narrative, and audience engagement.
• Integrate human-centered, equity-driven storytelling across CORI’s work.

Campaigns, Digital Strategy & National Visibility (20%)

• Design and execute integrated digital campaigns that expand awareness and inspire engagement.
• Build CORI’s national media strategy, securing earned media and elevating CORI’s role in rural innovation, AI, and tech economy conversations.
• Strengthen CORI’s digital presence across social, email, SEO, and paid channels.
• Experiment…