Marketing Communications Director

About Highnote 

Founded in 2020 by a team of leaders from Braintree, PayPal, and Lending Club, Highnote is an embedded finance company that sets the standard in modern card platform management. As an all-in-one card issuer processor and program management platform, we provide digital-first organizations with the flexibility to seamlessly issue and process payment cards, embed virtual and physical card payments, and integrate ledger and wallet functionalities—empowering businesses to drive growth and profitability.

We’ve raised $145M+ and have grown our team to 125+ employees. Headquartered in San Francisco, we’ve managed to build one of the most advanced payments teams in the industry, with team members in 25+ US states. 

Operating through our core values of customer obsession, executional excellence, intentional inclusion, we’re helping businesses grow for the future by creating the payment products demanded by tomorrow, with the ability to solve for use cases that don’t exist yet.

We are fast-moving, hands-on, and strongly believe everyone deserves a seat at the table. We believe we’re unlocking incredible opportunities that can change the future of payments, as long as we have the right people to make it happen. 

Job Description 

As the Marketing Communications Director you will be responsible for growing our brand awareness and help to establish Highnote as the undisputed leader in modern card issuing and acquiring. This role is a blend of strategy and execution, with a focus on building a strong, consistent brand identity and clear value proposition across earned and social media, with partners, employees and subscribers and executing a steady drumbeat of messages in the market. The ideal candidate is scrappy and disciplined and will craft and execute initiatives that build brand equity, drive customer engagement and advocacy and turn Highnote into a household name in payments.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead our messaging: Develop a compelling and comprehensive messaging strategy that promotes brand, is aligned to the company’s strategic vision, is easy to understand and resonates strongly with customers of all sizes and other stakeholders
• Create and execute key messages: Create and refine key messages in accordance with the refreshed messaging strategy and own dissemination across all channels and platforms, including social, PR, executive communications, speaking engagements, sales materials, customer references, and digital properties
• PR Strategy and Execution: Develop and execute social, PR and media strategies, including pitch and place stories across all business and industry media and channels and support all company spokespeople to generate consistent coverage
• Develop and drive a strong media relations plan. Manage all media relationships 
• Craft and communicate a compelling brand narrative that resonates with our target audiences to generate awareness and differentiate us in the market. Clearly communicate our value proposition across all communication channels, including PR, marketing materials, website content, social media, blog content, and marketing campaigns

Required experience:

• Proven experience: 10+ years of experience in communications with a focus on payments/financial services, preferably within acquiring or issuing card sectors
• Messaging and communications excellence: Demonstrated track record of developing and executing exceptional messaging and communications strategies for fintech or payments companies with a passion for creating impactful brand narratives
• PR and Media relations: Expertise in developing and driving a robust PR and media relations strategy, including developing relationships with key media across all relevant media channels, including social media, and management of the overall media relations function
• Leadership: Demonstrated success in aligning messaging and working across stakeholders toward a common goal and with flawless execution 
• 10+ years of brand strategy and brand building experience, preferably in a high growth start-up in the fintech or financial services industry
• EXCELLENT writer with great attention to detail
• Outrageously organized with the ability to drive multiple projects and changing priorities in a fast paced environment and with grace and good humor

Why Highnote?

• We’re a startup that allows for our employees to truly build from the ground up and impact every layer of our organization. 
• We’re a team of payments-obsessed individuals. While some of us come from the fintech world, some of us don’t. We value the varied backgrounds and the diverse perspectives of our employees. 
• We’re small on hierarchy and big on growth. We’re a flat organization that allows everyone to have direct exposure to our leadership team. We are looking for builders who thrive in ambiguity. 
• We’re backed by Oak HC/FT, Costanoa Ventures, Adams Street Partners, Westcap, Pinegrove Venture Partners. Angel Investors include Bill Ready (CEO at Pinterest) and Renaud Laplanche (Co-Founder & CEO of Upgrade).

Highnote benefits

• Flexible Paid Time Off 
• 100% healthcare coverage + 75% coverage for dependents
• 401k program
• Paid Parental Leave: Up to 16 weeks paid leave for the birth parent, and up to 6 weeks paid leave for the non-birth parent
• Equity in Highnote
• Stipend to build out your home office; internet and phone reimbursement
• At Highnote we have built a total rewards philosophy that includes fair, equitable, geo-based compensation that is performance and potential based. Our compensation packages are competitive based on robust market research and are a combination of a cash salary, equity, and benefits. In compliance with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, the annual salary range for applicants is $160,000-$220,000. 

Please note that positions located in San Francisco are hybrid and include core working days of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday in office.  We provide flexible work options based on distance from our downtown SF office. Highnote believes in the power of face-to-face, personal connection. As a result, we prioritize in-person candidates. 

Highnote is a diverse and inclusive company committed to growing a diverse and inclusive team. We invite people from all backgrounds and identities to apply. We do not discriminate based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, citizenship, disability, pregnancy status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by US federal state or local laws, or the laws of the country or jurisdiction where you work.