ndncollective -Director of Narrative and Storytelling
Job Description
Reporting to our CEO & Founder, Nick Tilsen, the Director of Narrative and Storytelling is responsible for shaping and amplifying NDN Collective’s voice—internally and externally. This role will steward our narrative strategy in a way that weaves together the voices and stories of the NDN Collective’s people, programs, and impact into a cohesive narrative that advances NDN’s mission and inspires our community and accomplices into action. The Director of Narrative & Storytelling will lead the development of storytelling strategies and will work with teams across the ecosystem to honor authenticity, equity, and shared humanity, ensuring that the organization’s communications reflect the wisdom, courage, and purpose of the Indigenous communities it serves. The ideal candidate is both a visionary and a practitioner: someone who understands the power of narrative to transform systems, and who can translate that understanding into compelling, authentic stories that inspire action and solidarity. The candidate must effectively oversee the overall narrative and storytelling process, including the management of multiple priorities, contributors, and timelines.
THE POSITION
Remote position
Application Deadline: December 21, 2025
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Narrative Strategy and Vision
- Develop and steward an organizational narrative framework that aligns with and advances the organization’s mission, values, and movement goals. This organizational narrative framework includes aligning NDN’s tactics of our LandBack For The People Podcast, blog, monthly newsletter, the NDN Store, NDN’s website, our Landback.org website, traditional media, and partnerships with other platforms.
- Identify and articulate the key themes and narratives that define the organization’s identity and impact using NDN’s LandBack, Organizing, and Policy strategies as a narrative anchor and through-line.
- Collaborate with leadership to ensure storytelling supports and aligns with organizational and movement strategy, as well as advocacy, development, investment and engagement priorities.
- Serve as a thought partner in integrating narrative change work across teams within the ecosystem as well as LandBack initiatives and closely aligned partners such as NDN Fund.
- Work in close collaboration with the Advancement & Impact team to integrate qualitative and quantitative impact data into external messaging and storytelling.
- Maintain and support NDN’s brand integrity.
Storytelling and Content Development
- Lead the creation of powerful stories—written, visual, and multimedia—that centers lived experience and the organization’s impact. This includes supporting campaigns by generating materials that bring the organization’s work to life across print, digital, and multimedia platforms.
- Support staff, grantees, community members, and LandBack Action network members in telling their own stories through training, interviews, and ethical storytelling practices. This support includes serving as a content contributor, and writing/editing content for internal teams for inclusion in NDN’s multiple media outlet streams (blog, newsletter, etc) as well as overseeing the maintenance of the Landback.org website.
- Develop storytelling campaigns that connect hearts and minds to NDN Collective’s work.
- Oversee the collection, curation, and safeguarding of stories, photos, and other narrative assets.
- Oversee consistent tone, message, and narrative integrity across all communication platforms.
Platform Movement Collaboration and Capacity Building
- Partner with internal teams to integrate storytelling practices into program design, reflection sessions, and communications. This role includes heavy collaboration with NDN’s Advancement & Impact team and LandBack Action Network team for the Landback.org website and other NDN platforms.
- Create tools and guidance that embed narrative and storytelling into programs, campaigns, and community engagement. This includes building staff capacity to identify, share, and reflect on stories that illustrate values and impact in action.
- Foster a culture of storytelling that values reflection, authenticity, and accountability to community.
- Collaborate with external partners, allied organizations, consultants, and media professionals as needed. This includes bottom-lining any sign-on letters that the organization signs onto.
Supervision and Management
- This role will supervise and manage the body of work and processes of the Narrative & Storytelling team which consists of the Creative Content Manager, the Digital Organizer & Social Media Manager, the Tactical Media Specialist, and the Multimedia Production Specialist.
- Supervision and coordination of consultant(s) who support public relations, traditional media, and the NDN Store.
- Other duties as assigned and necessary.
WHO YOU ARE
Education, Experience, Knowledge, and Skills
- Preferred Master’s Degree in communications, journalism, public relations or a related field with 7+ years of experience in communications, storytelling, journalism, or narrative strategy. Experience within a movement-based non-profit organization is preferred and appreciated as well as one with strong ties to social justice within a community-based context.
- Deep understanding of how narrative influences systems, identity, and power.
- Strong writing, editing, and interviewing skills, with experience crafting stories across diverse mediums.
- Experience with trauma-informed, consent-based, and equity-centered storytelling practices.
- Ability to collaborate across teams and communities with cultural humility and care.
- Strategic thinker with the ability to hold both creative vision and operational details.
- Knowledge of Indigenous lifeways, current events, and actions impacting Indian Country and Indigenous people. Possess strong cultural integrity
- Demonstrated commitment to racial, gender, economic, environmental, and social justice.
- Experience in organizing, supervision or management preferred.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
ACTIVATOR: You are a self-reliant person and are strong at making things happen by turning thoughts into actions. You take initiative, utilize resources, and move projects forward with purpose.
CREATIVE: You are a strategist who sees narrative as a tool for liberation and imagination.
LEARNER: You have strong learning agility and are able to rapidly understand and analyze new situations. You learn from your successes and failures and improve processes to drive our mission.
LISTENER: You and a deep and active listener who approaches people and stories with empathy, respect, and curiosity.
COMMUNICATOR: You are able to clearly and effectively convey messages in a timely, thoughtful, and well-structured manner. You communicate with courage and are unafraid to hold complexity and nuance. You communicate in various mediums: written, verbal, visual, and non-verbal.
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT: You are ambitious, creative, and enjoy the process of building something from the ground up. You are proactive and take ownership of your work while actively seeking opportunities to contribute to the growth of the organization.
SOCIALLY & EMOTIONALLY INTELLIGENT: You work well with others by demonstrating empathy, respect, and strong interpersonal awareness.
You build trust, navigate group dynamics effectively, and foster positive relationships across diverse teams and settings.
DETAIL-ORIENTED: You are attentive. You take responsibility and seek continuous improvement within your position. You are able to seamlessly move between precision and creativity, and are able to move from the highest level of a project to its smallest details, while ensuring quality in your work.
FLEXIBLE: You adapt in a fast-paced environment and when priorities shift. You handle emergent needs for your team and the ecosystem, and you are willing to travel when needed. You are able to find balance between the work and your emotional, spiritual, and physical health.
WORLDVIEW AS A RELATIVE: You see and understand that NDN’s work is connected to a larger movement toward justice for Indigenous peoples, communities, and nations, and that “we are all related.” You embrace your role as part of a larger team and ecosystem supporting that goal.
This position is salaried, commensurate with experience, with a salary ranging from $100K to $135K. A generous benefits package includes fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as a 401(k) retirement plan with match, a wellness program, personal leave, professional development, and more.
HOW TO APPLY
Using the form submission below, please include the following attachments:
- Your resume (FILE NAME: “[LAST NAME – RESUME]”)
- 2-page document to include: (FILE NAME: “[LAST NAME – COVER LETTER]”)
- Cover letter explaining your interest in the organization and position
- Short answers to the following questions:
- What is your personal philosophy regarding narrative and storytelling as part of a movement?
- How has your experience working in Indigenous communities informed your current work and your interest in this position?
- NDN Collective conducts background checks. Is there anything that you need to share with us about your background?
- If you have personal or social connections to anyone who works at or with NDN Collective, who do you know and what is your relationship/connection?
- Have you ever been an NDN Collective grantee or applied for a grant with us?
NDN Collective is committed to equal opportunity for all persons without regard to sex, age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination. It is NDN Collective’s policy to comply with all federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations regarding equal opportunity. In keeping with that policy, NDN Collective is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free of unlawful discrimination and harassment and will not tolerate unlawful discrimination against or harassment of any of our employees or others present at our facilities by anyone, including any NDN Collective supervisor, co-worker, vendor or client.