Senior Communications Manager

Are you a creative thinker with a passion for writing? Do you have experience crafting C-Level communications for senior leaders? Does the prospect of contributing to purposeful missions and doing hard things excite you? Have you found the sweet spot between harnessing AI capabilities and preserving the human voice? If your answer is yes, this role could be the perfect fit for you.

About Sand

Sand Technologies makes critical industries work better through smart utilisation of data for Physical AI. We help operators run safer, more reliable systems in healthcare, telecommunications, water, energy and more.

Our work has real, proven impact. We built AI systems that help manage London's water supply. We helped one of the world's largest telecom companies plan networks across 300 cities. We created a digital healthcare platform that serves 30 million people across Africa. And our horizons are expanding.

We are ambitious, curious and relentlessly practical. Our people work on-site with clients, troubleshoot problems in the field, and ship solutions fast. Our teams span Africa, Europe, the UK, the US and beyond—working across the full stack, from hardware and software to deployment and capability building.

Sand Technologies is a part of the African Leadership Group ecosystem which includes African Leadership Academy, African Leadership University, and our tech training academy, ALX. This role spans across both ALX and Sand, including collaboration with some other entities of the group.

About the role

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Communications Manager to join the Office of the CEO, driving communications needs across various organisations. This is a high-trust, high-performance role for a world-class writer and editor who thrives at the intersection of strategy, storytelling and execution.

The ideal candidate is first and foremost an outstanding long-form writer and editor, with the ability to translate complex ideas into compelling narratives for diverse audiences - from global partners, clients and investors to staff, media and policymakers. A background in journalism, media or editorial leadership is strongly preferred, along with a portfolio of published work.

This role sits at the center of a fast-moving ecosystem spanning:

• Sand Technologies - a global Physical AI company modernising critical infrastructure

• ALX - a pan-African tech talent accelerator

• The broader African Leadership Group ecosystem

You will work closely with the CEO’s Office to shape internal and external communications, manage executive visibility, and ensure clarity, consistency and excellence across all written outputs.

Specific Responsibilities

1. Internal Communications

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• Edit and refine weekly CEO Updates for Sand and ALX

• Draft high-level internal emails and executive communications for the CEO

• Project manage stakeholder communications, defining roadmaps and year-round plans

• Write and edit impact reports, stakeholder reports and letters for the CEO

• Write and edit investor communications and strategic updates

• Ensure alignment of messaging across Sand, ALX and ALG

• Maintain a consistent, high-quality voice of the CEO across platforms

2. External Communications & Executive Positioning

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• Oversee social media strategy in collaboration with the Social Media Manager

• Edit executive posts and shape long-form thought leadership content

• Write and edit articles, speeches and keynote remarks

• Manage CEO speaking engagements in collaboration with the Social Media Manager

• Coordinate PR engagements, media interviews, quotes and book forewords

• Draft high-level external correspondence

• Lead executive communications for specialised events (eg Sand’s annual Evolve AI Summit)

Requirements - Must Have

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Law or other related field

• 7+ years of experience in communications, journalism, media or executive communications

• Exceptional long-form writing and editing skills (portfolio required)

• Demonstrated experience writing for senior executives or public-facing leaders

• Strong editorial judgment and ability to shape narrative at a strategic level

• Ability to manage multiple high-priority workstreams simultaneously

• Experience working across internal and external communications environments

• Comfort operating in fast-paced, high-growth, mission-driven organisations

• Ability to work across time zones and adapt to a frequently traveling CEO’s schedule

• High discretion and professional maturity when handling sensitive information

Requirements - Preferred

• Background in journalism or media, with published articles

• Experience supporting founders, CEOs, or senior leadership teams

• Experience in technology, AI, education or global development sectors

• Experience managing media relations and executive brand positioning

Personal Attributes

• Elite Writer: You care deeply about clarity, rhythm, argument and structure.

• Operationally Excellent: You can manage complexity without dropping details.

• High Ownership: You anticipate needs and execute without constant direction.

• Resilient & Adaptable: You thrive under pressure and meet deadlines consistently.

• Discreet & Trustworthy: You handle sensitive communications with maturity.

• Globally Minded: Comfortable working across cultures and time zones.

• Mission-Aligned: Inspired by building institutions that endure and create impact at scale.

Due to the virtual nature of the role and global collaboration across teams, the successful candidate must be self-driven, highly organised and comfortable operating independently while staying closely aligned with leadership.

This is not a standard communications role. It is a strategic writing and execution role at the heart of two ambitious, global institutions.