Interim Director, Communications (6-Month Contract)

PagerDuty (NYSE:PD) is a leader in Digital Operations Management. In an always-on world, organizations of all sizes trust PagerDuty to help them deliver a perfect digital experience to their customers, every time. Teams use PagerDuty to identify issues and opportunities in real time and bring together the right people to fix problems faster and prevent them in the future. Over 13,000 organizations (including 60 of Fortune 100) rely on PagerDuty to succeed with Digital Transformation, Cloud Migration, and DevOps Modernization. Notable customers include GE, Cisco, Genentech, Electronic Arts, Cox Automotive, Netflix, Shopify, Zoom, DoorDash, Lululemon and more. We are expanding rapidly as a platform for Digital Operations Management using AI/ML and Automation and growing our adoption by Development, IT, Customer Service, Security, and other teams across the organization. PagerDuty is seeking an Interim Director of Communications to join our diverse, customer-focused team! As Interim Director of Communications, you will report to the Chief Communications Officer and lead a team of three internal professionals along with five global agencies. You will be part of the Global Communications team, responsible for protecting and promoting the PagerDuty brand both externally to the market and internally to our global workforce of Dutonians. You will oversee PR/Media Relations, Social Media, and Internal Communications, ensuring our storytelling remains cohesive across all channels. This is an exciting opportunity to step into a dual-impact leadership role during a high-growth period, serving as a high-level strategist navigating our platform narrative for the media while keeping our employees informed and inspired. The ideal candidate is a seasoned, versatile communications leader with a "playbook-optional" mindset who thrives in fast-paced, SaaS environments and has a passion for building executive trust and driving operational excellence. **This role is expected to come into our San Francisco office 2 days a week, so you can thrive in your new role and fully embrace being a Dutonian!** KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Lead Global PR & Media Strategy: Maintain momentum for global PR efforts, ensuring unified storytelling across regional agencies while managing monthly alignment calls and biweekly updates. Oversee Research & Thought Leadership: Lead the end-to-end production of quarterly data-driven research studies and partner with executives to ghostwrite high-impact narratives on Agentic AI and the Operations Cloud. Drive Internal Communications: Lead the strategy and execution of monthly global Town Halls and draft critical announcements for the CEO and leadership team to ensure transparency and alignment. Manage Change & Executive Voice: Drive communications for organizational shifts and product evolutions with empathy, while providing high-level oversight for brand voice consistency across social media. Execute Media Events & Awards: Manage the execution of high-impact media briefings and oversee the global corporate and product awards calendar to secure top-tier recognition for PagerDuty’s innovation. Measure Impact: Deliver comprehensive monthly and quarterly reports tracking Share of Voice (SoV), sentiment, and media impact against competitors to quantify global storytelling success. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS 12+ years of experience in Corporate Communications, PR, or a mix of External and Internal Communications. 5+ years of experience managing PR agencies and leading high-performing internal teams. Proven experience in executive coaching and ghostwriting for C-suite leaders. Experience managing large-scale internal events (e.g., Town Halls) and complex change management initiatives. Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or equivalent degree or experience. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Familiarity with the PagerDuty platform or the broader DevOps/AIOps/SaaS ecosystem. Exceptional "pivot" skills: Ability to transition from technical PR pitching to sensitive internal employee memos. High-growth veteran: Experience navigating mid-to-large scale enterprise tech companies. Poise under pressure: Demonstrated ability to manage crises and overlapping deadlines with a calm, strategic approach. Relationship builder: Ability to quickly earn trust with executive leadership and lead a diverse, global team. The base salary range for this position is 147,000 - 246,400 USD. This is a 6 month, contract role and is not eligible for bonus, commission, equity, and/or benefits. Our base salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range, which is subject to change based on primary work location, reflects the minimum and maximum base salary we expect to pay newly hired employees for the position. Within the range, we determine pay for an individual based on a number of factors including market location, job-related knowledge, skills/competencies and experience. Your recruiter can share more about the specific offerings for this role, as well as the salary range for your primary work location during the hiring process. Hesitant to apply? We encourage you to submit your resume even if you don't meet every requirement. We value potential and consider each candidate's full professional story. Whether you're exploring a career change or taking your next step, we look forward to reviewing your application. If this just isn’t the right role or time - sign up for job alerts! Where we work PagerDuty operates a hybrid work model with offices in 8 major cities: Atlanta, Lisbon, London, San Francisco, Santiago, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto. While we offer flexibility within our established locations, we cannot employ candidates residing in: Location restrictions: Australia: Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia Canada: Alberta, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, PEI, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon United States: Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming Candidates must reside in an eligible location, which vary by role. How we work Our values guide how we support customers, collaborate with colleagues, develop products, and foster a culture of belonging. They define not just our actions, but what it means to be Dutonian. People Leaders at PagerDuty are responsible for creating high performance environments that drive accountability. PagerDuty has four key dimensions that define our Leadership Impact: Lead Self, Lead the Team, Lead the Business, and Lead the Future. Each dimension has three associated competencies to give leaders a shared language for guiding their development, career, promotion, and succession planning discussions. Our Manager Expectations serve as a practical guide for managers to understand their responsibilities, prioritize their efforts, and drive engagement and performance. What we offer As a global organization, our total rewards approach is competitive with industry standards and aligned with local laws and regulations. Learn more, including country-specific offerings, on our benefits site. Your package may include: Competitive salary Comprehensive benefits package Flexible work arrangements Company equity* ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Program)* Retirement or pension plan* Generous paid vacation time Paid holidays and sick leave Dutonian Wellness Days & HibernationDuty - companywide paid days off in addition to PTO Paid parental leave: 22 weeks for pregnant parent, 12 weeks for non-pregnant parent (some countries have longer leave standards and we comply with local laws)* Paid volunteer time off: 20 hours per year Company-wide hack weeks Mental wellness programs *Eligibility may vary by role, region, and tenure About PagerDuty PagerDuty, Inc. (NYSE:PD) is a global leader in digital operations management. The PagerDuty Operations Cloud is an AI-powered platform that empowers business resilience and drives operational efficiency for enterprises. With a generative AI assistant at its core, PagerDuty empowers teams to detect and resolve issues in real time, orchestrate complex workflows, and drive continuous improvement across their digital operations. Trusted by nearly half of both the Fortune 500 and the Forbes AI 50, as well as approximately two-thirds of the Fortune 100, PagerDuty is essential for delivering always-on digital experiences to modern businesses PagerDuty is Great Place to Work-certified™, a Fortune Best Workplace for Millennials, a Fortune Best Medium Workplace, a Fortune Best Workplace in Technology, and a top rated product on TrustRadius and G2. Go behind-the-scenes on our careers site and @pagerduty on Instagram. Additional Information PagerDuty is an equal opportunity employer. PagerDuty does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, parental status, veteran status, or disability status. Your privacy is important to us. By submitting an application, you confirm that you have read and understand PagerDuty's Privacy Policy. PagerDuty is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application process. Should you require accommodation, please email accommodation@pagerduty.com and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs. PagerDuty uses the E-Verify employment verification program.