--- title: 'Senior Vice President, Higher Education at Orchestra' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-vice-president-higher-education-orchestra-new-york-ny-washington-dc-t9jn7njqkt6d' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-11' --- # Senior Vice President, Higher Education at Orchestra - **Company:** Orchestra - **Location:** New York NY Washington Dc Boston MA OR San Francisco, CA - **Posted:** 2026-07-24 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/orchestra/jobs/8646999002 ## Job description ## ABOUT BERLINROSEN BerlinRosen is part of Orchestra, a strategic communications and marketing company built for today’s complex and fragmented world. From decoding audiences to designing bold strategies, Orchestra integrates people, platforms, and stories that stick to help clients build lasting influence. The company offers programs that span from the highest level strategic business counsel through to tactical execution. Orchestra brings together 700+ people with experience across consumer and lifestyle, technology, nonprofit and philanthropy, real estate, sports, travel, hospitality, and more. Made up of leading firms [BerlinRosen](https://www.berlinrosen.com/), [Civitas Public Affairs Group](https://www.civitaspublicaffairs.com/), [Derris](http://derris.com/), [Glen Echo Group](https://www.glenechogroup.com/), [Inkhouse](http://inkhouse.com/), [M18](http://m18pr.com/), [Message Lab](https://messagelab.com/), [Onward](https://thisisonward.com/) and [Small Girls PR](https://www.smallgirlspr.com/). It also launched [Brightmode](http://www.brightmode.com/), a talent acquisition firm for communications professionals, and [Versus Media Group](https://www.versusmediagroup.com/), a strategy-first political media team. Learn more at [www.orchestraco.com](https://www.orchestraco.com/). People of all backgrounds and abilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Orchestra is committed to building and maintaining a diverse staff, and recognizes that its continued success depends on hiring and retaining high-quality creative professionals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Opportunities for advancement exist, and we are committed to helping all staff develop and grow. ## ABOUT THE HIGHER EDUCATION TEAM The Higher Education team brings deep expertise in guiding colleges, universities and academic institutions through today’s complex communications landscape. Our work spans paid, earned, social, content and crisis communications, giving us the ability to deliver fully integrated, cross-channel strategies that drive impact. We partner with leading institutions spanning the Ivy League, elite R1 research universities and flagship public university systems, helping them elevate their voices, protect their reputations and engage key audiences in a competitive and fast-changing higher education environment. ## ABOUT THIS ROLE We are seeking an experienced strategic communicator to join our growing Higher Education team. This senior leader will serve as a trusted advisor to clients, leading complex communications programs and providing strategic counsel to senior stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have experience managing large, high-profile accounts, navigating complex client environments, leading teams, managing budgets and driving new business opportunities. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who carries a passion for higher education and the role it plays in society, in elevating the stories of colleges, universities and other corollary organizations and in leading on client work to achieve and advance their goals and initiatives. Role location:  This role is preferred to be based in our New York City, NY or Washington, DC offices, with a hybrid schedule of three days per week in office. We will also consider candidates based in our Boston, MA or San Francisco, CA offices. ## ACCOUNTABILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS As a Senior Vice President on the Higher Education team, you will… - Serve as a senior strategic counselor to clients, providing executive-level communications guidance and helping institutions navigate complex reputational, policy and industry challenges - Lead the development and execution of integrated communications campaigns that leverage public affairs, earned media, social and digital tactics to reach key audiences and achieve client goals - Directly manage and mentor staff and provide overall strategic direction and feedback for their development and client work - Hold the pen on drafting high level materials including strategy decks, communications plans, messaging and op-eds - Collaborate closely with the management team to develop and inspire our team of strategists to be innovative and creative - Serve as a key voice in new business development efforts, including identifying opportunities, developing proposals and participating in pitches and client growth conversations Essential skills: - 11+ years of relevant strategic communications experience, including experience in PR agencies, higher education communications, public affairs, nonprofit, corporate communications, or related environments - PR agency experience strongly preferred, including demonstrated client management skills and strong business acumen - Is an avid consumer of news, with a strong news sense and knowledge of the media and experience engaging and maintaining strong relationships with key reporters covering the top issues of the day - Experience engaging with media for both rapid response and long-lead stories - Strong written and oral communications skills - Experience managing, prepping and staffing high-touch principals or organizational leaders - Ability to multi-task easily, including handling multiple assignments at once, working quickly and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment while paying close attention to details - Enjoys managing people and has experience in successfully motivating, leading and mentoring a diverse team to meet objectives - Strong business development skills, including experience growing client relationships, contributing to pitches and identifying new opportunities ## WORKING AT BERLINROSEN Salary range (commensurate with experience and skills): $155,000-$175,000 Senior Vice Presidents are eligible for end of year bonuses based on firm, team and individual performance. ## #LI-KM1 #LI-Hybrid Orchestra is the first communications company built for today’s media landscape. Since 2022, it’s acquired nine firms, including: [BerlinRosen](https://www.berlinrosen.com/), [Civitas Public Affairs Group](https://www.civitaspublicaffairs.com/), [Derris](http://derris.com/), [Glen Echo Group](https://www.glenechogroup.com/), [Inkhouse](http://inkhouse.com/), [M18](http://m18pr.com/), [Message Lab](https://messagelab.com/), [Onward](https://thisisonward.com/) and [Small Girls PR](https://www.smallgirlspr.com/). It also launched [Brightmode](http://www.brightmode.com/), a talent acquisition firm for communication professionals. Learn more at: [www.orchestraco.com](http://www.orchestraco.com/). To ensure that applicants are matched with the job that best suits their qualifications and interests, information that you submit may be shared with our network agencies. By providing your information, you are consenting to allow us and our subsidiaries to keep your information on file and to contact you regarding job opportunities, recruitment events and other related updates. ## About Orchestra ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Orchestra is a strategic communications and marketing company that combines C-suite advisory, integrated strategy, and multichannel execution to help brands navigate today’s fragmented, fast-moving media landscape. - **Entity Type**: Private (Privately Held – no disclosed funding rounds; formed through mergers and acquisitions) - **Headquarters**: New York, New York, United States - **Founded**: 2024 (as Orchestra; constituent agencies such as BerlinRosen, Derris, Inkhouse have deeper histories) - **Key Leaders**: Jonathan Rosen (CEO), Jesse Derris (President), Ben Worthen (Chief Product Officer) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Public Relations and Communications Services (integrated marketing, earned media, public affairs, influencer, SEO, paid media, creative) - **Target customers**: B2B, enterprise, and high-profile organizations (C-suites, brands, nonprofits, policy stakeholders) that need coordinated, advisory-led communications - **Mission/purpose**: “We shape what’s next” – turning uncertainty into action by uniting advisory, strategy, and execution to earn and sustain the right kind of attention. ## Products & Services - **Strategic Advisory & C-Suite Counsel**: Working alongside senior leaders to diagnose problems, clarify what matters (customers, employees, policymakers, investors), and design integrated strategies. - **Integrated Communications Execution**: Coordinated delivery across earned media, content marketing, SEO, influencer, paid media, creative, and public affairs under a single “One Orchestra” model. - **Prompt Fuel 360 (Answer Engine Optimization)**: A repeatable product that optimizes brand visibility on generative AI platforms (e.g., ChatGPT) by combining earned media, technical SEO, owned content, influencer engagement, and analytics. - **Intelligence Infrastructure & AI Automation**: Systems that capture data from hundreds of client engagements, standardize delivery playbooks, and embed AI into workflows to make the entire offering smarter over time. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Headcount ~700+ (website claim includes all collective team members; LinkedIn reports 156 employees under the parent entity, with a -68.6% YoY headcount change – likely reflecting restructuring after acquisitions) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: No outside funding disclosed; orchestrated through acquisitions of Civitas Public Affairs Group (Sep 2024) and Small Girls PR (Oct 2024). Constituent agencies include BerlinRosen, Derris, Inkhouse, Glen Echo Group, Brightmode Talent, Antenna Group. - **Growth Signals**: - 35 active job postings (up 3,400% YoY, but down 30% quarterly) - Launch of product organization and Chief Product Officer role (Ben Worthen) - Prompt Fuel 360 already in use across consumer and B2B engagements - Active in 6 countries (USA, Serbia, Spain, UK, Canada, Colombia) - LinkedIn followers: 10,112 (130.8% yearly growth) ## Competitive Advantages - **Integrated “One Orchestra” model**: Breaks down silos between earned, owned, paid, and creative – a structure that competing agencies typically cannot offer within a single P&L. - **Product-driven approach**: Codifying repeatable playbooks and measurement frameworks (e.g., Prompt Fuel 360) that compound knowledge with every engagement, making delivery consistent and scalable. - **AI-first infrastructure**: Process standardized before automation; each automated workflow feeds data back into intelligence systems, creating a learning loop that gets stronger over time. - **Depth of talent**: 700+ advisors, strategists, and storytellers from a diverse set of acquired agencies, covering public affairs, consumer PR, creative, and digital. ## Strategic Focus - **Building the Product organization**: Scaling standardized, repeatable offerings that integrate all disciplines (earned, owned, paid, creative, AI). - **Embedding AI into client delivery**: Moving from foundation-building (AI tools & training) to embedding AI directly into how work is done – with a focus on automation, intelligence, and compound learning. - **Expanding Prompt Fuel 360**: Taking the Answer Engine Optimization product to more clients and refining its measurement framework. - **M&A integration**: Continuing to unify acquired agencies under one operational and cultural umbrella (“One Orchestra”). ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Positions itself as a place for “changemakers” – people energized by complexity and collaboration across disciplines. Emphasizes curiosity, transparency, and a forward-looking mindset. - **Work model**: Headquarters in New York with offices across North America and Europe. Likely hybrid in-office presence given client-facing nature. Not remote-only but flexible locations. - **Engineering/product culture**: Rapidly building a product organization that values standardization, data, and AI. Offers role of “Account Director, Product” and other innovation-focused positions. - **Perks & environment**: Not detailed explicitly; however, the blog post highlights an “AI-forward” culture where learning and experimentation are encouraged. Large agency network provides exposure to high-profile clients and complex challenges. - **Growth trajectory**: Despite headcount fluctuations, the company is investing in product, AI, and integrated delivery – a signal of ambition to lead the next generation of communications. ## Sources 1. [orchestraco.com](https://www.orchestraco.com/) 2. [orchestraco.com/careers](https://www.orchestraco.com/careers) 3. [linkedin.com/company/orchestraco](https://www.linkedin.com/company/orchestraco) 4. [orchestraco.com/leadership](https://www.orchestraco.com/leadership) 5. [orchestraco.com/insights/what-it-means-to-be-a-product-driven-communications-firm](https://www.orchestraco.com/insights/what-it-means-to-be-a-product-driven-communications-firm) ## Other roles at Orchestra - [Director, Influencer Marketing](https://feeny.ai/job/director-influencer-marketing-orchestra-new-york-k8mm51qc6tm3) — New York, NY / Washington, DC - [Head of Data & Analytics](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-data-analytics-orchestra-new-york-ny-washington-dc-or-san-francisco-prfhz2aete4n) — New York NY Washington Dc OR San Francisco, CA - [Senior Account Executive, Tech & Lifestyle](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-account-executive-tech-lifestyle-orchestra-new-york-0v1wghbxaes3) — New York, NY - [Account Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/account-manager-orchestra-san-francisco-aqajj8zd01ya) — San Francisco, CA / Seattle, WA / OR San Diego, CA - [Vice President, Arts & Culture](https://feeny.ai/job/vice-president-arts-culture-orchestra-new-york-bbpvn1cbmh41) — New York, NY - [Account Coordinator, Travel & Hospitality](https://feeny.ai/job/account-coordinator-travel-hospitality-orchestra-new-york-anarnxy9zxy3) — New York, NY - [Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-orchestra-boston-hk5666xmcqa8) — Boston, MA / Washington, DC - [Director, Internal Operations, Consumer](https://feeny.ai/job/director-internal-operations-consumer-orchestra-new-york-3qm7tkerg76a) — New York, NY - [Account Coordinator, Real Estate](https://feeny.ai/job/account-coordinator-real-estate-orchestra-new-york-v0x4b1x0k44b) — New York, NY - [Account Director, Public Relations](https://feeny.ai/job/account-director-public-relations-orchestra-seattle-ta98gtsxnn7e) — Seattle, WA