About Lumen

Lumen connects the world. We are igniting business growth by connecting people, data and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Together, we are building a culture and company from the people up – committed to teamwork, trust and transparency. People power progress. We’re invested in providing the flexibility you need to thrive and deliver lasting impact. Apply now to continue digitally connecting the world and shaping the future.

The Role

The Vice President of External Communications is a critical leadership role within Lumen’s Corporate Communications organization. This executive is responsible for shaping and executing Lumen’s external communications strategy—including earned media, executive visibility, public affairs, and social media—at a pivotal moment in the company’s transformation as a technology infrastructure leader enabling the AI economy.

This role serves as a senior strategic advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team, translating business strategy into a compelling external narrative that resonates with investors, customers, policymakers, partners, and the broader market. The VP of External Communications is an exceptional storyteller and seasoned media relations leader who works closely with peers across the enterprise to ensure Lumen’s messages are clear, differentiated, and consistently delivered to key external stakeholders.

The Main Responsibilities

• External Communications & Media Strategy
  • Lead and execute a comprehensive external communications strategy that supports Lumen’s business priorities, transformation agenda, and long-term reputation.
  • Own the company’s media strategy, with deep, trusted relationships across top-tier financial, business, and technology media.
  • Proactively identify and secure high-impact opportunities to elevate Lumen’s leadership, innovation, and market position.
• CEO & Executive Communications * Serve as the primary owner of the CEO’s external communications and media engagement, including proactive opportunity development, interview evaluation, and preparation. * Act as a close counselor to the CEO and senior leadership team, providing strategic guidance on external positioning, messaging, and risk. * Ensure key spokespeople are consistently media-trained, well-prepared, and aligned to Lumen’s corporate narrative.
• Issues Management & Reputation Protection * Partner closely with Legal and Public Policy to anticipate, assess, and manage issues that could impact Lumen’s reputation. * Play a central role in developing strategies to respond to and resolve complex, high-stakes issues in a fast-moving external environment.
• Organizational Leadership & Operating Rigor * Lead a high-performing, process-oriented organization with a focus on clear operating models, repeatable processes, and consistent execution. * Build structure and discipline across the function to support scale, agility, and sustained excellence.
• Team Leadership * Lead a strategically critical team spanning:
  • Product & Technology Communications
  • Public Affairs
  • Enterprise Communications
  • Social Media
    • Develop and mentor senior leaders, fostering strong cross-functional collaboration and a culture of accountability and impact.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations or journalism and mass communications
• Excellent judgement, interpersonal and relationship building skills
• Calm under pressure and solution focused when unforeseen circumstances arise
• Ability to work lengthy and unpredictable hours
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Ability to develop strong and compelling stories about complex topics
• Excels in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment
• 5 – 10 years of supervisory experience
• 10 – 15 years experience in corporate communications positions for Fortune 500 company (-ies)

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Location Based Pay Ranges

$211,163-$281,551 in all states.

From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, managed service, and digital platform capabilities, we meet our customers’ networking needs today and as they build for tomorrow. Our experience-first approach to networking, edge cloud and cybersecurity connects people, data and apps―quickly, securely and effortlessly. We ignite business growth and accelerate innovation for 8 of the 10 most valuable brands in the world.