Vice President, Communications and Brand

We are seeking an exceptional leader to join our Marketing Leadership Team as Vice President of Communications & Brand. As the database market is being disrupted and transformed by AI, this role is critical in shaping and elevating Couchbase's market narrative, global communication and brand strategy. The ideal candidate will own the messaging and narrative around Couchbase's position at the center of this once-in-a-lifetime market opportunity. With AI disrupting every industry, developers and architects must rethink their tech stack, and Couchbase is uniquely positioned to lead the charge. The development and launch of a new Couchbase thought leadership platform must inspire the market, drive awareness, and influence adoption, establishing Couchbase as the go-to solution for critical applications in an AI-powered world.

As VP of Communications & Brand, you will define and lead a comprehensive brand and communications strategy, ensuring alignment with Couchbase's mission and positioning as "The Developer Data Platform for Critical Applications in Our AI World." Your leadership will drive awareness, enhance the company's reputation, and articulate a compelling narrative that resonates with developers, architects, IT executives, enterprises, and investors alike.

The ideal candidate is an exceptional storyteller with proven writing expertise, a deep understanding of technology markets, and experience managing global teams and complex narratives. This leader will partner with executives to deliver compelling stories, guiding high-stakes communications and inspiring teams to elevate the brand's visibility, resonance, and presence on the global stage.

This executive will oversee Couchbase's communications efforts across branding, public relations, social media, customer storytelling, executive communications, and analyst and investor relations.

• Develop thought leadership platform positioning Couchbase as The Developer Data Platform for Critical Applications in Our AI World.
• Architect global communications strategy, including media relations, crisis management, and corporate social media presence.
• Amplify product innovation by partnering with product marketing.
• Advise execs on strategic communications, providing media training and presentation support.
• Create frameworks to translate corporate milestones into engaging, market-ready stories.

• Elevate and implement our corporate brand strategy.
• Ensure consistent execution of brand identity, messaging, and visual elements.
• Build brand awareness and differentiation through innovative campaigns and storytelling.

• Capture compelling customer narratives highlighting successes and innovation.
• Amplify customer narratives through social media, digital channels, and earned media.
• Oversee customer content development for industry events, trade shows, and sales kickoffs.

• Lead global public relations efforts, driving media coverage in top-tier technology, business, and financial publications.
• Build strong relationships with media, analysts, and influencers.
• Manage agencies to ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
• Collaborate with Investor Relations to develop earnings messaging.

• Build and inspire a high-performing global team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability.
• Partner with cross-functional teams, including Product, Sales, and People Operations, to ensure communication strategies are aligned and impactful.
• Engage and advise the executive leadership team, providing strategic guidance on messaging and communications priorities.
• Build scalable processes and systems to support brand and communications excellence.

Experience

• 15+ years of experience in marketing communications, brand strategy, or related roles, preferably in B2B technology, with at least 5+ years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record of creating and executing integrated brand and communication strategies that drive measurable results.
• Documented, referenceable experience working with public companies, including investor relations support.

Skills

• Exceptional storytelling, writing and editing abilities, adaptable for diverse audiences and formats.
• Expertise in leveraging digital and traditional media to amplify corporate messaging.
• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional teams and build consensus.
• Expertise in managing global teams, agencies, and budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in both strategic and hands-on capacities in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Knowledge

• Strong understanding of the enterprise technology, data, and AI landscapes.
• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

Lead Yourself:

• Demonstrates our company values, in particular an appetite for making tomorrow better than today and attacking hard problems, while being a good human, always.
• Demonstrated strong expertise in brand strategy and brand management as well as what it takes to create a strong iconic brand.
• Demonstrated expertise in media relations, corporate communications, and social media strategy.
• Strong orientation towards building for scale, leveraging Comms team skills, global agency partners and emerging technology and comms channels.
• Are a forward-thinking and visionary creative leader, able to bring abstract ideas to fruition while meeting business objectives and brand ambitions.
• Creative mindset that is open to experimenting and trying new things.

Lead The Team:

• A strong strategic and critical thinker, able to create clear, succinct, visually engaging, inspiring communication and storytelling-whether for executive leadership purposes or the company at large, in writing or in presentations.
• A steady demeanor, strong emotional intelligence, and the ability to articulate and receive feedback in ways that strengthen the brand and creative work, and motivate teams.
• Experience leading global comms teams focused on raising brand awareness.
• Experience in building, transforming and executing a global comms strategy coordinated with key stakeholders.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with executive management and cross-functional teams.

Lead The Business:

• Ability to make decisions quickly in a dynamic environment.
• Have a global mindset and thrive on inclusively leading and managing teams from different countries and cultures.
• Ability to align comms activity to company mission and key objectives.
• Experience monitoring and analyzing communication program performance and coverage, adjusting strategies as needed to achieve key objectives.
• In-depth knowledge of the data, developer and AI landscapes.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and verbal communication skills.
• Strategic thinker with a proactive approach to problem-solving and decision-making.
• Public company experience is a must.