VP of Communications

BUILD A SAFER WORLD. TRM Labs provides AI-powered intelligence solutions that help public and private sector agencies investigate and disrupt crime. TRM's platforms enable investigators to trace illicit activity, build cases, and construct operating pictures of threat networks. Leading agencies and businesses worldwide rely on TRM to make the world safer and more secure. The VP of Communications owns how TRM shows up in the world: the corporate narrative, the earned channels that carry it, and the voices across the company that amplify it. Criminals are scaling with AI, and TRM is building to own the AI investigations category. You'll build a dedicated communications function from responsibilities currently shared across the team, set proactive narrative strategy on how modern crime is changing and how it's best fought, so that the market, media, analysts, prospective talent, and investors look to TRM for the definitive view on how AI is changing crime, the capacity gap facing the people who fight it, and how crimefighters close it. The impact you will have: - TRM is known as the company that owns the AI investigations category: one clear corporate narrative, carried consistently by our leaders in the conversations that matter, through an executive-visibility program you design and run - TRM's share of voice and quality of coverage grow across media, industry analysts, and our other earned channels, shaping how customers, prospective talent, and investors see the company, built on journalist and analyst relationships you own - Subject-matter experts from every function become recognized voices in their fields, carrying TRM's story on stages, in bylines, and across our corporate social channels, because you found them, placed them, prepared them, and gave them the guides and AI-enabled workflows to stay consistent and on-brand - TRM responds fast and credibly when reputation is on the line, because the monitoring, playbooks, and AI-assisted media tracking you put in place are ready before they're needed What we're looking for: - 10+ years in corporate and executive communications, including owning earned media, ideally at a security, fintech, intelligence, or regulated-tech company - A proactive narrative strategist who has placed high-quality coverage and grown share of voice, not just shipped releases - Fluency in building sophisticated, credible corporate narratives about AI: what it changes, where it creates risk, and where your company stands, beyond using AI tools day to day - An AI-native approach: you use AI across monitoring, research, drafting, and reporting, and you build workflows others can use - A natural teacher and talent-spotter who can find the experts across a company, place them in the right forums, and coach them to be confident in front of press and audiences - Comfort building a function and its systems from the ground up, and leading cross-functionally without a large standing team - Exposure to a strong crisis-communications program and sound judgment under pressure; you've supported a live issue or two, but your instinct is to put TRM into the conversation, not keep it out - An excellent writer and editor who can distill complex, technical topics for press, executives, and the public About the Team: - Reports to the Chief Brand Officer, within Brand & Communications - A senior leadership role that consolidates communications responsibilities currently split across several people into one dedicated function - Works closely with Policy, Insights, Product Marketing, Brand/Content, company Leadership, and subject-matter experts across the company - Manages TRM's PR agency and an APAC-based communications lead (contractor) from day one, with potential to build out a team as the function grows Team Operating Rhythms: - US-based role; you'll build coverage for other time zones through your team and partners, starting with an APAC-based communications lead - Weekly marketing and leadership syncs; fast, async-first collaboration with executives and cross-functional partners - Clear communication norms and shared message guides so the company stays on-brand Required online and collaboration hours: - Schedule: Core overlap across US business hours On-Call Responsibilities: - Schedule: No formal on-call. Crisis-response availability is expected as issues arise. Travel Requirements: - Schedule: Occasional travel for media, executive events, and team offsites - Frequency: Low to moderate (HM to confirm) Onsite Requirements: - Schedule: Distributed; periodic in-person for key moments (HM to confirm) Learn about TRM Speed in this position: - Within 30 days: ship a corporate narrative and messaging architecture, and a plan to consolidate the split comms responsibilities into one function - Within 60 days: land a planned earned-media moment, stand up the executive-visibility calendar, and identify the first group of subject-matter experts to develop as thought leaders - Within 90 days: have a tested crisis-communications playbook in place and a repeatable, AI-assisted media-monitoring and reporting workflow running THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS THE EXPECTED RANGE OF COMPENSATION FOR THIS ROLE: - Individual pay is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. The compensation details listed in this posting reflect the US base salary only. - The estimated base salary range for this role is $195,000-$255,000 - Additionally, this role may be eligible to participate in TRM’s equity plan. - Please note – we factor in the different costs for geographies outside the United States. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS If you’re interested in joining TRM, we encourage you to apply directly. Every application is reviewed by our Talent team. Before applying, review the job description carefully and highlight the experience and impact that best demonstrate the required qualifications. Please also provide thoughtful and accurate answers to the application questions, as these will be used to evaluate your skills and qualifications for the role. If you send your resume directly to someone at TRM, we can’t guarantee it will reach the appropriate hiring team. Applying directly is the best way to ensure your application will be considered. INTERVIEWING WITH TRM Our process is designed to understand how you think, solve problems, and deliver impact, while allowing you to evaluate TRM. Most interview processes include a case study, an AI skills assessment, and a Leadership Principles interview. - Recruiter Intro: Qualifications, motivations, and alignment with the role. - Hiring Manager: Deep dive into your relevant experience, skills, and impact. - First Round: 1–2 interviews focused on the skills most critical to the role. - Final Round: Hands-on case study. This is usually a panel-style session where we go deeper into your craft, problem-solving, and alignment with TRM. - References: Former colleagues who can provide insight into your work and impact. - Offer: Congrats! Your recruiter will present the offer and compensation details. - Welcome to TRM: We're excited to build a safer world with you! Your recruiter will share your specific interview plan and preparation guidance along the way. AI FLUENCY AT TRM AI fluency is a baseline expectation at TRM. We believe AI meaningfully changes how top performers operate. We expect every team member to use AI to accelerate and reimagine their craft, not just automate surface tasks. At TRM, AI fluency means you are among the top 10 percent of operators in your function in how you apply AI to: - Accelerate repeatable workflows - Structure and solve problems - Improve output quality - Increase speed and leverage You will be evaluated on applied AI fluency during the interview process. LIFE AT TRM We are building a safer world. That promise shows up in how we work every day. TRM moves FAST. We are a high-velocity, high-ownership team that expects clarity, follow-through, and impact. People who thrive here are energized by hard problems, experimentation, and continuous feedback. If something takes months elsewhere, it will ship here in days. Our work sits at the intersection of AI, national security, and fighting crime. The problems are complex, the stakes are real, and the environment evolves quickly. The pace and intensity of the work reflect the importance of the mission. As a result, the way we operate requires a high level of ownership, adaptability, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. At TRM, you should expect: - Priorities and targets to change quickly - Operating with a high degree of ambiguity - A high level of personal ownership and accountability - Close collaboration across teams and functions - Frequent, high-touch communication - Creative problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking - A pace that rewards urgency, adaptability, and outcomes This environment is energizing for people who enjoy building, solving hard problems, and making progress in situations that are not always fully defined. It also requires thriving in ambiguity, adjusting course as new information emerges, and maintaining focus and positivity in a fast-moving and intense environment. We also recognize that this style of operating is not for everyone. If you are primarily optimizing for predictability or a consistently balanced workload, we encourage you to use the interview process to pressure-test whether this environment is truly the right fit. We want teammates who thrive here, not just survive here. If you are excited by meaningful problems, motivated by ambitious goals, and energized by working alongside mission-driven colleagues, there is a good chance you will find TRM to be an exceptional place to grow and contribute. LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES We hire and grow against three leadership principles. They’re the standards for how we operate, treat each other, and make decisions. - Impact-Oriented Trailblazer: We put customers first and move with speed, focus, and adaptability. We treat every plan like an experiment – test, ship, measure, and iterate quickly. - Master Craftsperson: We care deeply about our craft. We balance speed with high standards, own outcomes end‑to‑end, and invest in getting better everyday. - Inspiring Colleague: We add clarity and energy, not noise. We bring humility, candor, and a one‑team mindset — giving and receiving feedback to make the team stronger. JOIN OUR MISSION At TRM, we care deeply about our craft. We are looking for individuals who want their work to matter, who experiment with speed and rigor, and who take pride in building a safer world for billions of people. If you’re excited by TRM’s mission but don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply — we hire for slope, judgment, and the will to learn fast. TRM is a Series C company with $220M in total funding, backed by Goldman Sachs, Bessemer, Y Combinator, Thoma Bravo, and others. Headquartered in San Francisco, TRM operates as a distributed-first company with hubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., London, and Singapore. PRIVACY POLICY AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION By submitting your application, you agree to allow TRM Labs to process your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy https://www.trmlabs.com/policies/privacy-policy. We collect the information you provide (such as your resume, work history, and contact details) solely for the purpose of evaluating your candidacy for current and future roles at TRM. Because our hiring cycles for certain positions may span 24 to 36 months, we retain your personal information for up to 36 months from the date of your application. After that period, your data is deleted unless a different retention period is required or permitted by law. If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or another…