Head of Communications

Software Heritage is the universal library of source code, a non‑profit initiative hosted at Inria and the Inria Foundation, in collaboration with UNESCO, and supported by over 20 sponsors worldwide, preserving the shared digital heritage of humanity’s software for researchers, developers, and future generations. We archive more than 30 billion source files from over 430 million projects across the public code ecosystem worldwide, each addressable by an intrinsic identifier, the SWHID, now an ISO/IEC standard.

Software Heritage is now moving from an Inria-hosted initiative toward an autonomous organisation with its own integrated services: communications is central to making that transition legible to the world. The team is around twenty people and is growing.

As Software Heritage scales its institutional reach, navigates public conversations around AI, open science, cybersecurity, resilience and monitoring, and launches new projects, the organisation needs a communications leader who can build structure where it is needed.

Position overview

This role builds that structure, and runs the communications and marketing that depend on it. You will own the channels end to end (website, blog, newsletter, social, annual report, video) and turn strategy into work that ships on a predictable cadence. Software Heritage needs to be legible to researchers, developers, librarians, OSPOs, industrial stakeholders, government bodies and institutional partners at the same time.

As a member of the leadership team, you are the principal adviser to the CEO on the organisation’s reputation, positioning and communications risk, a strategy role, not only a delivery function.

What this role is and isn’t

There is no communications team yet. You set the calendar, then write the post, choose the illustrations, and schedule the thread, working through the ambassador network and freelancers. The budget is small today; it will grow with the organisation.

This is a senior, hands‑on role in a complex, multi‑institutional and evolving environment (Inria, the Inria Foundation, UNESCO, mirror hosts and national programmes). It rewards autonomy, judgment and the ability to build the function as the organisation grows.

Key responsibilities

Website. Own the .org website as a strategic asset: content architecture, page updates, editorial quality, brand consistency. Prioritise improvements to increase product and services visibility and ensure marketing strategy. Coordinate with technical teams on migrations and new features. Serve researchers, developers, librarians, industry, public sector, institutional partners, and the general public.

Editorial leadership. Oversee the blog, newsletters, and event communications calendar with a clear workflow. Commission, review, and publish content from staff, ambassadors, and external contributors.

Newsletter & social media. Own the newsletter programme (currently ~1,500 subscribers), defining and keeping cadence, coordinating content with the team and external contributors, e.g. via the ambassador pipeline. Make and execute platform strategy decisions (Mastodon, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and beyond). Manage social media tooling (scheduling, listening, task delegation). Define posting timing and audience targeting for international reach.

Institutional & partnership communications. Coordinate with Inria and the Inria Foundation on joint press releases. Manage communications around sensitive or high‑visibility topics. Liaise with legal, policy, and executive stakeholders on publications. Act as the coordinating communications voice across Software Heritage’s federated network (mirror hosts, national and international programmes and the UNESCO partnership) supporting partners’ own local communications while keeping one consistent message.

Executive positioning & the CEO’s voice. Develop the CEO’s message platform; prepare talking points, speeches, and Q&A for high‑visibility engagements (UNESCO, ministries, conferences, press); identify, evaluate and vet speaking and media opportunities.

Funder & policy communications. Translate technical and research achievements into narratives legible to funders, ministries and policymakers (impact framing, not only announcement) in support of the organisation’s funding and institutional relationships.

EU‑project communication, dissemination & exploitation. Own or co‑own the communication, dissemination and exploitation obligations of EU‑funded projects (Horizon‑style plans and KPIs, distinct audiences from scientific community to policymakers), reporting against funder‑mandated milestones.

Annual report. Run it end to end: content collection from the team, designer brief and management, print logistics, digital publication. Leave behind a process that repeats.

Video and multimedia. Own production and distribution of event recordings, institutional explainers, and trainings. Own the YouTube channel. Keep visual output consistent with brand guidelines.

Announcement execution. Deliver the communications around major moments, working to positions agreed with the CEO.

Knowing when not to communicate. Advise the leadership on when silence or restraint serves the mission better than a response. Software Heritage has reached a scale where criticism is inevitable; part of this role is telling useful signal from noise, and having the standing to say “we do not react to this”.

Crisis framework. Build and maintain the framework: community guidelines, staff response protocols, escalation map involving Inria, pre‑drafted templates. Run first response on community‑level issues. Escalate anything touching Inria, legal, or press immediately. Monitor the internal and external landscape for reputational risk and prepare plans and talking points before an issue breaks, in coordination with the CEO and designated spokespeople.

Agencies, freelancers & budget. Commission and manage external agencies, freelancers and vendors (design, video, translation) to consistent quality and value for money, within the budget available.

Metrics. Build the analytics framework. Track channel performance, read audience behaviour, report monthly. Software Heritage currently has very limited measurement of communications impact; establishing it is part of the first year.

Profile sought

• 6 to 8 years in communications, in tech, open source, open science, research infrastructure, or academic and nonprofit environments
• Experience owning a communications calendar and multiple channels in a small organisation, with no direct reports
• Strong editorial range across policy, scientific, technical, and general public audiences
• Experience managing print and branded materials from brief to delivery
• Comfortable handling community‑level escalation and clear about when to escalate further
• Native or professional proficiency in English, written and spoken
• Native or professional proficiency in French, written and spoken
• Comfortable in an organisation whose structure is evolving, with high autonomy and sound judgement in a complex, multi‑institutional environment
• GitLab workflows, WordPress, social media tooling
• Knowledge of the open source landscape
• Experience in or alongside a research institution or technology company
• CRM tools and membership‑based contact management (Software Heritage runs Odoo)
• Experience with executive/spokesperson communications, media relations, or institutional/public‑affairs communication
• Experience with EU‑funded project communication and dissemination
• Editorial judgement and a consistent voice across formats.
• Structural thinking: you create processes, not just outputs.
• Composure under pressure and sound instincts about escalation.
• Fluency with research, technical, and institutional communities.
• Operational grip.
• Strategic counsel: the standing and judgement to advise the CEO and the leadership team on positioning and reputation.

Success indicators — first year

• Editorial calendar and publishing workflow running
• Newsletter on regular cadence with measurable engagement growth
• Website content architecture reviewed and priority pages rebuilt
• Social platform strategy and tooling operational
• Analytics framework in place with monthly reporting
• Ambassador content pipeline supplying the network regularly

Working conditions

• Contract: permanent contract (CDI), full time, with Fondation Inria , which hosts Software Heritage. You join the Software Heritage team, based at the Centre Inria de Paris, 48 rue Barrault, 75013 Paris. Partial remote work possible.
• Remuneration: commensurate with skills and experience. Benefits include luncheon vouchers, extended leave, transport contribution and access to training.
• Environment: a committed, international team, in the singular context of preserving and making usable the software heritage of humanity. You benefit from the working conditions offered by Inria, including computing equipment.
• Start: position open immediately.

Recruitment process

• Exploratory interview with the CEO and the members of the leadership team the role works with day to day, to establish mutual expectations.
• Final interview with the leadership team, on the medium‑ and long‑term vision for communications at Software Heritage.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Joining Software Heritage means taking part in preserving the universal heritage of source code, and making it legible to the researchers, institutions and citizens who depend on it.