Director Of Strategic Communications

Organization Name: 
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Date Posted: 
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Closing Date: 
Wednesday, November 20, 2019

The Director of Strategic Communications is a pro-active, creative strategist who constantly finds ways to leverage NCRP’s communications tools to move more money to social justice movements by changing the way philanthropy operates. 

Responsibilities: 

Develop and implement an integrated advocacy communications strategy.

  • Create, oversee and help implement a strategic communications plan that reaches funders and catalyzes action.
  • Seek and seize every opportunity to leverage NCRP’s social media presence, spokespeople and experts, publications, email lists and other assets to push programmatic goals forward.

Drive robust media outreach to garner coverage that advances the mission.

  • Build and maintain relationships with key outlets in the philanthropic, progressive and mainstream press.
  • Assign, train, and support staff as appropriate as spokespeople and authors.
  • Engage in creative “rapid response” media work when it furthers NCRP’s advocacy agenda.

Ensure NCRP materials contain high quality, compelling content.

  • Oversee editorial staff responsible for NCRP publications and website.
  • Provide primary leadership for NCRP’s journal,Responsive Philanthropy.

Lead a three-person communications team.

  • Manage two staff (Communications Manager and Communications Intern) to ensure deliverables are met and skills developed to achieve excellent results.
  • Implement the recruitment, hiring and onboarding process for direct reports and consultants and oversee communications-related consultant contracts.

Collaborate on strong operational and administrative systems.

  • Ensure timely submission of administrative documents and data entry.
  • Gather stories, data and information to contribute to internal impact evaluation efforts.
  • With IT staff, co-design and maintain database sections related to your team’s activities.
Qualifications: 
  • Demonstrated commitment to social justice and clear alignment with NCRP’s values and goals.
  • Minimum of 7 years of experience in a relevant position working on progressive issue advocacy at a non-profit organization or communications firm.
  • Success using social media tactics and digital engagement strategies with individual and institutional campaign targets.
  • Excellent writing skills that have been honed ghost-writing for principals and distilling research or complex material into compelling talking points, factsheets and opinion pieces.
  • Comfortable working with standard public/media relations databases and tools.
  • High energy level, strong work ethic and proactive problem solving skills.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, a collaborative attitude and experience working in cross-departmental teams.
  • Ability to adapt to an ever-changing environment and take advantage of unexpected opportunities.

Keys to Success:

  • Opportunistic and Proactive: You follow what is happening in the news and are creative in seeking and jumping on new and/or unexpected opportunities to connecting our work to current events.
  • Strategic: You are constantly thinking about how communications work is advancing NCRP’s strategic mission and programmatic goals, and steering the work in a direction that maximizes its ability to do so.
  • Action-oriented: Your bias is toward getting things done. That doesn’t mean that you don’t gather appropriate information or consult with relevant stakeholders first, but you drive work forward with an urgency to see results.
  • Ownership: You care deeply about getting results in your realm, and you do what it takes to get them, including paying attention to even small details, anticipating problems, offering creative solutions, driving work forward, and course-correcting when needed.
Compensation and Benefits: 

The position offers an annual base salary of $70,000-75,000 depending on experience. NCRP also offers a very generous benefits package.

The position is based in Washington, D.C. and the Director of Strategic Communications will work most days from NCRP’s offices at 1900 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20036.

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume. The position will be filled as soon as the right candidate has been identified. To ensure consideration, apply by November 15, 2019.

Geographic Focus: 
District of Columbia

Stay Informed