Responsibilities

• Under supervision of the CEO and with the support of a cross functional team, the board of directors, and management team, the director of communications & external affairs (DCEA) implements the organization’s strategic direction for internal and external communications, philanthropy, public affairs, advocacy, government relations, and community engagement.
• the director implements comprehensive, integrated fundraising and communications strategy consisting of identification, engagement, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of current and prospective donors and funders to sustain and expand financial support and connection to the work of Community Bridges (CB).
• the director manages communications and development staff to execute the coordination and implementation of Community Bridges’ overall fundraising, relationship management, communications, advocacy, and external affairs activities.
• The (DCEA) performs additional duties as assigned.
• Agency and Department Leadership: Under the direction of the CEO, develops and oversees the organization's annual communications and philanthropy plans, establishing strategic priorities that support Community Bridges' mission and organizational goals.
• In partnership with the CEO, leads Community Bridges' public affairs, advocacy, government relations, external communications, and philanthropy efforts, developing and implementing strategies that advance the organization's mission, organizational priorities, and public policy objectives.
• Advises the CEO and executive leadership on communications strategies related to organizational reputation, public policy, legislative initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and emerging issues affecting the agency.
• Coordinates agency-wide messaging to ensure consistency across programs, advocacy efforts, government relations, philanthropy, and public communications.
• Leads and effectively integrates the work of grants, development, and communications staff to achieve communications and fundraising goals.
• Presents monthly progress to the management team, philanthropy committee, and board of directors. Serves on the agency’s management team and when requested provides trainings on development functions such as communications and marketing practices and principles.

Requirements

• A BA/BS in marketing, public administration, business, communications, journalism or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Three years of professional marketing, communications or fund development experience, including at least one year performing similar work, preferably in a public or non-profit setting or educational equivalent;
• Excellent writing, proofreading and verbal skills; experience with press releases, grants, marketing materials, reports, and correspondence;
• Understanding of marketing, communications and public relations practices, and the principles of nonprofit administration, including human service issues and social science research
• Outstanding skills in oral communication and public relations. In particular, the ability to give motivational public presentations, be at ease in myriad social situations involving donors, and interface comfortably with corporate and foundation contacts;
• A keen eye for design with skills in any various design software including MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite or Cloud based software such as Canva;
• WordPress knowledge and web content development experience;
• Expert level social media expertise using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram; including data analytics, tracking and reporting functions. Including KPI’s and ROI;
• Strong interpersonal skills to interact effectively with a wide range of staff, donors, funders, clients, volunteers, etc.;
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and experience in managing complex and multi-dimensional projects to complete work accurately and on deadline with minimal supervision.

Preferred

• Experience in photography and video production
• Experience in human service sector
• Bilingual English/Spanish