Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

Bellevue, WA (On-site)

$135K/yr – $150K/yrSenior Level10+ years expFull time

Posted 2 months ago

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Job Summary

Drive strategic communications and marketing for a nonprofit youth behavioral health organization, leading brand, digital, donor engagement, and cross-functional storytelling to grow impact.

  • Must-have: 10+ years of nonprofit marketing/communications leadership.
  • Standout: Trauma-informed storytelling and executive/Board communications with major donor focus.
  • Standout: Cross-functional leadership spanning development, clinical teams, and program impact.

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Integrated Strategy: Develop and execute an annual multi-channel marketing and communications plan to reach potential clients, families, philanthropic donors and community partners, ensuring clinical service awareness is at the forefront. Lead awareness campaigns to support destigmatization of mental health needs, build community engagement, and strengthen donor communications grounded in appreciation and opportunity. Works cross-functionally with development, clinical and executive teams to support fundraising goals, program visibility and community impact.
  • Strategic Leadership Communications: Drive strategic executive communications, including cohesive leadership team messaging, and organizational updates. Support Board of Trustee communications as needed.
  • Partner Relationship Development and Messaging. Elevate and support strategic relationships with community partners, school districts, and organizations to expand awareness, engagement and access to services. Develop, manage, and implement marketing strategies for specific YES programs and strategic initiatives.
  • Digital Excellence: Lead digital strategy across all platforms to drive engagement and conversions. Oversee redevelopment of the YES website, ensuring it serves as a high-performing resource hub with a focus on accessibility, plain language, and real-time updates. Generate regular and consistent content for social media channels.
  • Brand Stewardship: Lead and maintain YES’ brand identity, ensuring consistency across all internal and external communications, platforms, and materials. Own the organization’s brand guide, ensuring visual identity and voice are consistent and professional across all social media, print, and digital platforms.
  • Data-Driven Leadership: Utilize analytics and specific KPIs—including website accessibility scores, SEO, donor conversion rates, and narrative penetration—to measure the ROI of marketing campaigns and inform future strategy.
  • Philanthropy & Development Support: Signature Events & Campaigns: YES Invest in Youth Breakfast and Other Donor Stewardship Event Messaging and Collateral. Crafting high-impact narratives, storylines, talking points, and event collateral for YES’s signature $1M+ annual event, endowment campaign, and other stewardship events.
  • Impact Reporting: Developing comprehensive and aligned strategies for donor newsletters, campaign collateral, and annual reports that translate clinical data into emotionally resonant messages to enhance donor retention and new donor acquisition through gratitude-focused and action-oriented messaging.
  • Donor Engagement: Creating tailored community engagement content for annual fund appeals and strategic audience segmentation strategies helping to build a sustainable "Culture of Philanthropy" to grow YES community and individual philanthropic support.
  • Media Relations & Public-Facing Messaging: Cultivate media relationships with local and regional media outlets to ensure accurate and inclusive coverage of youth behavioral health issues and solutions, keeping them front and centered in our community.
  • Develop rapid-response statements and mission-aligned talking points for the Board of Trustees and Executive Leadership.
  • Generate and manage proactive earned media opportunities, including op-eds and feature stories that position YES leadership as experts in the field.
  • Leadership & Supervision: Talent Development: Supervise and mentor a new Communications Associate, facilitating a culture of high performance and professional growth.
  • Vendor Management: Lead relationships with external partners, including web developers, graphic designers, and PR consultants, to ensure high-quality, cost-effective deliverables.
  • Fiscal Responsibility: Oversee the communications budget in collaboration with the Executive administration and Development teams to ensure strategic resource allocation.
  • Internal Communications: Internal Alignment: Lead internal communications strategy in coordination with the CEO and executive leadership team to bolster employee morale and ensure organizational alignment with the YES mission, and support building a “Culture of Philanthropy.” Strategic crisis communications as needed.
  • Trauma-Informed Content & Storytelling Strategy: This role demands a sophisticated, trauma-informed approach to content creation. The Senior Director must collaborate with clinicians to generate "Success Stories" with extreme sensitivity to complex behavioral health issues. This leader must navigate the narrative challenges ensuring that every story upholds the dignity, equity, and self-determination of the youth and families involved. All stories must reflect the core principle of ensuring confidentiality and centralizing youth voice in client stories.

Requirements

  • 10+ years of progressive leadership in marketing, communications, or public relations in a non-profit community-focused organization.
  • Extensive experience with digital marketing, content strategy, and multi-channel communications.
  • Experience conceptualizing and building a comprehensive marketing and communication strategy, editorial calendar, and thematic framework.
  • Demonstrated experience working with diverse constituencies including clients, high-net worth individuals, Board of Trustees, executive level managers, elected officials, partner agencies, media, etc.
  • Knowledge of asset framing and equity-based storytelling.
  • Technical proficiency in CRM systems (e.g., DonorPerfect), design tools (Canva/Adobe), and digital collaboration platforms. Extensive knowledge of/experience with MS Teams, Constant Contact, Word Press, Buffer.
  • Demonstrated team management and cross-functional team leadership and ability to engage program and clinical staff in advancing communications outcomes.
  • Demonstrated ability to analyze data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
  • Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills.
  • Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
  • Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, journalism, or related field.

Preferred

  • Master’s degree in a relevant field.
  • Communications leadership experience within a youth behavioral health, mental health, or similar nonprofit organization.
  • Experience with zero suicide or similar clinical frameworks. Demonstrated experience applying trauma-informed messaging principles in a clinical or advocacy setting.
  • Spanish language fluency a plus.

Benefits

  • Health & Wellness: Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage; Employee Assistance Plan (EAP); Financial Security: 401(k) Retirement Plan and Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) options; Life, AD&D, and Short/Long-Term Disability insurance; Time Off: Generous PTO package including separate pools for vacation, personal days, sick leave, and paid holidays; Professional Perks: Free parking at our Bellevue location.
Youth Eastside Services logo

Youth Eastside Services

4.3 Glassdoor

Youth Eastside Services (YES) is the leading behavioral health service provider for children and youth, ages birth to 22, and their families in East King County. We provide evidence-based mental health counseling, substance use and co-occurring disorder counseling and treatment, early childhood behavioral health services, psychiatric services, and education and prevention programs. We help youth with: depression, grief, trauma, cultural, gender and sexual orientation identity issues, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, self-harming behaviors, and other challenges.We welcome children, youth and families of all backgrounds. We provide multi-lingual and culturally sensitive services. We accept most insurance plans, Medicaid, and offer a sliding fee scale. No matter what your financial situation is, you can receive help at YES.We collaborate with local school districts, government agencies, community groups, and funders to ensure that everyone in our community can access behavioral health services and programs.

Founded in 1968
Bellevue, Washington, USA
83 employees (2 in marketing)
95% recommend to a friend
100% CEO approval

Traffic Signals

Monthly Visitors
3.8K
Traffic Source Mix
Search
21.7%
Direct
57.5%
Referral
5.4%
Social
14.2%
Paid
1.2%

Headcount Trend

Current headcount: ~83

Marketing Team

Marketing Team Size
2 (2% of company)

Funding

Last Raise
Grant, 2 years ago

Funding History

  • Mar 2024
    Grant
  • Jun 2023
    Grant