This search is closed and the job description is for informational purposes only.
Director of Communications, Share Our Strength
Position: Director of Communications
Functional Area:
Organization: Share Our Strength
Location: Washington, DC
Metro Region:
Overview:
Share Our Strength is a national organization working to make sure no child in America grows up hungry. Share Our Strength weaves together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children facing hunger and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. Working with the culinary industry, Share Our Strength creates engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation, the nation’s premier culinary benefit; Great American Bake Sale, a national grassroots effort; A Tasteful Pursuit, a touring dinner series; Great American Dine Out, a week-long program involving thousands of restaurants nationwide; and Operation Frontline, a cooking-based nutrition education program. In 2010, Share Our Strength launched No Kid Hungry, a campaign to eliminate childhood hunger by 2015. To learn more about Share Our Strength, please visit http://www.strength.org.
Position:
Share Our Strength is currently seeking a Director of Communications to lead all aspects of the organization’s communications. With primary responsibility for developing and implementing communications strategies for Share Our Strength’s various initiatives, the Director of Communications will manage the brand, craft key messaging, and oversee campaigns across a variety of communications channels. Additionally, the Director will be responsible to securing national, regional and niche press coverage for Share Our Strength and its central issue of ending childhood hunger by 2015. Reporting to the Managing Director and working closely with the Executive and Senior Teams, the Director will oversee a staff of eight.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Communications:
• Develop and execute multiple communications campaigns for Share Our Strength and its programs, focusing on building the organization’s brand and visibility
• Build and oversee Share Our Strength’s brand, editorially and graphically; craft and oversee messaging that unites the organization’s audiences (donors, volunteers, corporate partners and participants) towards the goal of ending childhood hunger
• Oversee the production, design and content creation for Share Our Strength materials, including annual report, brochures, fact sheets and special projects, as well as new media strategies and campaigns, including online communications, writing and production of organization’s multiple websites, online production, and social media outreach
Public and Media Relations:
• Actively pursue coverage in the television, print, and radio press, developing and maintaining press relationships to advance the goals of the No Kid Hungry campaign; engage Executive Team in press opportunities.
• Lead Share Our Strength’s engagement with key media partners: Food Network; Meredith Publications; and key trade publications serving the restaurant community, working closely with the corporate development team
Leadership and Staff Management:
• Provide leadership and management to the communications team of 8, comprised of public relations, design, writing and online marketing staff; set priorities, establish performance goals and measures, coach, mentor and evaluate performance of a diverse group of talented professionals
• Oversee the team’s capacity to provide public relations, design, and communications support to Share Our Strength departments, including the Development Department; the Field Department; Operation Frontline; and the Childhood Hunger and Grants Team
• Build and maintain relationships with Share Our Strength Executive Team, Board of Directors, national media, corporate partners, consulting firms and volunteer leaders
Qualifications:
• At least 10 years of experience in a communications, public relations or brand management position, with at least 5 years in a management role, preferably in an entrepreneurial or nonprofit environment
• Deep experience in public relations is required, including demonstrated success securing press coverage at national, regional, and niche media levels based on deep and active press relationships
• Ability to lead staff, make decisions and prioritize competing requests in a resource-constrained, fast-moving organization
• Superior written and verbal communications skills
• Experience working on a national campaign or issue area is highly desired
• Interest in the mission and values of Share Our Strength
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; advanced degree preferable
To Apply:
Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity, in Word format and addressed to Pat Nicklin, at http://jobs.cgcareers.org/application.aspx?id=1608. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Share Our Strength is an equal opportunity employer.
