The Director, Public Relations and Reputation is responsible for developing strategic integrated public relations plans that elevate/increase perception of the YMCA brand on a national and local level. The Director also leads reputation/issues management efforts for Y-USA to preserve its reputation as a leading non-profit organization. The Director is responsible for assessing, monitoring and strategizing around organizational risks and advising local YMCAs on reputation management issues/best practices to mitigate individualized risk. In addition, the Director advises leaders of Y-USA and the Movement around Thought Leadership opportunities.
Areas of Responsibility:
- Develops and directs the implementations of strategic public relations plans and campaigns
- Executes plans to ensure increased brand perception across target audiences and the public at-large
- Creates and communicates opportunities and tools/resources for local YMCAs to activate public relations plans and campaigns in their local markets
- Develops campaign media pitch/placement strategies across target media outlets
- Tracks, evaluates and reports on ad equivalency/success measurements on public relations campaigns
- Conduct message/media training with key leaders/team members at Y-USA and local YMCAs
- Collaborates with Y-USA’s leadership to (1) proactively identify, assess and monitor known and perceived risks and (2) proactively and reactively mitigate issues, crises or reputational risks to the YMCA brand, Y-USA or local YMCAs
- Develops Y-USA’s crisis/issues management strategies and creates key messages to enable Y-USA to transparently communicate from a position of control and strength – to national staff, the YMCA movement and public constituents
- Serves as advisor to local YMCAs seeking internal or external communications counsel for reputation management issues
- Collaborates with executive leadership to maintain Y-USA’s crisis communication plan and, as needed, activates the plan
- Works alongside the Vice President, Communications and Brand Reputation to ensure all audiences hear Y-USA speaking in a clear, unified voice and perceive Y-USA actions as the most ethical response to realized or potential issues that impact reputation
- Ensures national and local employees have the resources, information and support needed to maintain the YMCA’s reputation
- Supervises direct report(s) responsible for implementing public relations plans and campaigns
- Manages assigned agency and vendor relationships
Educational Background:
Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or related field is required
Skills/Experience:
- Minimum 7-10 years of experience driving public relations/reputation management efforts for a matrix organization is required
- Minimum 3 years of experience managing public relations/reputation management efforts within a non-profit/agency/similar environment working with national non-profit client(s) is required; additional experience as a reporter considered a plus
- Adept across the entire scope of Strategic Integrated Communications (SIC), including internal/external communications, executive communications, thought leadership, public relations, issues management, etc. is required
- Experience in public relations/reputation management within a decentralized organization is strongly preferred
- Demonstrated success in developing results-driven public relations campaigns and media pitches/placements is required
- Demonstrated ability to influence, set direction for and guide reputation management practices is required
- Advanced level of developing Thought Leadership platform, and identifying and executing opportunities is required
- Adept at developing and conducting message/media training is required
- Adept at developing strong relationships with national media. Existing relationships with reporters who cover non-profits is a plus
- Experience leading and working with cross-functional and intra-departmental teams is required
- Experience managing multiple projects concurrently and meeting goals and deadlines is required
- Excellent strategic and conceptual thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills are required
- Excellent collaboration, negotiation and facilitation skills are required
- Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills are required
- Excellent project management and presentation skills are required
- Excellent organizational and planning skills are required
- Supervisory experience is required
- Intermediate computer and Microsoft Office skills are required
- Ability to travel as needed is required
Compensation/Benefits:
Salary: $105,000.00
Job Function:
Organization Info
Listing Stats
Post Date:
Nov 19 2018
Active Until:
Dec 19 2018
Hiring Organization:
YMCA of the USA
industry:
Nonprofit