Senior Director, Communications

Communications Strategy, Vision, and Leadership

• Participate as a member of the senior staff/leadership team to provide a united, visible and strong leadership presence across the organization to help instill focus and prioritize efforts, operationalize the organization’s strategic plan, and integrate resource development, community impact, and communications.
• Develop and implement an integrated strategic communication plan(s) to enhance, promote, and protect UWA’s brand; advance UWA’s position with relevant constituents; and drive broader awareness, visibility, and support for UWA’s role in the community.
• Create marketing/public relations strategies that will allow UWA leadership to cultivate and enhance meaningful relationships with targeted external audiences, including the media and key influencers.
• Identify challenges and emerging issues faced by the organization. Work with leadership team and staff to recognize internal and external communications opportunities and solutions, and define and execute appropriate strategies to support them and measure progress.
• Create a culture of communications excellence. Create sense of team with  colleagues across the organization to inspire them to work with the communications staff and enhance communication skills and practices.

Communications Operations

• Develop, integrate, and implement a broad range of public relations and media activities related to and leveraging UWA’s community goals and the efforts underway, including fundraising and resource development campaigns to meet those goals.  
• Develop strong, clear effective communication pieces that support UWA’s work to be adapted and used through multiple communications means, such as collateral, e-communications, op-eds, website content, and social media.  
• Exercise sound judgment and seize opportunities to prioritize media opportunities, and prepare talking points, speeches, presentations and other supporting material as needed.
• Actively engage, cultivate and manage press relationships to ensure coverage on UWA work, special events, public announcements, and other efforts.
• Oversee development of all UWA print communications including the annual report; marketing and resource development collateral materials; electronic communications including UWA’s website and social media; video productions; and manage relationships with associated vendors.
• Research and produce stories, including photos, highlighting UWA’s impact at the individual and community level. 
• Cultivate opportunities and develop talking points and scripts for a variety of public presentations and media.
• Develop and implement brand-level advertising campaigns and overall web and social media strategy. Oversee content development for web and social media channels.
• Provide editorial advice and direction for written materials for all UWA departments, projects or initiatives.
• Oversee the day-to-day activities of the communications function including budgeting, planning and staff development.
• Maintain knowledge of current and evolving fundraising and resource development trends, as well as economic, political, technical, and general trends that may impact UWA’s operations.

Media Relations

• Pursue a strategic approach to promoting issues and keeping UWA in front of the public in a positive way by developing and implementing traditional and social media outreach for UWA results, activities, announcements, events, and engagement opportunities.
• Grow and strengthen relationships with traditional and new media journalists by increasing perception of UWA as a valuable, reliable, quick-to-respond, and insightful source.
• Measure value and effectiveness of media relations efforts through placement numbers and content analysis.
• Together with the President, serve as media spokesperson for UWA.
• Serve on core team for communications during any emergency or crisis.
• Maintain media clipping file archive.

Team Development/Management

• Recruit and manage communications resources (staff and vendors) to support the development and execution of the communications strategy.
• Promote a culture of high performance, continuous improvement, and a commitment to quality among staff and vendors by establishing clear objectives and accountabilities, priorities, annual performance appraisals, and salary adjustments.
• Foster a culture of quality communications among all UWA staff.