The Stanley Foundation seeks a dynamic, creative, and self-motivated director for its communication efforts. The director, reporting to the president and serving as part of the foundation’s leadership team, will be responsible for the collaborative development and implementation of an organizational strategic communications plan, the development and implementation of a broad range of communication products and activities, and leadership of the foundation’s Communications Department.
- Participation in strategic conversations at a variety of levels, representing communications considerations.
- Management of all internal processes around organizational brand, image, and media positioning, which includes promotion of foundation work and materials through all appropriate media.
- Development of communications plans that advance the foundation’s policy advocacy goals.
- Management of, and participation in, the team that produce the foundation’s publications and online presence.
- Development of new communications tools and products as needed.
- Ongoing assessment of the impact and value-add of each aspect of the foundation’s external communications.
Communications as Part of the Foundation’s Strategic Positioning
In pursuit of its vision and mission, the Stanley Foundation is, and wants to be increasingly known among its stakeholders as, an organization that:
- Advocates for specific real-world policy changes/solutions/outcomes.
- Consistently applies strategic thought and planning to the pursuit of its policy goals.
- Collaborates in innovative and mutually beneficial ways with a variety of actors.
- Catalyzes action by connecting stakeholders, expertise, and analysis in a variety of intentional ways.
- Continuously assesses its impact and applies active learning to its work.
- Embraces its role as an active, nimble, nonpartisan operating foundation.
In short, the Stanley Foundation is a strategic, catalytic, collaborative, and impact-driven operating foundation that advocates for specific real-world outcomes.
The director of communications infuses this perception of the foundation throughout all expressions of foundation work.
Brand, Image, and Positioning
The director of communications steers all vehicles that express the foundation’s brand. This may involve working with external consultants on specific projects, collaborating with outside partner organizations, and ascertaining that the foundation’s voice sets the desired tone and profile among all the foundation’s stakeholders. This includes high-level questions of brand and image as well as other elements of material production, consistency of format, message, and tone.
Advancing the Foundation’s Advocacy Goals
As an organization committed to specific real-world policy advocacy goals, the Stanley Foundation relies on effective communication to educate, persuade, and mobilize a variety of audiences. The director of communications, in collaboration with all relevant internal stakeholders, leads the development of communications plans in each of our policy issue areas.
Management of the Communications Team
The Stanley Foundation produces a variety of materials that determine part of its ongoing presence in its fields of activity. These include the triannual magazine Courier, the bimonthly e-newsletter the latest, and a variety of print and online products and content, including social media. The communications team, which also provides support to the policy programming team and others in the foundation, is responsible for the production of relevant, well-designed, intelligent, and readable materials that create positive associations for the foundation. The director of communications will serve as editor and team leader for Courier, the latest, and other products as needed. With a goal of promoting deeper understanding and discourse, these publications ultimately are meant to extend the foundation’s reach and contribute to the achievement of its mission.
Ongoing Communications Assessment
Separate from ongoing program evaluation activities, the director of communications is responsible for assessing that foundation communications plans and products are achieving their intended goals, are cost effective, and are staying relevant to today’s world of communications, including social media and other digital media. These assessments play a role in constant refinement of the foundation’s communications tools.
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing comprehensive communications strategies, as well as managing brand and image, in a highly collaborative environment.
- Previous experience (five-plus years) managing a team of professionals with the ability to gain confidence and engender respect from staff.
- Project- or process-management experience, including proven capacity to set realistic goals and meet project-related deadlines and schedules.
- A track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and output.
- A track record as an implementer who thrives on managing a variety of key initiatives concurrently.
- Dynamic networking and relationship-building skills, with the flexibility and finesse to “manage by influence.”
- Strong organizational and communication skills.
- Strong writing, copywriting, and editing skills.
- The ability to:
- Serve as a integrating force and to position communications discussions at both the strategic and tactical levels.
- Connect larger ideas with the practical realities of their accomplishment.
- Understand and react to fast-changing media platforms.
- Manage contractors and vendors effectively.
- Maintain poise under pressure.
Additional desirable traits include:
- Design experience.
- Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite.
- Web or online application-development skills.
- Foreign language abilities.
- International travel/living experience.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
The Stanley Foundation offers competitive salaries and a full benefits package.
Please e-mail a letter of interest, resume, and references to:
Email: [email protected]
Deadline for application: This position will remain open until filled.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other characteristic protected by law.