Vice-President, Marketing & Communications

JOB TITLE:

Vice-President, Marketing & Communications

OFFICE LOCATION:

1015 15th Street, NW Suite 1200 Washington, DC

8614 Westwood Center Drive, Suite 300, Vienna, VA

WORK SCHEDULE:

Hybrid/Flexible

REPORTS TO:

President & CEO

 SALARY BAND:   Based on credentials & work experience.

  $140,000 – 165,000 per year

Mission: United Way of the National Capital Area is committed to the health, education, and economic opportunity of every person in our community, regardless of race, gender, income, and ability.

We are uniquely positioned at the intersection of the public, private, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors, and the only organization that can mobilize the best resources and people to lead collective impact for our community. Through our Community Commitment and programmatic focus, we are transforming our region and changing the story for thousands of people in a meaningful way.

Who We Serve: The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population represents more than 500,000 low- and moderate-income households in our region that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level but less than the basic cost of living for the county/state in which they live. United Way NCA’s ALICE Lives Here initiative is one of United Way NCA’s strategic programs established to address the issues of inequity in our systems for employment, education, health and food access, financial stability, and opportunities for all to grow to the best of their abilities.

Equity: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is fundamental to our mission. We infuse DEI in all our business operations, hiring practices and community impact initiatives.

Overview: Are you driven and passionate about ensuring that everyone has equitable access to health, education, and economic opportunity? Are you a natural leader who loves to build and develop teams? Are you a change-agent who is looking to make a lasting impact in your community and within your organization? If so, you may be just what we are looking for as we expand our team. Take a closer look and reach out if you meet these qualifications.

Position Overview:
Vice-President of Marketing and Communications (VP) is responsible for the organization's marketing, branding, media and public relations, campaign promotion, market research, issues management, crisis communication, and marketing-related customer relationship and engagement activities, all essential to enhancing the organization's brand reputation and community support. Directs the activities of staff and volunteers in maximizing marketing opportunities that positively position United Way as a leader and convener of multiple community partners to achieve United Way of the National Capital Area's (United Way NCA) strategic goals.

The Vice President of Marketing and Communications reports to the President & CEO and serves as a key member of the Leadership Team. The VP will work in close alignment with his or her peers leading the branding and marketing communications surrounding the organization as a whole and United Way of the National Capital Area's community impact programming and fundraising functions to:

Drive the overall brand awareness of the organization and its mission.
Increase visibility of the organization's community work among various stakeholders.
Create innovative ways to engage corporate and individual contributors.
Attach contributors to programming that excites their interests and deepens their loyalties; and
Build a culture where the marketing, development and programming functions collaborate, and drive decisions informed by reliable market-tested data.
The successful candidate will be a seasoned professional with demonstrated success leading a marketing and communications team in the nonprofit and/or corporate sectors. S/he should believe in United Way's mission and is motivated to enhance one of the country's best-known brands.

Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership

The VP of Marketing and Communications plays a key strategic role in the organization's programming and fundraising. This position is responsible for communicating the organization's mission, vision and community work to various stakeholders and plays a creative and strategic role in shaping United Way NCA's marketing strategy. Specifically, the VP will be expected to:

Develop strategic marketing plans to support the organization's mission, goals, and objectives, including positioning, and market and competitive analysis.

Create and execute innovative marketing, and public relations strategies, including both traditional and social media, to guide United Way NCA's leadership in cultivating and enhancing relationships with the organization's key audiences which include donors, key stakeholders, community leaders and partners, the media, and the general public.

Develop and implement an integrated marketing and communications plan to advance United Way NCA's brand identity, broaden and increase the visibility of its programs and build a strong public voice.

Partner with the Leadership Team to develop and implement an internal communications strategy across multiple channels.

Oversee all aspects of marketing and communications, including branding, advertising, special- events, collateral materials, direct mail, email, sponsorship, and partner development, etc.

Lead and oversee the organization's website development (design and content), online and social media initiatives, monitor analytics and usage.

Oversee all aspects of public relations, including media relations and community relations.

Plan and execute media campaigns and advertising buys. Ensure consistency of key messages and brand identity. Track return on investment of media buys.

Manage United Way's brand across all internal departments to ensure continuity.

Act as Staff Liaison to the Board's Marketing and Communications Committee; and

Prepare monthly statistical and descriptive reports on the Department's goals and performance.

Team Leadership
The VP of Marketing and Communications actively manages, recruits, and develops staff (e.g., writers, graphic designers, production managers, and digital marketing professionals) as well as vendors to support and further extend the resource of the Marketing and Communications Department. The VP will be expected to judiciously source and manage the use of external vendors and contractors when required.

Specifically, the VP will be expected to:

Recruit and manageamarketingandcommunicationsteamthatsupportsthedevelopmentand implementation of the marketing and communications strategic plan.
Build organizational capability by identifying skills needed in the Department and recruiting and developing staff in alignment with strategic priorities.
Build talent by establishing and communicating performance standards and developing staff to meet those standards.
Facilitateeffectivecross-functionalteamworkwithmembersofUnitedWayNCA'sprogramsand fundraising functions; and
Source and manage the use of external resources (e.g., public relations firms, advertising and marketing agencies, photographers, printers, digital media experts, graphic designers, among others).
Department Operations and Results Leadership
The VP will be responsible for all marketing and communications work generated by the Division. The VP will also be expected to create and manage Division budgets and interface with United Way NCA's internal finance and IT functions to effectively manage the Division’s administrative processes.

Specifically, the VP will be expected to:

Be responsible for the effective operations of the marketing and communications function, including budgeting and planning.
Manage and supervise Department staff, including writing annual performance evaluations and ensuring staff training and development, and.
Direct market research activities to keep abreast of changing demographics and other relevant factors and to monitor emerging issues.
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, business, or related field. Advance degree preferred.

Minimum of ten years of experience in a senior management role, holding progressively responsible positions in marketing and communications for nonprofit, corporate, and/or agency organizations.

A strong communicator able to interface with a variety of audiences, both internal and external.

Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills and the credibility and poise to present to a wide range of stakeholders.

Proven success at developing and implementing digital marketing and social media strategies to enhance visibility, engagement, and loyalty.

Extensive experience developing, implementing, and analyzing both traditional and social media metrics.

Innovative thinker, with a track record for translating strategic thinking into action plans and results.

Experience building, leading and mentoring a team of marketing and communications specialists.

Superior management skills, including the ability to advocate for and manage budget priorities.

Presence and confidence to project credibility to staff, senior leaders, Board of Directors, media, and stakeholders.

Self-reliant, problem solver and results oriented.

Demonstrated ability to multi-task, handle pressure and meet deadlines.

Proficient with Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook) with solid understanding of key marketing and communication tools (e.g., Web Content Management Systems, email systems, Google Analytics and other web metrics, Adobe Creative Suite, among others); and

A passion for United Way NCA's mission, vision, and accomplishments.

Competencies:
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies to perform the essential functions of this position and achieve high performance:

Mission focused - the ability to create real social change that leads to better lives and healthier communities.
Relationship oriented an understanding that people come before process and is astute in cultivating and managing relationships toward a common goal.
Collaborator - understands the role and contribution of all sectors of the community and can mobilize resources through meaningful engagement.
Results driven - dedicated to shared and measurable goals for the common good, creating, resourcing, scaling, and leveraging strategies and innovations.
Brand steward - a steward of the brand and understands his/her role in growing and protecting the reputation and results of the greater network.
 

Interested candidates should submit a resume and a cover letter addressing career interest, experience and alignment with United Way NCA’s mission and resume directly to Human Resources at https://unitedwaynca.org/about-us/careers/

Successful candidates must pass criminal background and reference checks.

United Way of the National Capital Area

EOE