Director of Communications
We seek a Director of Communications to lead the Trust’s communications work and support our efforts to:
● Collaborate with a growing network of individuals and groups to serve as a catalytic grantmaker, convener, and national voice in the fields of housing and homelessness.
● Change public thinking about the ways to consider and end homelessness.
● Enhance and lift up the work of the Trust and our grantees.
Reporting to the Vice President of Programs, the Director of Communications will be a senior-level professional with a track record of cultivating strategic partnerships and organizing and developing outreach strategies to achieve organizational goals. The director will be a strong writer, storyteller and listener with demonstrated skill in making complex ideas accessible to a variety of audiences, including the public.
As the sole communications professional on a small team, the director will work both strategically and tactically to shape the Trust’s voice across all channels. This includes ownership of the Trust’s website, social media channels, print collateral, and media relations.
Responsibilities
The role includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Develop, implement, and evaluate a strategic communications plan that includes messaging strategies for diverse audiences in collaboration with Trust staff and critical stakeholders.
- Grow external Trust presence and voice and bring greater visibility to proven solutions to ending homelessness.
- Provide overall communications guidance to staff, board, and grantees. Assess communications capacities of grantees and support skill-building and knowledge-sharing in the field.
- Manage and create content for the Melville Trust website and social media presence and ensure that new and consistent information (article links, stories, and events) is posted regularly.
- Manage the development, distribution, and maintenance of all print and online collateral including, but not limited to, newsletters, presentations, brochures, and the website. Oversee external vendors, including designers, printers, photographers, writers, and videographers, as required.
- Manage all media contacts and strategically place Trust content through media sources, specifically philanthropy, housing/homelessness, and general news.
Qualifications
- A minimum of 10 years of communications experience, preferably in-house at a large regional, national or international nonprofit, corporate, or government entities.
- Track record of strategic partnership, political organizing, campaign, and/or community outreach strategies to meet organizational goals.
- Exceptional communications skills, written and verbal.
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and re-prioritize, as dictated by organization’s needs.
- Strategic and creative thinker, with the confidence to introduce new perspectives and approaches to challenges and assigned projects.
- Demonstrated self-starter, able to work independently, and entrepreneurial; enjoys creating and implementing new initiatives.
- Strong interpersonal skills to build relationships; ability to manage through influence.
- Ability to dive into details, while balancing the tactical with the strategic.
- Demonstrated experience successfully managing marketing and communications projects with outside vendors and consultants.
- Experience and proficiency with online tools such as: WordPress, MailChimp, Canva (or Adobe Creative Suite), and Salesforce are essential.
- Familiarity with issues of housing, homelessness, vulnerable populations, social justice is a plus.
The Melville Trust main office is in New Haven, Connecticut, with a satellite office in Boston. This is a full-time position that could work from a remote location.
Compensation and Benefits
The Melville Charitable Trust offers an excellent benefits package and a salary that is commensurate with experience.
Application Instructions
Please email your resume and a cover letter explaining how your skills fit this position to: jobs@melvilletrust.org, with “Director of Communications” in the subject line. No phone calls please.
The Melville Trust is an equal opportunity employer and candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
