Director, Communications and Marketing

Description

Position Summary

Using a One Agency perspective, the Director, Communications and Marketing develops communication strategies that support fundraising, advocacy, employee engagement, public relations, program visibility, and organizational change. The role is focused on strategy, standards, leadership, outcomes, and quality. The Director will set agency-wide communication strategy, priorities, standards, and messaging in alignment with the mission, vision, values, strategic plan, and executive leadership direction and advise the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) executive team on communication risks, opportunities, public messaging, brand management, and stakeholder engagement. The Director will lead the communications staff, contractors, vendors, and cross-functional contributors to ensure timely, accurate, and mission-centered communication and stablish systems, calendars, workflows, and quality controls that create consistency across programs, departments, campaigns, and public facing materials.

Leadership Team Functions


1. Responsible for managing specific departments or functions and implementing the strategies set by the agency.


2. Develop and implement plans to improve operational efficiency.


3. Ensure cross-department collaboration and integration that supports the agency's growth strategy, operational delivery, data collection needs, and mission-based culture.


4. Direct the development and management of all assigned budgets including monthly review of revenue and expense activity within agency parameters.


5. Recognize risk trends and make suggestions for improvement.


6. Identify organizational, community and market trends and make recommendations for improvement that can positively impact services and organizational effectiveness; adopt best practice standards with a focus on continuous improvement.


7. Direct and manage employees (managers and supervisors) responsible for operations. Monitor progress, course correct, as needed.


8. Design and manage programs or service areas connected to promising or best practices and established outcomes.


9. Develop and implement policies and procedures in line with agency best practice standards. Ensure that all supervisors and staff members in the department understand these and work accordingly.


10. Represent Catholic Charities and develop positive relationships with partners throughout the communities we serve.


11. Identify and develop program-specific outcomes to ensure program effectiveness and impact with the ability to report that to internal and external stakeholders.


12. Oversee department compliance with training and make best practice training recommendations.


13. Direct and oversee reports and statistical analysis of activities as required by the agency. Ensuring that requests for data and reporting meet compliance with grants and funding agency requirements.


14. Ensure managers and supervisors are trained and actively implement tools and approaches to support all staff.


15. Actively role model and create actions and conditions for agency alignment with mission, vision, values, and leadership team agreements.


Essential Functions

1. Develop and execute an integrated communications plan covering brand, media relations, website, social media, internal communications, donor communications, and community engagement.

2. Ensure all communications reflect Catholic Charities' mission, tone, values, and commitment to dignity, hope, service, and respect for people of all backgrounds.

3. Oversee executive and agency messaging, including speeches, talking points, announcements, annual reports, board-level communications, and sensitive organizational updates.

4. Partner with Development, Programs, Administration, HR, Operations, Data/QI, and Finance to translate program outcomes, client impact, grants, initiatives, and organizational changes into clear messages for key audiences.

5. Partner with CEO to develop public relations and media strategy, including press releases, media responses, crisis communication, reputational risk review, and relationship-building with appropriate media and community partners.

6. Strengthen internal communication practices so employees receive timely, accurate, and consistent information about agency priorities, changes, expectations, and successes.

7. Use data, outcomes, audience feedback, and engagement metrics to evaluate communication effectiveness and recommend improvements.

8. Manage assigned budgets, vendor relationships, communication platforms, brand assets, and related policies or procedures to ensure quality, accountability, and compliance.

9. Represent Catholic Charities professionally with donors, partners, parishes, faith-based organizations, community leaders, media, and other stakeholders as assigned.

10. Travel within agency service counties as needed and maintain flexibility for urgent communications or crisis response.

11. Support the Mission, Vision, and Values of Catholic Charities in the performance of all essential job functions and responsibilities.


12. Perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations to the workplace or work processes.

Other Responsibilities

1. Work with Diocese of Santa Rosa and local parishes as appropriate and requested.

2. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Note: Catholic Charities considers this position to be a mandated reporter of child abuse and elder abuse.

Agency Culture

It is essential that all employees of Catholic Charities aspire to the following:

• A commitment to the agency's mission, vision, and values.

• A commitment to excellence in everything we do.

• A commitment to performance and quality improvement.

• A commitment to outcomes and measured results.

• A commitment to innovation and to what is possible.


Education, Experience, and Skills Required

1. Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, nonprofit management, or a related field, minimum of five to seven years of progressively responsible communications, marketing, public relations, or related leadership experience required. An additional 4-6 years' experience in progressively responsible communications, marketing, public relations, or related leadership experience may substitute for a bachelor's degree. Nonprofit, human services, or mission-driven experience preferred.

2. Demonstrated ability to develop communication strategy, manage brand standards, support executive messaging, and lead communications through periods of growth or change.

3. Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, presentation, and judgment skills, including the ability to translate complex issues into clear and audience-appropriate messages.

4. Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as to successfully collaborate on a team.

5. Experience supervising staff, managing vendors, coordinating cross-functional projects, and balancing multiple priorities with accuracy and discretion.

6. Strong understanding of digital communications, media relations, search engine optimization (SEO), social media strategy, website content, donor communications, and engagement metrics.

7. Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and sound judgment. Ability to make appropriate decisions based on training and experience when faced with multiple options, to respond to leadership direction and to use feedback to improve performance.

8. Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines. Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate Strong. supervisory and leadership skills.


9. Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft 365 and communication platforms; willingness to learn and apply new systems as needed.

10. Passion and enthusiasm for the mission of Catholic Charities and the ability to communicate that mission clearly to diverse audiences.

11. Valid driver's license, state-required minimum auto insurance, clear DMV record, and ability to travel between agency sites as needed.

12. Must pass DOJ background clearance in accordance with Diocese of Santa Rosa policies prior to employment.

13. Bilingual English/Spanish preferred but not required.

Job Analysis/Job Description Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is often required to stand, walk, travel, and stoop or bend. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Must be able to sit or stand for extended periods while using a computer.


The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Frequent incoming telephone calls, scanners, and copiers as well as a wide range of clients or at times clients in distress contribute to a noise level of average to above average.


Equal opportunity employer

Catholic Charities of Northwest California is an Equal Opportunity Employer, seeking the best and brightest. Our organization does not discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, or status with regard to public assistance. We support, educate, create opportunities for, and ensure the wellbeing of our staff for the betterment of those most in need.

CCNWC participates in E-Verify, an Internet-based system that compares information entered by an employer from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to records available to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to confirm employment eligibility.