Communications & Community Relations Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Home Branch: Operation Center - Harrisburg, PA

HYBRID POSITION

Position Title:  Communications & Community Relations Specialist 

Department:  Marketing

Supervisor's Title: Marketing Manager

Classification:   Exempt

Starting Salary Range:  $59,785.31 - $74,731.63

Benefit Highlights: 

- Competitive compensation!

- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance!

- 401K with up to 4% company match!

- Holiday Pay starting at day 1!

- Paid Vacation Time!

- Medical Benefits starting at your 31st day of employment!

And Many More!

Summary:

Responsible for the development, evaluation, and execution of all internal and external communications, events, community engagement initiatives and public relations efforts that focus on growing the credit union, improving its image, and strengthening its brand identity across a diverse and multicultural marketplace. Responsible for building and maintaining relationships with community organizations and stakeholders. Establishes metric measurement to evaluate credit union communications and community relations. Supports the execution of the overall marketing plan and credit union initiatives by coordinating programs, managing budgets, tracking performance and reporting, and overseeing volunteer and sponsorship activities. Coordinates and assists with all external and internal events on behalf of Belco, Executive Leadership Team, Senior Leadership Team and Volunteers.

Essential Functions:

1. With assistance from the Marketing Manager, develops and executes comprehensive communications strategies for the credit union, including global communications, crisis communications, and public relations initiatives.
2. Serves as Belco’s primary point of contact for news releases, media contacts, and press inquiries relationships.
3. Ensure consistent messaging and brand voice across all communication channels. Works with Marketing Manager and Marketing Department employees on Belco newsletter.
4. Monitor media coverage and coordinate responses when necessary. Maintains email and other communications templates, processes, and plans for internal and external use.
5. Evaluates and coordinates paid and unpaid media opportunities with Marketing leadership and/or CEO.
6. Coordinates all aspects of events to include communications, planning, employee and volunteer participation, supply management, and execution. 
7. Champion community relations across the credit union by coordinating and scheduling volunteer and sponsorship activities. This may include assisting in the planning of special events and initiatives and helping to match team members with charitable opportunities.
8. Serves as the BelcoCares team lead. Coordinates and leads meetings and initiatives for this team and the CU under this initiative.
9. Maintains “Company Store” for Belco marketing materials and giveaways and manages corresponding vendor relationship.
10. Assists in managing key marketing, growth, community and public relations, and event relationships and contracts while serving as a primary contact for those assigned.
11. Evaluates communications and community relations efforts to determine future strategies regarding charitable giving, volunteerism, return on investment, and budgeting based on results.
12. Keeps abreast of industry trends, competition and new community relations, communications, and event opportunities. Perform duties within the guidelines of Credit Union policy and maintain compliance with regulatory and NCUA rules and regulations as they pertain to all marketing and communications functions.
13. Embodies Belco’s mission, vision, behavioral expectations and Belco Life Brand. Act accordingly as a representative of Belco within the community.
14. Other duties as assigned by the Marketing Department Leadership team and Credit Union leadership.

Competencies:

Functional Skills: Planning, Dependability, Budgeting 

Operating Skills: Quality of Work, Communication

Relationship Skills: Teamwork, Relationship Building/Networking  

Behavioral Expectations

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment and can function in a hybrid work arrangement consisting of in-office work and remote work. This role does require a minimum of 20% in-office time. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, printers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.

Physical Demands:

The ability to operate general office equipment such as fax machines, scanners, phones, and printers required. Keyboarding or PC data entry capabilities required. The ability to move from one area to another throughout a multi-floor office layout required. This position may occasionally require the ability to lift boxes up to 30 lbs., as well as frequent bending or standing.

Travel:

Frequent travel to all community and special event sites, media and community events, press conferences, branch locations, meetings and seminars across Belco’s seven-county footprint, as well as periodic travel to all branch locations is required.

Minimum Required Education and Experience:

A bachelor’s degree in communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or a related field, and a minimum of two years of similar or related experience, including time spent in preparatory roles.

Preferred Education and Experience:

A bachelor’s degree in communications, Public Relations, Marketing, or another related field. Prior experience in communications, marketing, event planning, or advertising or in an internal MarCom department of a financial institution is preferred. Non-profit experience a plus. More than two years of experience is preferred.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

Examples of work or links to portfolio may be expected at interview.

Disclaimer:

Please note this position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual preference/orientation, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, or other legally protected bases. Belco’s Diversity and Inclusion initiatives provide all employees with equal access to training and advancement opportunities throughout the organization.

Belco will provide reasonable accommodation for applicants and employees with disabilities where appropriate throughout the application and employment process. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation related to any job function will be made on a case-by-case basis. Reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.