Sr. Manager, Communications

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Sr. Manager, Communications

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Work Arrangement: Hybrid, Remote

Job Type: Regular, Full-Time

Union: No

Classification: Exempt

Department: Strategic Partnerships & Development

Reports To: Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships & Development

About Heartland Alliance International: Heartland Alliance International (HAI) is a global human rights organization advancing the health and human rights of marginalized communities. HAI provides trauma-informed mental health care, access to justice for survivors of rights abuses, and stigma-free health services. Through innovative, equity-driven approaches, HAI promotes human rights protections and gender equality across its global and U.S.-based programs.

Summary:  This is a newly created role and a rare opportunity to build HAI’s communications function from the ground up. The Sr. Manager, Communications will develop and manage communications and marketing strategies across HAI’s global and domestic programs to advance human rights, health equity, and social justice. This role will drive strategic communications that elevate HAI’s impact, amplify the voices of survivors, and engage public and private sector stakeholders. Working across global and domestic programs, the Sr. Manager, Communications will lead the planning and implementation of strategic communications, media relations, digital engagement, brand management, and donor communications that drive awareness, strengthen fundraising efforts, and advance HAI’s mission and impact worldwide. The Sr. Manager will also lead the rollout and implementation of HAI’s new organizational brand identity and, as the function grows, may have the opportunity to supervise communications staff.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Communications Strategy & Leadership

• Help establish the communications function’s strategy, systems, and processes.
• Serve as HAI’s primary communications subject-matter resource, ensuring consistent messaging, voice, and visual identity across external communications.
• Develop and implement an integrated communications strategy aligned with organizational priorities.
• Manage the organization-wide rollout and implementation of HAI’s new brand identity, ensuring adoption across programs, platforms, and materials.
• Provide communications guidance and recommendations to senior leadership on brand management, crisis communications, and stakeholder relations.
• Support efforts to increase the organization’s visibility and engagement globally and domestically.
• Develop and distribute donor communications to elevate programs and mission with new and existing institutional and individual donors.
• Collaborate with leadership and across internal programs, research, and partnerships teams to align communications objectives.

Communications & Storytelling

• Lead implementation of HAI’s organizational brand strategy and ensure consistent messaging, visual identity, and voice across all communications.
• Manage communications planning and implementation across HAI’s website, email, media, digital platforms, publications, and public engagement activities.
• Lead organizational storytelling and narratives that highlight survivors’ voices, program impact, and donor stewardship.
• Manage media outreach, press releases, op-eds, reports, speeches, and public statements.

Team Leadership & Management

• Assist the Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development in managing departmental budgets and work plans.
• Establish performance metrics that evaluate the effectiveness of communications initiatives.
• Manage external communications consultants, contractors, and agencies as assigned.
• Support planning and recruitment for additional communications resources as the function grows.

Supervisory Responsibilities:  This position does not currently have direct reports but may supervise communications staff as the function grows.

Education and Experience: 

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit communications, marketing, media relations, or public relations leadership.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience developing and implementing organizational communications strategies.
• Experience managing diverse stakeholder relationships and cross-functional teams.
• Significant experience within a human rights, social justice, or nonprofit organization.
• Ability to work effectively across cultures and in international environments.

Preferred

• Advanced degree in communications, marketing, journalism, or a related field.
• Prior supervisory experience
• Experience leading integrated communications or brand campaigns that have increased visibility, engagement, or fundraising results.
• Direct experience working on issues related to mental health, human rights, trauma-informed systems, or access to care.
• Strong media relations experience and demonstrated success securing earned media coverage.
• Fluency in one of HAI’s working languages (Spanish, French or Arabic).

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities (K/S/A):

• Proficiency in Microsoft 365
• Ability to remain calm, flexible, and solution-oriented in high-pressure or crisis situations.
• Commitment to ethical practice, confidentiality standards, and professional development.

Work Environment:

HAI has a dynamic and collaborative work environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. If working on-site at the Marjorie Kovler Center in Chicago, the noise level is usually moderate.

Physical Demands:

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Sit, reach with arms and work with hands to operate computers or equipment
• Stand, walk, climb stairs, and may need to kneel or crouch to access workspace equipment
• May occasionally need to lift or move items up to 10 pounds

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement:

Heartland Alliance International makes all hiring and employment decisions, and operates all programs, services, and functions without regard to race, receipt of an order of protection, creed, color, age, gender, gender identity, marital or parental status, religion, ancestry, national origin, amnesty, physical or mental disability, protected veterans status, genetic information, sexual orientation, immigrant status, political affiliation or belief, use of FMLA, VESSA, military, and family military rights, ex-offender status (depending on the offense and position to be filled), unfavorable military discharge, membership in an organization whose primary purpose is the protection of civil rights or improvement of living conditions and human relations, height, weight, or HIV infection, in accord with the organization’s AIDS Policy Statement of September 1987.