Communications Manager

Title: Communications Manager

Location: Baltimore, MD - Hybrid Work Environment

Salary Range: $76,000 - $88,500 w/Full Benefits Package

Reports to: President, BCYF

Baltimore Focus: BCYF is a Baltimore-centric and focused organization. BCYF has hiring requirements from the City of Baltimore to make best efforts to hire Baltimore citizens first. Although the City allows consideration of qualified applicants residing outside of Baltimore, BCYF is committed to hiring the best people for the roles who know Baltimore, and the community and grassroots organizations and ecosystem it is committed to served.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

All exempt hires are subject to annual financial disclosure requirements to the City of Baltimore Board of Ethics. Cut and paste the financial disclosure requirements link to view https://ethics.baltimorecity.gov/financial-disclosure

ABOUT the BALTIMORE CHILDREN & YOUTH FUND
BCYF is committed to ensure that our children and youth are healthy, ready to succeed in school, and live in stable, safe, and supportive families and communities. We do more than grantmaking, we collaborate with grassroots organizations and community leaders to create new opportunities for the city’s young people to learn, thrive and succeed. BCYF awards grants to organizations that provide programs to thousands of Baltimore's young people -- from academic support and science exploration to dance and photography. Unlike traditional philanthropic efforts in Baltimore, BCYF is committed to authentic community engagement, and our strategy and grant decisions are shaped and led by Baltimore community members and youth leaders. Our core values of Racial Equity, Intergenerational Leadership, Community Ownership, and Collective Decision-Making direct our partnerships with organizations that share our Black liberation worldview. Through our strategic investments, we strive to resource a future where children and youth throughout the city enjoy access to high-caliber enrichment and learning opportunities, and children and youth programs have the resources they need to equitably serve all our young people.

About the Role - BCYF seeks to hire an engaging, and energetic Communications to manage our communications and marketing efforts, with the goals of sharing the BCYF story with a growing audience, deepening the organization’s impact. The Communications Manager will manage the implementation of communications strategies aimed to amplify and uplift our strategic priorities. The Communications Manager will provide creative ideas about how to use communications and messaging to build a sense of connection between BCYF, the Baltimore community, the philanthropic community, and stakeholders. The Manager will be a key contributor to the development of a strategic and proactive communications and social media strategy; building relationships with and listening to grantees and community members to center historically unheard stories and develop a deeper understanding of the needs and strengths of the Black and Brown communities in Baltimore; and creating and maintaining website and materials that are reflective of BCYF’s work, values, people, voice, and priorities.

Essential Functions:

• Manage, drive, and execute with BCYF Leadership, a multi-channel, communications strategy to broaden awareness and strengthen BCYF’s brand identity across key stakeholder audiences.
• Proactively work with staff and BCYF stakeholders to implement communication strategies, tactics, and activities in support of organizational strategic goals and individual project- or program-based communication goals and objectives.
• Align priorities of the Program and Development departments with the overarching organizational communication strategy.
• Contribute to BCYF’s ongoing work to advance equity, including inviting a deep and sustained focus on racial equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Manage the branding, marketing, and public relations tools that will allow BCYF executive and board leadership to cultivate and enhance meaningful relationships with targeted, high-level external audiences, including the media, public officials, and key influencers.
• Prepare talking points, speeches, presentations, and other supporting material for BCYF leadership.
• Promote the learning opportunities to diverse audiences and potential grantees.
• Create and/or manage all communications material, including digital, video, audio, and print content.
• Develop electronic communications products with input and contributions from staff and stakeholders, including BCYF’s website, electronic newsletter, BCYF’s Annual Report and other electronic communications.
• Curate content and increase audience engagement on BCYF’s social media channels.
• Track engagement across various platforms and make data-driven decisions.
• Manage communications projects and ensure that activities are conducted efficiently and within budget.
• Manage relationships with communications related vendors or consultants.

About the Candidate - This is an extraordinary opportunity for a seasoned communications manager to build out the communications function at BCYF in partnership with executive leadership and stakeholders internal and external to the organization. The Manager will bring communications expertise and project management to achieve BCYF’s communications goals.

*While no candidate will possess every quality, the successful candidate will possess many of the following experience and attributes. (Preference will be given to candidates with a proven track record of scaling a start-up nonprofit or philanthropic organization.) Even if you aren’t sure but are excited about the position, we encourage you to apply!

Equal Opportunity

BCYF is a 501c3 organization. We are firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal opportunity (“EEO”) laws. BCYF strictly prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of the individual’s race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, height or weight, disability, gender identity or expression, medical condition, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related conditions, marital status, partnership status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, arrest record and any other characteristic protected by law. Accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application. While performing the responsibilities of the job, accommodations will be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

? Minimum of 5 years professional experience in communications, marketing, public relations, or closely related field, including a minimum of 3 years of direct supervisory and management experience.

? Proven experience in managing complex, multi-faceted programs in a dynamic operating environment.

? Excellent planning, prioritization, and problem-solving skills; detail-oriented and able to adapt/adjust priorities and timelines based on changing operating environment.

? Proven experience collaborating with multiple and diverse staff, stakeholders, and funders.

? Excellent verbal and written communication skills; experience communicating with diverse groups and able to tailor messages to diverse audiences.

? Website development/management experience strongly preferred.

? Experience translating technical or jargon-heavy information into plain language.

? Excellent writing and editing skills with demonstrated ability to capture a story.

? Comfortable with digital-based work, especially digital project management, collaboration tools, and video conferencing.

? Competency and experience in the use of relevant software packages (Mail Chimp, WordPress, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) as well as comfort with quickly learning and utilizing multiple software and online programs (e.g., Salesforce, Buffer, Smartsheets, Canva, Zoom Google Drive, Dropbox).

? Experience leading regional or national public relations efforts for non-profit organizations preferred.