United States of America: Director of Communications

About InterAction:

InterAction is a coalition of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with nearly 180 members working around the world in low- and middle-income countries, fragile and post-conflict states, and emerging/growth economies. Member organizations are large and small, secular and faith-based, with a focus on people living in the world’s most poor and vulnerable places. The U.S. public, foundations, and governments support the work of our member NGOs that collectively invest and manage more than $15.4 billion a year. InterAction revenues come from dues, government grants, private foundation, and corporate grants, and a growing fee-for-service program portfolio. Using its collective voice and convening power, InterAction seeks to shape important policy decisions and actions across a wide range of issues – including foreign assistance, humanitarian relief, development, economic equity, food security, and climate change – that advance human dignity, human potential, and self-determination.

Position Description:

The well-qualified candidate will join a leadership cohort of highly skilled international development and humanitarian professionals and direct a small team of communications specialists and consultants under a shared services model. Following the launch of a new website in February, InterAction is poised to strengthen itself as a thought leader with policy makers, political leaders, and the domestic and international NGO sector. The Director will contribute experience creativity and bottom-line sensitivity to elevating the organization’s public identity, brand, and public-facing materials and collateral. S/he will be responsible for crafting and implementing a creative and results-oriented communications strategy tied to InterAction’s 2019 – 2022 Strategic Plan that results in strengthening InterAction’s value proposition, cross-sector influence, and fiscal health. The Director will be a skilled leader and mentor for the purposes of helping Communications team staff grow professionally.

Essential Functions:

1. Elevate InterAction’s identity and brand, through public facing materials (both digital and hard copy assets) to drive prospective membership engagement.

2. Provide strategic oversight of the organization’s website, editorial calendar, and digital content

3. Continue to shape, nurture, and grow an effective communications program that utilizes new and traditional platforms and strategies to showcase the work and issues of InterAction and our members.

4. Work with staff to ensure consistency of messaging and proper management of brand assets.

5. Secure, maintain, and grow media relationships with reporters, editorial writers, columnists, and broadcast media to highlight our work and our solutions to pressing global challenges.

Competencies:

· Experience with coalitions, alliances, or associations where multiple and often competing voices and perspectives must be heard and harnessed in service of the greater good.

· Proven experience with an editorial approach to communications through accessible and compelling content across target audiences.

· Experience with advocacy and public policy campaigns.

· Experienced with crisis communications and rapid response techniques.

· Experience with marketing an organization to multiple stakeholders (i.e. membership).

· Experience working with peers and senior leadership to balance organizational priorities with the realities of team resources.

Requirements:

· Bachelor’s degree in relevant field and at least 10 years professional experience.

· Demonstrated ability to develop and deploy strategic, creative, and results-oriented programs and campaigns across traditional and digital media.

· Ability to identify the most appropriate medium for select communications and audiences.

· A track record of performance in a complex and often deadline-driven environment.

· Outstanding organizational and project management skills.

· Experience managing small budgets and creatively identify ways to fulfill communications needs with limited funding or capacity.

· Ability to concurrently direct multiple projects for internal and external stakeholders.

· Ability to hear, aggregate, and synthesize diverse perspectives and feedback.

· Skill in “managing up,” and delivering appropriate counsel to senior leadership when required for coalition work involving staff from multiple organizations.

· Exceptional writer and editor, having written for diverse audiences across diverse mediums.

· Experience with media tracking services and systems.

· Interest in international development, humanitarian or NGO issues.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Director of Communications supervises a communications manager, and a digital editor and producer, along with interns and outside consultants.

Expected Start Date:

May 1, 2019

Reports to:

Vice President, Membership & Public Engagement

Travel:

Limited domestic travel requirements (5%)

Other Duties:

Other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

To Apply:

Please email your resume, cover letter, salary expectations, and writing sample to jobs@interaction.org with the subject line, “**Director of Communications**.” Position will remain open until filled but applications received before March 20, 2019 are preferred. Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered for this position.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation that they are legally eligible to work in the United States for an extended period. Due to the volume of applications, only finalists will be notified. No phone calls please.