Associate Director, Strategic Communications

Organization Overview

Results for America (RFA) is the leading, national nonprofit organization helping policymakers at all levels of government harness the power of evidence and data to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Our mission is to make investing in what works the “new normal,” so that, one day, all government leaders use rigorous evidence and quality data to inform important policy and funding decisions. We believe that data-driven and evidence-based policy decisions could significantly increase the impact of the over $2 trillion that governments spend annually to advance economic mobility and racial equity.

Department Overview

RFA’s Strategic Communications and Events Team supports outreach, programming and branding for all of RFA’s initiatives.

 

RFA has organized a “practice” at every level of government: federal, state and local. As part of its Local Practice, RFA leads the What Works Cities Certification program, which was launched in 2017 by Bloomberg Philanthropies and established the first-of-its-kind standard of excellence for data-driven, well-managed local government. What Works Cities Certification recognizes and celebrates local governments for their exceptional use of data to inform policy decisions, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs and engage residents.

Position Overview

The Associate Director, Strategic Communications will be a member of RFA’s Strategic Communications and Events Team, working closely with the What Works Cities Certification Team. The position will shape and oversee external communications efforts for WWC, developing and executing on a strategy that generates publicity for WWC’s work with cities in North, Central and South America; drive an ongoing conversation in the public sphere about the power of strong data-driven local governance and partner cities’ successes; and establish WWC’s reputation as a go-to expert in the field of data-driven governance and city management.

More specifically, the Associate Director will be responsible for managing and growing local and national coverage across multiple earned media channels for WWC, planning and coordinating public announcements, writing and editing stories that promote our work and mission, managing and supporting WWC’s city partners in their communications efforts, and developing outward-facing materials and publications that engage our target audiences and attract new ones.

 

Position Reporting Relationship

The Associate Director, Strategic Communications will report to the Director of Strategic Communications, working closely with the Managing Director of What Works Cities.

Position Responsibilities

The Associate Director, Strategic Communications, position will have a strong focus on content creation, with secondary areas of work including press relations and earned media, building awareness and demand, and internal and external stakeholder support. Specific responsibilities within these core work areas  include but are not limited to the following:

Content Creation – Writing and Editing (60%)

Execute public announcements, including writing press releases, op-eds, speeches, talking points, media pitches, blog posts and other assets that support WWC outreach and brand building efforts;
Working with the WWC program team and city partners, identify and develop compelling storytelling opportunities that showcase the value and impact of data and Certification;
Work directly with the Manager of Strategic Communications and Marketing to produce content that can be used across platforms to engage WWC’ s audience and reach new target communities;
Manage speaking engagements from sourcing opportunities to preparing and crafting talking points for WWC leaders and staff;
Generate ideas for and create WWC’s portfolio of content, including city storytelling and thought leadership pieces; and
Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for each of WWC’s public announcements.

Press Relations & Earned Media (20%)

Develop a plan for growing both local and national coverage across various earned media channels (e.g., print, broadcast, internet);
Cultivate, organize and maintain relationships with reporters and media contacts;
Managing the story pitching and placement process, including writing pitches and engaging necessary stakeholders; and
Track and analyze earned media mentions and metrics, including maintaining targeted media lists.

Building Awareness & Demand (15%)

In coordination with the WWC program team, lead the strategy, development and execution of public goods and communications to spread awareness and recruit city leaders to participate in the Certification program; and
Through media placements, speaking opportunities and other thought leadership tools, position WWC Certification as the international standard of excellence for local government.

Internal & External Stakeholder Support (5%)

Coordinate communications activities across the WWC partnership, including aligning planned content and resources with program teams’ priorities;
Provide dedicated communications support for individual program teams, including preparing WWC leaders for speaking engagements;
Provide communications support to city staff and leaders to help them develop storytelling opportunities that showcase the impact of using data on resident outcomes;
Fulfill reporting requirements to funders about communications efforts;
Manage communications- and media-related consultants and freelancers as necessary; and
Perform other relevant duties as requested by the Director, Strategic Communications.
All RFA employees are expected to participate in the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Experience and Competencies
The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications, along with a strong commitment to RFA’s mission and vision, including its diversity, equality and inclusion values.

 

Experience:

Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of relevant experience required;
Significant experience working in communications, marketing and/or public relations required;
Experience creating and leading complex communication plans from strategy to execution;
Experience working for and/or managing relationships with clients, government or business leaders, funders or other key decision-makers;
Demonstrated experience effectively communicating complex ideas or concepts in plain language;
Demonstrated experience managing multiple cross department goals and/or initiatives from concept to implementation and strong experience making critical decisions successfully; and
Experience supervising at least one FTE, with the ability to effectively assign tasks to others and monitor for success.
Competencies:

Excellent writing skills, including production of polished first drafts and copy editing near-final versions;
Successful experience creating and executing on communications strategies that build awareness and demand;
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to establish and implement processes to achieve goals;
A demonstrated track record of a “client mindset,’ including managing a diverse set of stakeholders and competing priorities;
Strong project management skills, including the capacity to manage and coordinate simultaneous projects and successfully prioritize among multiple tasks;
Advanced skills in Google Suite, Excel and Word; strong Powerpoint skills, and familiarity with program management software, such as Asana, preferred;
Flexibility and adaptability to shifting circumstances;
Willingness to pitch in and be entrepreneurial in developing and building out new projects; and
Good humor and collegiality are a must.

Salary and Benefits

At Results for America, all staff members currently receive a compensation package that includes: (1) a salary aligned with RFA’s position level and salary bands and against similar nonprofit organizations; (2) a suite of benefits that includes a choice of medical and/or vision and dental care, paid time off, a 403b retirement plan with employer match, and education and commuter benefits. The salary band for this position is $107,800 – $138,600.

How to Apply
To apply for this position, please send your cover letter and resume to recruiting@results4america.org. The subject line of your email should read “YOUR NAME – Associate Director, Strategic Communication.” NB: Writing samples will be required at a later stage in the search process.

 

RFA is an equal opportunity employer that values/celebrates diversity and that follows a policy of making all employment decisions and personnel actions without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, partnership status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, disability, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual offenses or stalking, military status, veteran status or any other category protected under federal, state or local law.