MENTOR National Director of Communications

ABOUT MENTOR Potential is equally distributed; opportunity is not. A major driver of healthy development and opportunity is who you know and who’s in your corner. MENTOR was created almost 35 years ago to expand that opportunity for young people by building a youth mentoring field and movement, serving as the expert and go-to resource on quality mentoring. The result — a more than 10x increase in young people in structured mentoring relationships, from hundreds of thousands to millions. Today, we activate a movement across diverse and broad sectors that seeps into every aspect of daily life. We are connecting and fueling opportunity for young people everywhere they are, from schools to workplaces and beyond. ABOUT THE POSITION MENTOR seeks an experienced public relations and communications professional to serve as its Director of Communications. As a vital member of the Marketing & Communications team the Director of Communications will inform and support MENTOR’s integrated brand promotion strategy. The position is responsible for media relations, promoting MENTOR’s programs (including advocacy and fundraising efforts), leveraging and elevating a variety of external partnerships to advance MENTOR’s influence and credibility, and identifying strategic communication opportunities to position MENTOR’s collective expertise. The Director of Communications will help ensure that MENTOR’s brand presence and overall messaging is clear, consistent, and compelling, both internally and externally. This is a dynamic opportunity for a driven and seasoned communications professional to make a significant impact at a national nonprofit organization. The Director of Communications will report to the Chief Development Officer. Our communications aim to elevate the many voices of the mentoring movement, MENTOR, its Affiliates, and programmatic and corporate partners. Our strategic communications priorities include: Promoting MENTOR's 25 local Affiliates through content development, multi-channel engagement, and elevation of impact stories. Spotlighting our corporate partners’ efforts to implement company or industry-wide mentoring efforts and close the mentoring gap. Identifying and elevating stories and partners in systems-change priority areas (education and workforce development). Demonstrating MENTOR's position as thought leaders and conveners of the mentoring field. RESPONSIBILITIES Public Relations (40%) Create and oversee strategic public relations campaigns to elevate MENTOR’s brand and leadership as the nation’s premier expert and resource on quality youth mentoring and relationship-centered practices that support young people. This includes frequent partnership with the development and corporate partnerships teams to highlight specific events and initiatives. In partnership with the communications and development team, craft and lead press campaigns and communications strategies around newsworthy youth development and mentoring issues; cultivate and maintain authentic relationships with reporters, editors, and influencers across diverse outlets and platforms and serve as the initial point of contact for media inquiries and outreach. Manage communications around crises and sensitive issues to provide proactive and professional messaging to internal and external stakeholders and protect and enhance organizational reputation. Provide media spokesperson training, briefings, interview preparation and messaging development for executives and senior-level staff, creating and identifying interview opportunities to position them as thought leaders and subject matter experts. Partner with the Director of Marketing to create and manage cross-channel pre- and post-event communications to drive awareness & connections. Writing / Content Development (40%) Create engaging content for a variety of types of publications including newsletters, print publications, marketing collateral, website, reports, and proposals. Write and distribute press releases, pitches, and polished, well-argued opinion pieces in a timely manner to ensure MENTOR can lead or respond to national conversations on youth development, mentoring, and social capital. Aid in the preparation and review of presentations and speeches for senior leaders by drafting and / or editing talking points to ensure alignment with storytelling strategy and drive visibility, reinforce MENTOR’s thought leadership and position the organization’s expertise. Oversee the copyediting process for new MENTOR products and collateral identifying and managing contractors as needed. Serve as a strategic partner to the executive leadership team, providing counsel and writing support for internal communications related to significant org-wide announcements, change management, or policy rollouts as needed. Communications Strategy (20%) Work cross-functionally internally and with Affiliates to develop and implement a multi-channel communication strategy that results in measurable outcomes and includes comprehensive long-term and short-term strategic communications and media strategies aligned with organization and Affiliate-level priorities. In partnership with the Director of Marketing, craft strategies that amplify integrated campaigns aligned with MENTOR’s content and product marketing needs, advocacy efforts, and fundraising initiatives. Develop and execute comprehensive promotional plans for MENTOR-led projects and products, with a particular emphasis on research publications, programmatic initiatives, and MENTOR-led events, including the annual National Mentoring Summit. Manage tracking and reporting of KPIs and media metrics with other team members. QUALIFICATIONS There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We believe that diverse opinions, experiences, and backgrounds are a key asset. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below: 7-10 years of relevant experience in a related field, such as Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism; experience in the nonprofit or public sector preferred. Demonstrated track record of developing and cultivating relationships with relevant members of the media. Established press relationships on a national scale preferred. A journalistic mindset and the ability to craft engaging media pitches and stories to attract and target the appropriate media; drive to proactively respond to news opportunities and trends. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including proven experience in distilling complex topics for broad and diverse audiences; meticulous attention to detail; ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters. Highly organized with strong deadline management and the ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced work environment. Strong interpersonal skills; ability to collaborate by managing up and across; skilled in distilling feedback from various viewpoints. Experience crafting thoughtful, nuanced internal communications for nonprofit organizations or associations. Knowledge of foundational media distribution and monitoring software tools and CRM databases, including Newswire and Microsoft Dynamics or other comparable platforms. Experience collaborating with and supporting fundraisers and development professionals is highly desirable. Experience leveraging blogs and podcasts as strategic communication channels is highly desirable. POSITION EXPECTATIONS This full-time, exempt position is hybrid-remote with national travel 10% of the time. For candidates who are based near Boston, MENTOR is expecting all employees to work in the office 2 days a week or 8 days a month. Preference will be given to candidates in the Greater Boston area. We hope to have phone interviews in May with select candidates followed by an hour long virtual interview with MENTOR staff. Select finalists will have a virtual interview day with a broader selection staff and leadership at MENTOR National followed by a thorough reference check process and background check. This position is expected to start in July, 2024. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS The salary for this role will be commensurate with experience, with a range of $90,000 - $100,000. Full-time employees are eligible for MENTOR’s benefits package, which includes health, dental, and vision insurance, a 403(b), a commuter stipend, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, student loan repayment assistance, and a generous vacation policy. A summary of MENTOR’s benefits can be found HERE . COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY MENTOR is committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion for all. We embrace our differences and celebrate our common humanity in advancing awareness of the need for a transformative power of supportive relationships for our young people. We believe that varied perspectives, experiences, and opinions are central assets in our mission to close the mentoring gap within the mentoring movement and MENTOR National’s workforce. We believe these are and we strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented communities to apply. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER MENTOR National is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. MENTOR National is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please notify us and our HR team will work to accommodate your needs. Copyright 2024Positively Partners LLC #J-18808-Ljbffr