Director of Communications

Stop The Wait RI is a 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit working to amplify parent voices, build community power, and successfully advocate for the conditions that will create the best educational landscape for our children.

Director of Communications

Startup 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofit Stop The Wait RI seeks a founding Director of Communications to support our mission to amplify parent voices, build community power, and successfully advocate for the conditions that will create the best educational landscape for our children.

This new role will focus on raising the profile of Stop The Wait RI, increasing engagement with key stakeholders, and influencing public opinion in service of our community-driven policy and campaign goals. As a recently founded nonprofit, the entrepreneurial professional hired for this role will have an exceptional opportunity to shape the organization’s emerging public image.

The Director of Communications will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer, collaborating to craft the organization’s core messages, create and execute a communications strategy, and leverage emerging policy and media opportunities – to advance our mission

Primary Responsibilities

Communication strategy and leadership

• Originate and refine core messaging that effectively and consistently communicates our mission, core values, and priorities
• Develop a strategic communications plan aligned to organizational goals and grounded in evidence-based messaging to reach key audiences
• Drive a nuanced and layered messaging strategy, advancing multiple narratives simultaneously, seasonally, and/or opportunistically
• Lead communications projects and campaigns, tracking metrics and reporting on progress to funders and partners
• Represent Stop The Wait RI in strategic coalitions and provide leadership and coordination with key partners to ensure alignment on strategy and messages

Content Creation and Storytelling

• Plan, develop, and manage key organizational communication systems and tools (presentations, newsletters, website, social media, marketing materials, etc.)

○ for ongoing and strategic external stakeholder engagement and brand awareness

○ for use in telling stories that elevate current issues, organizational successes, and the voices of the families we serve

• Plan owned and earned media content, including managing and moderating social media posts, blog posts, and op-eds
• Manage consultants to ensure effective coordination of work and effective use of internal and consulting resources

Media Relations

• Cultivate, manage, and maintain critical relationships with journalists and media outlets
• Develop and implement creative story ideas and press releases that support organizational communications objectives
• Monitor relevant media outlets and information sources to maintain an up-to-date awareness of the reputation of the organization, and its most important partners
• Devise and execute response strategies and talking points for a variety of media and external communications requests, including crisis communications situations

Qualifications

Strong candidates will have the following skills and experiences

• An unwavering commitment to community-driven change, a belief in the power of grassroots organizing, a passion for educational justice and racial equity, and urgency around improving access to high-quality schools
• Experience building relationships quickly with diverse stakeholders
• Ability to develop responsive messaging and engaging content that speaks to the priorities of various groups
• 5-7+ years of professional experience, including leadership experience in public relations, communications, politics/advocacy, and/or related field; electoral campaign experience (press secretary/communications director) strongly preferred
• Experience developing, communicating and managing complex communications and marketing campaigns in multiple modes of effective written and oral communications across a variety of diverse stakeholders, including dexterity in rapid response/crisis communications
• In-depth understanding of local media opportunities and demonstrated ability to cultivate a strong local media network; successful…