Director of Communications

About WEPOWER

We partner with Black and Latinx communities to build power to re-design education, economic, public safety, and health systems to be just and equitable for all. We build powerful relationships with community members and amplify their voices to inform critical decisions that impact their lives. We train community members to design new policies, organize, and lead policy and systems change. We provide early-stage companies with access to coaching, capital, connections, and community as they create jobs in the communities with whom we partner. In just three years, WEPOWER has activated 300 community leaders, won a historic ballot measure that guarantees public funding annually for early childhood, supported 30 businesses with access to capital, coaching, and connections, and launched a one-of-a-kind investment fund for Black and Latinx businesses. We envision a future where systems are accountable to powerful communities that have been historically oppressed, and nurture our freedom, well-being, dreams, and joy. We have bold plans for the years ahead. Join us!

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Director of Communications and Storytelling (DCS) is an exempt full-time employee who needs to be based in or willing to relocate to St. Louis. The salary range is $65,000-$100,000. The DCS will be lead external communications, storytelling, and creative direction to advance a racial justice-oriented narrative, with a focus on:

• Content creation and audience engagement across our various platforms ranging from Facebook to blog
• Development and iteration of the organization’s external communication strategies and creative direction with constant consideration of the local political landscape
• Management and strategic coordination of partners who implement key communications streams such as the organization’s public relations (PR) partner, graphic and web design partner, and community member storytelling (check out an example here) partner.

We Will Celebrate Key Achievements Including…

• An annual, quarterly, and monthly organization-wide brand and communications strategy that responds to organizing and advocacy campaign goals and community wealth-building goals and considers the current and emerging political landscape.
• Monthly, quantifiable growth in the organization’s following and audience engagement on social media platforms, email, and website.
• The shift of public perception regarding early childhood education, K12 public education, and community wealth building to generate widespread understanding of the need for urgent and equitable community and systemic change.

You Will…

CREATE & MANAGE CONTENT, COMMUNICATIONS CALENDAR, AND AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT (50%)

• Create and manage the development, distribution, and maintenance of all copy/messaging and collateral including newsletters, toolkits, educational materials, brochures, event invitations, and promotional items.
• Provide editorial and design direction, handle quality control and proofreading, oversee production, and create and implement distribution plans.
• Stay informed about new trends in communications and public engagement to propose, pilot and execute new tactics that meet audiences where they are.
• Manage the online presence of WEPOWER, leading the process and working with third-party partners in generating content that is engaging, up-to-date, and results in measurable action and audience engagement.
• Develop and manage a communications calendar, posting of content to our digital channels, including website, social media (currently Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter), and emails to subscribers.
• Partner with the WEPOWER Changemaker team to creatively direct the publication of reports and policy research, ensuring cultural responsiveness and accessibility.
• Partner with a third-party who leads the graphic design, web design, and video/documentary production.
• Partner with a Spanish translation professional to ensure critical collateral and content is accessible to Spanish-speaking community members.
• Partner with a team of storytellers who interview, transcribe, and produce first-person stories from WEPOWER’s community of changemakers and entrepreneurs.

DRIVE COMMUNICATIONS VISION AND STRATEGY (20%)

• Develop plans and strategies to reach goals and continuously track and measure progress.
• Determine appropriate communications tactics to disseminate key messages, promote campaigns, publicize events and broaden WEPOWER audiences.
• Partner with the board, team, local artists, and creatives to drive a culturally responsive, unique, and compelling set of strategies.
• Ensure communications strategies consider and prepare to leverage a variety of appropriate channels ranging from news publications and print to digital.

SUPPORT MEDIA RELATIONS PARTNERSHIP (15%)

• Partner with the organization’s third-party media relations partner to leverage earned media to execute the annual to monthly communications goals and strategies.
• Work with the team, board, and media relations partner to continuously and proactively assess the political landscape, forecast communications challenges and opportunities, and act quickly to mitigate attacks, articulate the organization’s values and theory of change, and capitalize on opportunities to further advance campaign and community wealth building goals.
• Work with the media relations partner and CEO to continuously build relationships with the media, ensuring clarity of the organization’s theory of change, values, and emerging work, as well as gain clarity on the news publications reporting priorities and content needs.
• Oversee and contribute to rapid response plans and activities, drafting messages, communicating messaging and expectations to all communications team members and partners, corresponding with media and publicists, and reporting on press coverage and public sentiment.

PREP AND BUILD CAPACITY OF WEPOWER COMMUNITY TO BE EFFECTIVE AMBASSADORS OF THE ORGANIZATION AND ITS CAMPAIGNS (15%)

• Support the training and deployment of the team, board, campaign leaders, entrepreneurs, and volunteers as WEPOWER ambassadors involved in community outreach.
• Ensure key ambassadors of WEPOWER’s brand, campaigns, and story have collateral and resources to support their communications efforts.
• Work with the third-party media relations partner to keep the WEPOWER ambassadors up to speed on the range of emerging communications challenges and opportunities and ensure they have strong talking points and context to be able to speak knowledgeably and confidently in the community.

You Are…

• An Excellent Communicator
• A Strategic Leader
• A Champion of Racial & Cultural Identity Development
• A Project Manager
• Organized
• Results-Oriented
• Constructive and Collaborative

Your Experiences Include Some or Many of the Following…

• Managing communications for multiple successful advocacy and political campaigns
• Managing social media to grow brand awareness
• Developing stories and narratives
• Leveraging tech platforms to support communication and organizing efforts
• Experience working with Black and Latinx communities
• Organizing and building power towards racially equitable systems change
• Demonstrated project management and organizational skills
• Communications crisis management
• Rapid response instincts and experience

Work Environment

Fun. Fast. Focused. Values-driven. Community-centered. Collaborative. Innovative. Lots of brainstorming and imagining what’s possible and then chasing each possibility until it is reality!

As a startup, being part of the team at WEPOWER requires extreme commitment and agility, AND we value each team member’s personal life circumstances and priorities. We will work together to ensure the organization prioritizes the health, social-emotional wellbeing, and morale of each team member! Some evening and weekend work will be expected.

Travel

You will engage in limited travel with the exception of professional development experiences that align with your short-term and long-term development goals and areas of interest.

Compensation

The salary and benefits package is highly competitive with other organizations of similar stature and size. The salary range is $65,000-$100,000 and based upon prior experience. WEPOWER provides medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as paid time off, sick leave, and family leave.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At WEPOWER, we don’t just accept differences — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our team, our programs, and our community. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, political affiliation or belief, or genetic information.

This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Process

Phase One: Submit an application by 11:59 pm CST, January 2nd, 2022.
Phase Two: Interview with the hiring manager.
Phase Three: Interview with selection team and performance activity.
Phase Four: Leadership assessment, reference checks, coffee with close partners.