Position : Senior Director of Communications
Reports to: Vice President of Involvement
We are partnering with Baltimore Corps to hire for this position. Interested candidates can apply here.
Job Summary
The Senior Director of Communications will be responsible for developing Thread’s communications strategy, including management of press & media and management of Thread’s brand. This role will field incoming inquiries from media and strategize for outreach when appropriate. The Senior Director of Communications will also prepare members of the Thread Community to engage externally with press or at speaking engagements. As part of this role, brand management will include ensuring that printed and digital materials reflect Thread’s brand and image in alignment with our values and developed set of use policies. As part of brand manager, our Senior Director of Communications will oversee design of print and digital communications, including Thread’s website and marketing materials aimed at various members of the Thread Community & beyond.
Key Responsibilities
Communications Strategy Development and Execution
● Develop a Communication Strategy to support Thread achieving the goals outlined in the FY18-FY21 Thread Strategic Plan by elevating Thread’s presence and reach
● Develop and implement an operational plan and influence platform that aligns communications activities including publications, broadcast and print media, social medial, and messaging with key resource requirements including human, social, and financial capital
● Develop and compile performance measures to evaluate impact of communications activities
Content Development and Brand Management
● Develop the Thread written and visual brand
● Oversee the dissemination and management of the Thread brand
○ Develop Thread source communication materials and templates (one-pager, overview, deck, etc) that crisply articulate Thread’s “why,” “what,” and “how” for use by Thread Community members (students, volunteers, collaborators, staff and Board) in promoting the mission, vision and values
○ Develop talking points to ensure congruent communications by Thread Community members
○ Provide speech preparation support for Thread Community members
○ Maintain consistency in the use of logo and language across the entire organization
○ Oversee and/or develop the design, implementation and/or maintenance of communication tools such as the website, social media handles, digital marketing tools, and printed collateral
○ Review social media plans and activities; ensure consistency with Thread message, language, communications
○ Oversee the design, creation and distribution of Thread Newsletters
● Cultivate and manage press relationships
○ Qualify and prioritize media opportunities for Thread
○ Train Thread Community members to share their personal journeys
● Create reporting tools and communications packets for staff, Executive Team, and Board of Directors
Qualifications/Skills
● Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree preferred
● 3-5 years experience in communications, or external relations
● Excellent oral and written communication skills
● Ability to manage projects, organize and complete complex tasks and prioritize
multiple assignments and deliver on a timely basis
● Understanding of and passion for Thread’s mission
● Proven leadership and collaborative approach to finding solutions
● Prior experience with nonprofit communications and managing teams preferred
● Quick learner who is able to simultaneously execute multiple detail-oriented projects
● Strong interpersonal skills and ability to use judgment and objectivity in various roles
● Creativity, curiosity and enthusiasm for meeting and working with a wide range of individuals
We are partnering with Baltimore Corps to hire for this position. Interested candidates can apply here.
More About Thread
Our Mission
Thread engages underperforming high school students confronting significant barriers outside of the classroom by providing each one with a family of committed volunteers and increased access to community resources. We foster students’ academic advancement and personal growth into self-motivated, resilient, and responsible citizens.
Our Why
The Thread Community Model brings together a broad cross-section of our city by forming authentic, mutual, and enduring relationships and in turn provides a vehicle for sustained change. Thread believes that the power of relationships—the dynamic web of interconnectedness created when futures are woven together—can end the poverty of isolation and allow both youth and Baltimore to realize their full potential.
Thread is weaving a new social fabric where everyone thrives and which is expanding to connect with even more students, volunteers, and collaborators. Thread currently serves 303 students and alumni with the support of over 800 volunteers and over 175 collaborators. We plan to continue to increase our annual and total enrollments until we meet our long-term goal of engaging 300 new students each year (5% of every high school freshman class across Baltimore City). This expansion and evolution requires that Thread be nimble and innovative, and leverage identified opportunities in a way that is congruent with our values and core competencies.
Our How
Team members at Thread are hard- and smart-working, collaborative, curious, passionate, gritty, strategic and resilient. We meet people where they are. We go all in with care, compassion, and empathy. We believe small acts make a big difference. We trust each other to be sincere, reliable and competent. The outcomes Thread has achieved are exemplary. However, the road to excellence is peppered with iterative learning. We make mistakes often and fail frequently, but we learn from our mistakes and continue to tenaciously try and try again. We are about building communities of responsibility and have high expectations of students, volunteers, collaborators, and staff. We believe that each human being has a purpose in life and have found that individuals living on purpose have discovered the intersection of their skills, passion, and what the world needs. The journey to find this intersection, one’s dot, is often simultaneously exhilarating and difficult. Thread creates a safe and challenging space for all individuals in our community—students, volunteers, collaborators, and staff— to find their dot through deep reflection, honest feedback, and in-depth coaching.
