POSITION SUMMARY

Western Resource Advocates (WRA) seeks a passionate and strategic Director of Marketing and Communications to lead our outreach efforts during an exciting period of growth and change. This senior-level position provides a unique opportunity to help WRA maximize its impact by focusing, leading, and deploying the organization’s marketing and communications towards key priorities and audiences where they can have the greatest impact. Reporting to the Vice President of Development and Communications, the Director will leverage and grow WRA’s ability to influence and engage target audiences of decision-makers, partners, and donors to advance specific programmatic and development goals. The Director will work closely with teams across the organization—particularly program, government affairs, and development—to identify where communications and marketing can contribute meaningfully and measurably to advocacy, policy, and fundraising success.

The Director serves on the Senior Leadership Team and is responsible for representing marketing and communications issues, needs, and capacities with the President, Vice Presidents, Board of Directors, and other senior leaders. The Director will contribute to strategic and annual plans; effectively allocate resources; drive and support outcome-oriented collaboration and integration between teams; and evolve the focus and functions of the Marketing and Communications Team using data and recommendations from a recent branding assessment. To do this, the Director will lead, manage, and work closely with a growing team of communications professionals to create and advance plans and campaigns, and to meet specific objectives and long-term goals.

LOCATION

This position has the option to work remotely anywhere within our seven-state region, or from one of WRA’s six offices. Our seven-state region includes Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. WRA has offices located in Boulder, CO; Denver, CO; Salt Lake City, UT; Phoenix, AZ; Santa Fe, NM; and Carson City, NV. WRA employees are strongly encouraged to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES

• Identify the highest priority opportunities for marketing and communications efforts to create measurable impact on programmatic and fundraising outcomes.
• Develop a long-term strategic plan for marketing and communications as part of WRA’s organization-wide strategic planning process.
• Develop and execute specific strategies, plans, goals, and campaigns that identify target audiences, integrate appropriate tools and tactics, and effectively use financial and staff resources to create measurable progress toward specific objectives.
• Work closely with Directors and teams across the organization to guide, inform, and ensure the strategic use of communications and branding.
• Lead and manage a growing Marketing and Communications Team to set and meet goals, including in creating work plans and outcomes, assessing performance as a team and as individuals, supporting professional development, and managing the budget.
• Work closely with program and government affairs staff to advance policy solutions with decision-makers and partners.
• Work closely with the President, Vice President of Development, and the Development Team to establish formal donor communications to increase philanthropic revenue, particularly with the principal and major donors and prospects.
• Engage, educate, and inform the Board of Directors through the Communications Committee, board meetings, reports, presentations, and one-on-one engagement.
• Sustain focus on key priorities in a demanding environment of growth and change, while being responsive and nimble when needed and appropriate.
• Provide leadership, expertise, and coaching to staff and key coalition partners in developing advocacy campaigns, polling, and messaging that are focused, achievable, and impactful.
• Integrate and maintain the necessary processes, best practices, systems, tools, technology, and standards for effective and quality marketing and communications.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated ability to identify, establish, and maintain priorities with and among high-performing teams with ambitious goals and competing demands.
• Ability to use marketing and communications to drive results toward specific outcomes and to support a variety of organizational goals, including both advocacy and fundraising.
• Experience with establishing a brand strategy and/or integrating strong branding into day-to-day operations.
• Practiced in effectively managing a variety of staff, consultants, and vendors for the effective execution of complex plans, campaigns, and projects
• Experience, appreciation, and enthusiasm for managing a dedicated team of marketing and communications professionals that allows for measurable success and professional growth.
• Demonstrated success integrating a variety of strategies and tactics to persuade and influence diverse audiences on complex subjects.
• Experience integrating and managing web, email engagement, and social and online media as part of an overall marketing program.
• Ability to produce compelling content and collateral to educate and influence target audiences.
• Experience working with media to shape productive narratives aligned with programmatic goals.
• Strong project management skills, with attention to detail and follow‐through.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to travel frequently to meetings and events, generally within the Interior West (post COVID-19).

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

This section is made up of skills that a candidate may come in with, and if not, may be trained on the job. They are not required and candidates who do not possess these skills yet, should not be discouraged from applying.

• General knowledge of clean energy, climate change, and/or environmental issues.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range is $95,000 to $120,000 annually; salary depends on relevant experience and new staff rarely start at the top of the range. WRA’s excellent benefits package includes health, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) retirement plan, life & disability insurance, 3 weeks paid vacation leave, sick leave, parental leave, sabbatical leave after five years; and an RTD EcoPass for staff in the Denver/Boulder metro area. Position is full-time exempt.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: OPEN UNTIL FILLED, WITH PRIORITY REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS STARTING ON MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2021.

Apply here: https://westernresourceadvocates.org/careers/director-of-marketing-comms/