Director, Marketing & Communications

Who We Are:

With a vision of a joyful region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice, Seattle Foundation works to support and sustain the ecosystem of community organizations who are most proximate to the issues we are trying to change. Through our work as a philanthropic advisor, grant maker, and convener, we invest in community-led solutions and ignite powerful and rewarding philanthropy to make Greater Seattle a stronger, more vibrant community for all. 

Position Overview:

Seattle Foundation is seeking a Director, Marketing & Communications (MarComm) to oversee the day-to-day leadership and management of our marketing and communications function and team. This position will leverage strategic and creative thinking to focus on the big picture while maintaining integrity in the details of the day-to-day operations of the marketing and communications team.

This role reports to the Chief Marketing Officer and is responsible for content development and strategy execution with a focus on the following key bodies of work:

• Sharpening Seattle Foundation’s overall storytelling and narrative work
• Bolstering our marketing acumen to drive revenue goals
• Inspiring current and future donors, community organizations, employees and board members to rally around our cause through effective brand, marketing, and communications practices.

The Director will play a pivotal role in guiding current and potential fundholders to clearly understand what they gain by placing their funds with Seattle Foundation and telling the story of our brand and role in being a changemaker across the region. As a leader on the MarComm team, the Director will support and drive communications goals in partnership with teams across the Foundation.

The ideal candidate has demonstrated leadership experience across marketing strategies, with emphasis on digital platform strategies and event strategies to support audience engagement and revenue goals. They have exceptional experience in creative content development (including narrative campaigns and storytelling), and a track record of successfully designing and implementing external and internal communication strategies. This candidate is ambitious and will lead with knowledge and expertise, warmth and joy, and a belief that they are a partner in creating the change that will strengthen our community.   

Primary responsibilities:

Leadership

• Act as a thought partner to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) on strategic decisions (e.g. decisions regarding budget allocation, and marketing and brand strategies) and moving strategy through to operations.
• Establish measurable quarterly and annual goals with clear KPIs and success metrics to support alignment with organizational priorities, while maintaining regular alignment with CMO.
• Lead and mentor the Events Manager and Digital Marketing Manager to develop individual capabilities and support a high-performing team that consistently deliver results.
• As a Director and people manager, contribute to the creation and development of an inclusive, joyful, results-oriented culture to retain and attract talent.
• In partnership with the CMO, manage the MarComm team’s budget, ensuring optimal resource distribution across priorities and goals, while maintaining rigorous tracking systems to measure return on investment.
• Develop and implement evaluation and reporting strategies for the MarComm team in collaboration with leaders across the organization.
• Serve as a brand ambassador and represent the organization at events and engagements to strengthen stakeholder relationships and brand presence, including developing and stewarding media relationships.
• Manage and source marketing and communications consultants and vendors to drive high-quality content development and storytelling.

Communications & Marketing Operations

• Oversee all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the MarComm team.
• Design and implement internal and external communication strategies, processes and procedures through leveraging cross-team collaboration, to drive organizational priorities.  
• Strategically manage and prioritize marketing and communications requests to optimize resources and deliver impactful results.
• Develop and oversee rapid response and crisis communication strategies to ensure the organization is prepared to address urgent situations effectively.
• Partner with the CMO on public and media relations. Cultivate and manage partnerships with media – locally, regionally, and nationally – to increase brand awareness and engage with diverse audiences.
• Ensure consistency in brand and messaging across all platforms (e.g. social media, website, e-newsletter, blogs, paid and earned media, etc.) both internal and external.

Digital Platform Strategies and Event Engagement

• Guide the development of the digital marketing strategy, with an emphasis on content development across all platforms (social media, website, e-newsletter, blogs, paid and earned media, etc.).
• Develop comprehensive digital marketing strategies to enhance audience engagement and drive revenue growth; supervise the Digital Marketing Manager in implementing marketing strategies.
• Guide the design of our engagement and events strategy, ensuring that events are integrated into the overall marketing strategy to strengthen connections with stakeholders and support fundraising objectives; supervise the Events Manager in the planning and execution of the events strategy.
• Partner with the Digital Marketing Manager to leverage data insights to refine digital campaigns and improve audience targeting for maximum impact.
• Collaborate across teams to align digital and event initiatives with broader organizational goals.

Creative Content Development and Storytelling

• Set the narrative strategy for and develop compelling, creative content to bring the Foundation’s brand, value proposition, and community impact to life across platforms such as social media, websites, e-newsletters, blogs, and both paid and earned media.
• Drive the creation of narrative campaigns that amplify the organization’s mission and impact, setting the narrative direction for the organization’s work and purpose.
• Lead the development of content strategies that ensure brand consistency and message alignment across all platforms.
• Support the CEO with executive communications, such as blogs, speeches, and social media strategies, to maintain brand integrity and advance narrative goals.
• Develop and execute plans to maximize media coverage, including earned and paid strategies.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years working in marketing and communications.
• 5+ years of direct people management experience, leading and developing a high performing team. Previous experience leading or capability to lead a small team, as well as external consultants.
• Creative thinker with a proven track record of driving successful end-to-end marketing and communications strategies with the use of analytics and KPIs to demonstrate impact and effectiveness.
• Exceptional writer, copy editor and creative content creator across multimedia modalities (e.g. the Foundation’s blog, social media, newsletters, donor and community-facing collateral, video, etc.).
• Proven experience driving projects and deliverables across teams, with an ability to connect with and influence stakeholders through effective project and change management strategies. 
• Demonstrated experience translating complex ideas into clear and compelling narratives for diverse audiences from philanthropists to community grantee partners, civic leaders, policymakers, corporate leaders, and more.  
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills with an ability to keep multiple projects on track, anticipate obstacles, adapt to change and communicate expectations along the way.
• An orientation toward organizing and smart political judgement, including an ability to consider a variety of diverse stakeholder interests and perspectives.
• Experience leveraging marketing and communications technologies to improve processes, outcomes and relationships.
• Proven track record in clearly driving strategy from design to execution.
• Multimedia experience, including track record of managing different forms of media and communications platforms to drive greater impact.
• Successful track record of securing positive, substantive media stories and working with journalists. Established relationships with local, regional, and national media outlets is a plus. 
• Demonstrated commitment to DEI principles and approaches, especially racial and economic justice.
• Passion for philanthropy and a commitment to the foundation's mission.
• Ability to thrive in a complex, fast-paced, culturally diverse environment, as well as under pressure and during periods of change.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: 

Seattle Foundation envisions a thriving region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice, where all individuals and communities have equitable access and outcomes, regardless of race, place, or identity. We are committed to advancing racial equity using an intersectional lens, and integrate our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts into all that we do. We hold ourselves accountable to uphold our organizational values, and strive to do better every day. 

Physical Demands and Working Conditions: 

The work is performed in an office setting, or hybrid (remote and in-person). This position will require a weekly in-office presence. All positions require the capability of working at a PC for extended periods. Team efforts with event support may require periods of physical activity involving standing, walking, and moderate lifting. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions of the role.