Director of Marketing & Public Affairs

Accountabilities

Marketing & Public Affairs Strategy: Develop and lead an integrated marketing and public affairs strategy aligned with organizational, programmatic, policy, and revenue objectives. Maintain forward-looking 30-, 60-, and 90-day plans, anticipate communications opportunities, and provide senior leadership with clear recommendations and actionable priorities.
Media Relations & Executive Visibility: Build relationships with national, regional, trade, and policy journalists; develop proactive media strategies; oversee press releases, statements, opinion pieces, and media pitches; and position executives and subject-matter experts as credible voices in relevant public discussions.
Executive Communications: Prepare senior leaders for media appearances, speeches, panels, and external engagements by coordinating briefing materials, research, supporting data, practitioner stories, and anticipated questions well in advance.
Digital Marketing & Audience Growth: Lead digital communications across social media, email, and web channels. Establish audience growth and engagement objectives, manage editorial calendars, optimize platform-specific content, and expand the use of short-form video and other effective digital formats.
Campaign & Creative Management: Plan major campaigns, announcements, reports, and events from inception through execution. Develop creative briefs, coordinate copywriting, design, video, paid media, and executive participation, and ensure campaigns receive effective promotion and follow-up.
Team & Vendor Leadership: Manage, coach, and develop marketing and public affairs staff. Oversee consultants, creative agencies, and external vendors, establishing clear deliverables, budgets, deadlines, and performance expectations while evaluating internal versus external resource needs.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with policy, research, programs, business development, finance, and senior leadership teams to align messaging, clarify responsibilities, and ensure communications requirements are identified, resourced, and scheduled appropriately.
Scope & Resource Management: Evaluate grant-funded communications obligations, monitor team capacity, manage competing priorities, and raise potential risks early. Recommend alternatives when requests exceed agreed scope, budgets, or available resources.
Revenue & Partnership Support: Collaborate with business development teams to develop promotional assets, audience insights, case studies, and sponsorship opportunities. Support fundraising, donor stewardship, partnership visibility, and the strategic use of organizational content and events.
Performance Measurement & Optimization: Establish measurable performance indicators for audience growth, engagement, earned media, paid campaigns, registrations, lead generation, and partnership support. Analyze results, recommend improvements, optimize advertising spend, and communicate the function's impact to senior leadership and the Board.
Organizational Leadership: Promote clear communication, accountability, proactive problem-solving, and constructive collaboration in a remote environment. Participate in organizational planning and performance processes while maintaining high standards of accuracy, responsiveness, and execution.
Requirements
Education: Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public affairs, journalism, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Professional Experience: Approximately 7 or more years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, public affairs, media relations, strategic communications, or a related discipline.
Leadership & Management: Demonstrated experience managing employees, consultants, vendors, budgets, or complex cross-functional initiatives, with the ability to coach teams, delegate effectively, and oversee multiple priorities.
Strategic Communications: Proven success developing and executing communications or marketing strategies that improve organizational visibility, audience engagement, participation, or public influence.
Media Relations: Experience building journalist relationships, pitching stories, developing press materials, and preparing executives for interviews and public appearances.
Digital Marketing Expertise: Strong understanding of social media strategy, digital engagement, audience development, editorial planning, campaign execution, and performance analytics.
Writing & Content Development: Excellent writing, editing, and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex research, policy, and organizational priorities into clear, accessible messages for diverse audiences.
Analytical & Strategic Thinking: Ability to interpret performance data, identify opportunities, test new approaches, make evidence-based recommendations, and communicate trade-offs effectively.
Resource & Budget Management: Experience overseeing external vendors, evaluating resource allocation, managing spending, and ensuring communications initiatives deliver measurable value.
Stakeholder Management: Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with experience collaborating across departments and engaging senior executives, external partners, media representatives, and other stakeholders.
Technology: Familiarity with CRM platforms, digital engagement tools, and analytics systems. Salesforce experience is an advantage.
Professional Judgment: Ability to challenge assumptions constructively, address emerging issues, anticipate organizational needs, and manage competing deadlines with accuracy and composure.
Industry Background: Experience in nonprofit organizations, government, financial services, economic policy, or another mission-driven environment is beneficial but not required.
Work Arrangement & Travel: Ability to work remotely, collaborate regularly during Eastern Time core hours, and coordinate across time zones. Travel of approximately 20%–25% is expected for organizational meetings, conferences, media engagements, partner activities, and other events.
Supervisory Responsibility: This position requires direct management of staff and external consultants.
Benefits
Annual Salary: $112,849–$163,631, depending on qualifications and relevant experience.
Work Arrangement: Fully remote position, with regular collaboration during Eastern Time core hours.
Leadership Opportunities: Senior-level responsibility for shaping integrated marketing, public affairs, media strategy, and organizational communications.
Professional Impact: Opportunity to amplify research, policy expertise, and initiatives that advance financial security and economic opportunity.
Cross-Functional Exposure: Collaboration with senior executives and teams across policy, research, programs, business development, and other organizational functions.
Professional Development: Opportunities to strengthen strategic leadership, team management, media relations, and digital communications expertise.
Travel & External Engagement: Approximately 20%–25% travel, offering opportunities to participate in industry events, organizational convenings, and partner engagements.