MENTOR Director of Communications

Potential is equally distributed; opportunity is not. A major driver of healthy development and opportunity is who you know and who’s in your corner.

MENTOR was created more than 30 years ago to expand that opportunity for young people by building a youth mentoring field and movement, serving as the expert and go-to resource on quality mentoring. The result — a more than 10x increase in young people in structured mentoring relationships, from hundreds of thousands to millions.

Today, we activate a movement across diverse and broad sectors that seeps into every aspect of daily life. We are connecting and fueling opportunity for young people everywhere they are, from schools to workplaces and beyond.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

MENTOR is committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion for all. We embrace our differences and celebrate our common humanity in advancing awareness of the need for a transformative power of supportive relationships for our young people. We believe that varied perspectives, experiences, and opinions are central assets in our mission to close the mentoring gap within the mentoring movement and MENTOR National’s workforce. We believe these are and we strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented communities to apply.

ABOUT THE POSITION

MENTOR seeks an experienced public relations and communications professional to serve as its Director of Communications. As a vital member of the Marketing & Communications team which reports into the Chief Advancement Officer, the Director of Communications will inform and support MENTOR’s integrated brand promotion strategy. The position is responsible for media relations, promoting MENTOR’s programs (including advocacy and fundraising efforts), leveraging and elevating a variety of external partnerships to advance MENTOR’s influence and credibility, and identifying strategic communication opportunities to elevate and position MENTOR’s collective expertise. This position will also help ensure that MENTOR’s brand presence and overall messaging is clear, consistent, and compelling. This is a dynamic opportunity for a driven and seasoned entrepreneurial communications professional to make a significant impact at a national nonprofit organization.

The Director of Communications will supervise the Storytelling Manager and be a part of MENTOR’s Management Team.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Public Relations (40%)

• Create and oversee strategic public relations campaigns to elevate MENTOR’s brand and leadership as the nation’s premier expert and resource on quality youth mentoring and relationship-centered practices that support young people.

• In partnership with the team leader, craft and lead press campaigns and communications strategies around newsworthy youth development and mentoring issues; cultivate and maintain authentic relationships with reporters, editors, and influencers across diverse outlets and platforms and serve as the initial point of contact for media inquiries and outreach.

• Manage communications around crises and sensitive issues to provide proactive and professional messaging to internal and external stakeholders and protect and enhance organizational reputation.

• Provide media spokesperson training, briefings, interview preparation and messaging development for executives and senior level staff, creating and identifying interview opportunities to position them as thought leaders and subject matter experts.

• Partner with the Director of Digital Marketing to create and manage cross-channel pre- and post-event communications to drive awareness & connections.

Writing / Content Development (40%)

• Create engaging content for a variety of types of publications, including newsletters, print publications, collateral, website, e-blasts, reports and proposals.

• Write and distribute press releases, pitches, and polished, well-argued opinion pieces while working against tight deadlines to ensure MENTOR can lead or respond to national conversations on youth development, mentoring, and social capital.

• Aid in the preparation and review of presentations and speeches for senior leaders by drafting and / or editing talking points that tie into broad storylines and drive visibility, reinforce MENTOR’s thought leadership and position the organization’s expertise.

• Oversee the copyediting process for MENTOR products and collateral identifying and managing contractors as needed.

• Serve as a strategic partner to the executive leadership team, providing counsel and writing support for internal communications related to significant org-wide announcements, change management or policy rollouts as needed.

Communications Strategy (20%)

• Work cross-functionally and with MENTOR Affiliates to develop and implement a multi-channel communication strategy that results in measurable outcomes and includes comprehensive long-term and short-term strategic communications and media strategies aligned with organization and Affiliate-level priorities.

• In partnership with the Director of Digital Marketing, craft strategies that amplify integrated campaigns aligned with MENTOR’s content and product marketing needs, advocacy efforts and fundraising initiatives.

• Develop and execute comprehensive promotion plans for MENTOR-led projects and products, with a particular emphasis on research publications, programmatic initiatives, and MENTOR events, including the annual National Mentoring Summit.

• Manage tracking and reporting of KPIs and media metrics.

Qualifications:

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow, and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We believe that diverse opinions, experiences, and backgrounds are a key asset. This said, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in a related field, such as Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism; experience in the nonprofit or public sector preferred.

• Demonstrated track record of developing and cultivating relationships with relevant members of the media. Established press and influencer relationships on a national scale preferred.

• A journalistic mindset and the ability to craft engaging media pitches and stories to attract and target the appropriate media; drive to proactively respond to news opportunities and trends.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including proven experience in distilling complex topics for broad and diverse audiences; meticulous attention to details; ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters. Creative storyteller with experience in leveraging blogs and podcasts as strategic communication channels.

• Highly organized with strong deadline management and the ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced work environment.

• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to collaborate by managing up and across; skilled in distilling feedback from various viewpoints.

• Knowledge of foundational media distribution and monitoring software tools and CRM databases, including Newswire and Microsoft Dynamics or other comparable platforms

• Fluency in Microsoft Office Suite preferred including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams

Position Expectations:

This full-time, exempt position is hybrid-remote with national travel 10% of the time. For candidates based where MENTOR National has offices (Boston and Washington D.C), MENTOR expects all employees to work in the office 2 days a week or 8 days a month. Preference will be given to candidates in the Greater Boston area.

Phone screens with select candidates will take place in September, followed by virtual interviews with the Chief Advancement Officer, Kristin Howard and Director of Digital Marketing, Heather Coyne. Select finalists will have a virtual interview day with other staff and leadership at MENTOR National in October followed by a thorough reference check process and background check. This position is expected to start late Fall, 2023.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this role will be commensurate with experience, with a range of $85,000.00 to $95,000.00. Full-time employees are eligible for MENTOR’s benefits package, which includes health, dental, and vision insurance, a 403(b), a commuter stipend, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, student loan repayment assistance, and a generous vacation policy. A summary of MENTOR’s benefits can be found HERE.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

MENTOR National is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. MENTOR National is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please notify us and our HR team will work to accommodate your needs.

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