Communications Manager

Near East Foundation•City of Syracuse, NY

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

As a core member of the Global Partnerships team—integrating Communications, Fundraising, and Business Development—the Communications Manager serves as NEF’s central focal point for all communications. The role leads the development and implementation of a coherent, strategic communications approach that strengthens NEF’s visibility, positioning, and engagement with key audiences, including donors, partners, and the public. This is a hands-on position where the role will be creating content and writing comms materials. The role plays a critical enabling function in resource mobilization by ensuring the production of high-quality, compelling communications and donor-facing materials, while safeguarding brand integrity, narrative consistency, and messaging quality across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, International Relations, Marketing, or a related field.
Minimum 5–8 years of experience in communications, ideally within an international NGO, development, or humanitarian context.
Proven experience developing high-quality donor-facing communications and strategic content.
Experience working in integrated teams supporting fundraising or resource mobilization strongly preferred.
Experience managing brand identity, digital platforms, and multi-channel communications.
Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills in English.
Strong ability to translate complex technical content into clear, compelling messaging.
Strategic thinking combined with strong execution and prioritization skills.
High attention to detail and quality control.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to influence without authority.
Experience working across multicultural, multi-country teams.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience with HubSpot strongly preferred.
Familiarity with institutional donors (e.g., foundations, bilateral/multilateral agencies).
Experience in crisis communications and reputation management.
Skills in basic design tools or content management systems.
Additional languages an advantage.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and delivery of NEF’s global communications strategy, aligned with organizational priorities.
Define messaging frameworks, tone, and positioning across audiences.
Act as brand guardian, ensuring consistency in voice, narrative, and visual identity across all platforms.
Review and approve external-facing communications for quality, coherence, and brand alignment.
Advise senior leadership on communications opportunities and reputational considerations.
Create weekly content across digital platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and email, to sustain donor engagement and strengthen outreach.
Lead the creation of high-impact, human-centered content showcasing NEF’s work and results.
Draft communications assets, including annual reports, case studies, donor updates, campaigns, and multimedia content.
Manage an organization-wide content calendar aligned with programmatic and fundraising priorities.
Coordinate with country teams to source and curate stories, updates, and impact material.
Ensure all outputs meet ethical storytelling and quality standards.
Collaborate with fundraising, partnerships, and donor account teams to strengthen donor-facing communications.
Enhance the quality and clarity of proposals, concept notes, and donor materials through narrative refinement and messaging support.
Translate technical and programmatic inputs into compelling external-facing content.
Provide tools, templates, and guidance to improve consistency and quality of donor communications across teams.
Oversee NEF’s website and social media presence, ensuring alignment with institutional messaging and priorities.
Develop targeted digital strategies, with emphasis on professional audiences and LinkedIn engagement.
Monitor digital performance and optimize content reach and engagement.
Maintain relationships with media and external stakeholders to enhance organizational visibility.
Develop press materials and support media engagement opportunities.
Support leadership with messaging, presentations, and speaking engagements.
Identify opportunities for thought leadership and external representation.
Serve as the central coordination point for communications across the organization.
Develop annual and quarterly communications plans aligned with strategic priorities.
Maintain tools, templates, and brand guidelines to ensure consistency.
Support crisis communications when required.
Manage the communications budget.