Director of Brand and Communications
About The Position
As Director of Brand and Communications, you'll shape how our neighbors, donors, and the wider community understand who we are and why this work matters, from the brand strategy you set to the stories and campaigns that bring it to life. This is a newly created senior role, built to give the Foodbank's brand and voice real strategic direction. As need grows across Santa Barbara County, we need someone who can turn that urgency into a brand people trust, stories that move people to act, and a communications presence that matches the scale of our mission. You'll work closely with our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director of Development Operations and Strategy (DDOS), with support from the marketing and development team. You'll bring both vision and craft, as comfortable shaping strategy at the table as you are in the details of a press pitch, a campaign, or a crisis response. If you want a role where strategy and hands-on creativity go hand in hand, and your work strengthens food security across Santa Barbara County, we'd love to hear from you.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
- A track record of building brand and marketing strategy that actually gets adopted, not just written down.
- Strong media relationships and the instinct to move fast when a story breaks.
- Confidence speaking publicly and representing the Foodbank with media, donors, and the community.
- Excellent writing and storytelling skills, with experience building a story pipeline across teams.
- Comfort managing digital channels, website content, and a growing marketing team.
- Experience directing freelancers, vendors, and creative partners.
Nice To Haves
- Nonprofit experience, ideally with donor- or foundation-funded work.
- Familiarity with the Santa Barbara media market and philanthropic landscape.
- Experience with direct mail, email, and recurring giving programs.
- Crisis communications background.
- Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or comparable design tools.
Responsibilities
- Lead development and execution of the Foodbank's overall marketing and brand strategy in close collaboration with the CEO, Chief Development Officer, and DDOS, with input from the Board Marketing and Development Committee.
- Set audience, channel, and campaign priorities that bring that strategy to life.
- Strengthen and actively embed the Foodbank's brand strategy across the organization, building staff and board understanding so the brand is consistently reflected in messaging, storytelling, campaigns, programs, and creative work.
- Lead brand and creative direction for general-audience campaigns, major initiatives, and signature moments, and own final creative and design decisions across Foodbank marketing materials.
- Serve as the organization's lead on crisis and issues communications, preparing response plans and key messaging and coordinating with Leadership during time-sensitive or reputationally significant situations.
- Build relationships with local press, develop timely stories, and be our first call when news breaks, especially with a busy election year ahead.
- Build a story pipeline that captures the impact of our work, from the neighbors we serve to the volunteers and partners who make it possible.
- Lead internal communications, keeping staff and the board aligned, informed, and confident in where we're headed.
- Own website content strategy and storytelling, ensuring the site reflects brand voice, messaging, and creative direction.
- Plan and oversee broad-based direct mail, email, and monthly giving campaigns, including outside digital vendors; segmented donor communications are led by Development.
- Set the vision and direction for our social media presence, partnering with a dedicated content creator and our Senior Marketing Coordinator. The Senior Marketing Coordinator independently leads day-to-day social media strategy execution.
- Partner with our DDOS on Search Engine Optimization, digital advertising, and performance reporting to keep our strategy sharp.
- Manage and coach our Senior Marketing Coordinator, and direct freelancers, vendors, and creative partners as needed.
- Partner with our CEO, Development team, and Board Marketing Committee to keep strategy, storytelling, and goals aligned across the organization.
Benefits
- 18 days of Paid Time Off for new hires, with increases over time
- 13 paid holidays annually
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance with 100% of employee premium covered by the Foodbank
- Retirement savings plan with an employer match up to 3%
- $500 annual wellness benefit
- Professional development opportunities
- Employee Assistance Program offering confidential counseling and support services
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
