Director of Communications and Development

SEEC Corporation•Silver Spring, MD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

SEEC is a progressive nonprofit agency providing a wide range of community supports to help people with developmental disabilities live the lives they choose. Supports are provided solely in the community and are directed by the interests, needs, and aspirations of each person. Named as a Top Workplaces USA 2023, SEEC is a nationally recognized disability services provider in Maryland dedicated to progressive values and the belief that all those in the intellectual and developmental disability community can Live, Work and Thrive. Come join us! The Communications Department is responsible for overseeing the agency’s strategic communications and branding efforts. This includes the development of marketing materials, coordination of development initiatives, and management of both internal and external events. The department also leads the creation of video content, social media strategy and engagement, and the maintenance and optimization of the SEEC website.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Nonprofit Management, Business Administration, or a related field required
Master’s degree in a related field preferred
Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, development, fundraising, marketing, public relations, stakeholder engagement, or a related nonprofit leadership function, including demonstrated leadership responsibility.
Demonstrated experience developing and executing strategic plans that translate organizational priorities into measurable departmental goals, initiatives, and outcomes.
Demonstrated subject matter expertise in at least one core area of communications, development, fundraising, marketing, or public relations, with sufficient breadth of knowledge to effectively lead the broader Communications and Development portfolio.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing resource development strategies, including fundraising, donor engagement and stewardship, grant development, foundation and corporate relationships, sponsorships, and other resource-generating opportunities.
Demonstrated experience developing and managing organizational communications strategies across internal and external audiences, including digital communications, social media, newsletters, public relations, organizational messaging, and brand management.
Experience building, organizing, and leading high-performing teams, including establishing roles and responsibilities, recruiting and developing staff, setting performance expectations, and holding employees accountable for results.
Experience developing departmental budgets and managing financial and operational resources in alignment with organizational priorities.
Proven ability to translate strategy into clear priorities, goals, action plans, timelines, and measurable outcomes.
Demonstrated experience establishing and monitoring KPIs, dashboards, performance measures, and reporting processes to evaluate departmental effectiveness and support data-informed decision-making.
Ability to assess organizational and departmental capacity and identify staffing, skill, technology, workflow, and resource needs required to achieve strategic objectives.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate outcomes, identify performance gaps, and implement continuous improvement strategies.
Ability to provide strategic recommendations to executive leadership based on organizational priorities, stakeholder needs, performance data, and emerging opportunities.
Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and public speaking skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with employees, individuals supported, families, funders, community partners, board members, executive leadership, and other external stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to develop compelling organizational messaging and storytelling that communicates SEEC’s mission, impact, accomplishments, and value to internal and external audiences.
Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with donors, funders, community organizations, partners, and other key stakeholders.
Ability to represent SEEC professionally and effectively in community, fundraising, public relations, and stakeholder settings.
Demonstrated ability to serve as an effective member of an Executive Leadership Team and contribute to agency-wide strategic planning, organizational priorities, and decision-making.
Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and influence organizational outcomes without relying solely on direct authority.
Demonstrated ability to lead through change, establish accountability, manage competing priorities, and maintain focus on organizational outcomes.
Demonstrated commitment to SEEC’s mission, values, and organizational culture, with the ability to model professionalism, integrity, accountability, collaboration, and leadership.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Planner, and related productivity and collaboration tools.
Experience using donor management systems and/or fundraising platforms, such as Bloomerang, Donor Perfect, or comparable systems.
Experience working with CRM platforms and using data to manage relationships, track engagement, and support development activities.
Experience with communications and digital engagement platforms, such as Mailchimp, Canva, Hootsuite, or comparable tools.
Ability to learn and effectively leverage emerging technology and AI-enabled tools, including Microsoft Copilot, to improve departmental productivity, communications, data management, and workflow efficiency.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and continuously evaluate an integrated Communications and Development strategy that aligns with SEEC’s mission, strategic priorities, organizational goals, and brand.
Translate organizational priorities into clear departmental goals, initiatives, timelines, and measurable outcomes.
Establish annual and multi-year priorities for the department and ensure resources, staffing, and activities are aligned with those priorities.
Serve as the primary leader and decision-maker for the Communications and Development function, providing direction, accountability, and strategic guidance to the department.
Develop and execute a comprehensive resource development strategy designed to strengthen SEEC’s financial sustainability and support organizational priorities.
Lead and oversee fundraising strategies, donor development and stewardship, grant development, corporate and foundation relationships, sponsorship opportunities, and other revenue-generating initiatives.
Establish measurable fundraising goals and monitor progress against revenue, grant, donor, and development targets.
Build and maintain relationships with donors, funders, community partners, and other stakeholders that advance SEEC’s mission and resource development objectives.
Identify emerging funding opportunities and develop strategies to position SEEC for sustainable growth and increased external support.
Develop and oversee an integrated communications strategy that strengthens SEEC’s brand, reputation, visibility, and presence within the community.
Establish consistent organizational messaging and ensure communications accurately reflect SEEC’s mission, values, services, accomplishments, and strategic priorities.
Oversee internal and external communications, including newsletters, digital communications, social media, website content, publications, public relations, and other communication channels.
Lead the development of compelling organizational stories and messaging that communicate SEEC’s impact to employees, individuals supported, families, donors, funders, community partners, and the broader public.
Ensure communications practices remain current, effective, accessible, and aligned with nonprofit communications and marketing best practices.
Assess and continuously evaluate the department’s organizational structure, staffing needs, roles, skill sets, and workload to ensure the team has the capacity to achieve strategic objectives.
Recruit, develop, supervise, and retain a high-performing Communications and Development team with clearly defined responsibilities and performance expectations.
Establish individual and departmental performance goals and hold team members accountable for achieving defined outcomes.
Identify gaps in expertise, systems, technology, and resources and develop solutions to strengthen departmental effectiveness.
Establish and maintain clear workflows, processes, protocols, and standards that support consistent and efficient execution of departmental responsibilities.
Establish and maintain departmental KPIs, dashboards, and reporting processes to measure performance and demonstrate the impact of Communications and Development activities.
Regularly analyze departmental data and trends to assess effectiveness, identify opportunities, and inform strategic decisions.
Provide regular performance reports and recommendations to the Executive Leadership Team and other organizational leaders.
Use data, stakeholder feedback, and organizational needs to continuously improve communications, fundraising, development, and engagement strategies.
Ensure departmental initiatives are evaluated for effectiveness and adjusted when outcomes do not meet established expectations.
Serve as an active member of SEEC’s Executive Leadership Team and contribute to agency-wide strategic planning, organizational development, and executive priorities.
Partner with executive and departmental leaders to ensure Communications and Development strategies support organizational initiatives and priorities.
Provide executive leadership with strategic advice and recommendations regarding organizational messaging, public relations, fundraising, stakeholder relationships, and community engagement.
Represent SEEC professionally with donors, funders, community organizations, partners, and other external stakeholders.
Collaborate across departments to strengthen organizational communication, alignment, engagement, and execution of strategic initiatives.
Model SEEC’s leadership competencies, organizational values, and expectations for professionalism, accountability, collaboration, and performance.
Develop and manage the Communications and Development departmental budget in alignment with organizational priorities and available resources.
Ensure departmental resources, vendors, technology, and external partnerships are used effectively and provide measurable value to SEEC.
Evaluate and recommend investments in technology, marketing, communications platforms, fundraising tools, and other resources that support departmental and organizational goals.
Performs other duties as assigned.