Director of Communications and Public Affairs

Midtown Association • Sacramento, CA

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Midtown Association (MA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Midtown the center for culture, creativity, and vibrancy in Sacramento’s urban core. We were recently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Sacramento. Our team is fast-paced, creative, and mission-driven, valuing integrity, responsiveness, growth, collaboration, resiliency, resourcefulness, and efficiency through technology. Our modern office is located in an area with abundant dining and cultural amenities, and we maintain a smart casual/business dress code.

Requirements

• No less than ten years of professional experience in a relevant area.
• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant area of study.
• Politically astute, strategic thinker with a proven ability to design a successful public affairs and communications strategy.
• Awareness of Sacramento’s economic and political landscape, with the ability to understand the objectives and opinions of a diverse group of stakeholders, colleagues, and community members.
• Experience in developing both organizational and campaign-specific communications plans.
• Effective people manager to guide high-performing staff and consultants to set and achieve team and individual goals and objectives within the communication strategy as well as personal and professional development goals.
• Effective collaborator with other program leaders to ensure their projects and programs are effectively integrated into the communications strategy.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual storyteller to guide and protect the Explore Midtown brand voice, messaging coherence, and identity within the communications strategy.
• Ability to cater storytelling appropriately to different audiences and seamlessly integrate into the organization’s existing voice.
• Strong public speaker to deliver media interviews and presentations to engage donors or stakeholders to support the health and growth of the organization.
• Thought partner to the executive team to design public meetings/public engagement efforts to support the communications and fund development strategies.
• Strong advocate of Midtown and Sacramento, including helping problem-solve difficult community challenges that the association is engaged with, such as mitigating the impacts of homelessness and ensuring a safe and welcoming nightlife.
• Experience in navigating crises as a part of a team, with the ability to display tact and demonstrate discretion when dealing with sensitive matters or difficult subjects.
• Continuous improvement mindset to look for new opportunities to grow and shape the organization.
• Familiarity with digital tools and tactics, including SEO/SEM best practices, Facebook Business Manager, Google Ads, geofencing, website management, and keyword advertising.
• Anticipate pre-employment background checks, driving record checks, and drug screening.

Nice To Haves

• Successful supervisory experience of staff and consultants.
• Politically astute.
• Drive program budget development and deliver program projects within developed budgets.
• Operate with high integrity to uphold company policies.
• Can plan program performance to generate specific outcomes.
• Directors develop efficiencies and drive improvements for service delivery.
• Directors create partnerships to generate funds for the organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead an effective strategic communications and advocacy strategy for Midtown and the organization, including organizational communications, stakeholder and media relations, electronic and digital communications, community committees, advocacy efforts, and presentations.
• Increase visits to and sales tax in the Midtown district through effective storytelling.
• Advise internal teams and community partners on efforts to enhance and preserve the reputation and investment value of the district.
• Collaborate effectively across Admin, Communications, Events, Placemaking, and Clean and Safe teams to align communication efforts with organizational priorities.
• Manage direct and indirect reports, launch and scale program enhancements, advocate and negotiate with stakeholders/public agency partners, and manage external consultants/contractors to streamline system improvements.
• Act as staff support to committees of board members and expert community members.
• Drive program budget development and deliver program projects within developed budgets.
• Plan program performance to generate specific outcomes.
• Develop efficiencies and drive improvements for service delivery.
• Create partnerships to generate funds for the organization.
• Keep the Explore Midtown and Midtown Love brand strategies in action to increase visitations to the district, maintain the value of Midtown as desirable for investment, and showcase the creative Midtown ethos through high-quality design and brand voice, leading long-range and short-term key campaigns on behalf of the organization.
• Ensure messages are appropriately threaded through all visitor-facing channels and strategic communications and public affairs channels.
• Manage long-range key campaigns including demonstrating organizational program outcomes, engaging with stakeholders on key initiatives, promoting specific clusters of businesses, advancing the organization’s position on advocacy matters, and ensuring the community is well-viewed to receive outside investment.
• Manage short-term key campaigns including specific public space installments, advocacy efforts for harm reduction strategies or future development projects, or upcoming special events.
• Oversee evergreen print pieces including an annual report, prospectus for Midtown Parks, descriptions of organizational programs, consumer-facing rack cards, and economic development reports.
• Ensure new businesses and property owners are welcomed into the district by providing templates of resources and ensuring they are represented in electronic communications and media strategies.
• Support stakeholders by amplifying their communication efforts for openings, special events, and milestones.
• Support the economic development of the district through storytelling.
• Generate the communications strategy and materials to support the fund development plan, which includes corporate sponsorship, grants, and individual donors.
• Demonstrate district value by working collaboratively across departments to produce and maintain print and digital collateral materials.
• Lead the organization’s communications strategy in partnership with the Executive Director, Deputy Director, and senior leadership team.
• Support organizational planning, budgeting, and strategic initiatives that strengthen Midtown Association’s long-term sustainability and community impact.
• Cultivate a culture of responsiveness, innovation, and high performance throughout the organization.
• Lead and support staff, and contractors to achieve their professional development goals and company goals including facilitating strong 1:1s, motivating and developing the team dynamics, conducting annual review for direct reports and supporting annual reviews for indirect reports.
• Partner cross-functionally with Administration, Development, Events, Placemaking, Clean and Safe, and leadership teams to align goals, stakeholder engagement, fundraising strategies, and public impact initiatives.

Benefits

• 8 days of sick time
• 12 days of vacation
• Several paid public holidays
• 401k with match and immediate vesting
• Flex-spend account
• Fully paid insurance (Medical, Life, Dental, Vision, Alternative Care Insurance)
• Parking/transit reimbursement
• Unlimited in office refreshments
• Wellness program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director