Director of Communications

Citizen University

10d • $102,000 - $119,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Director of Communications will be responsible for telling the story of Citizen University’s work, putting our tools into circulation, and inviting people into the practice of powerful, responsible citizenship. They will develop and lead CU’s communications strategy, shaping how our ideas, programs, and impact reach core audiences and communities. A central focus of this role is recognizing what is most distinctive and useful about what CU is creating and learning, and translating that into clear, compelling communications that people can understand, use, share and act upon. They will help position CU as an innovative leader in the civic renewal field while overseeing the marketing strategies that connect people to our program and network.

The Director serves as a steward of CU's voice and brand, maintaining a high standard for how we communicate externally and ensuring that our communications feel as human, spirited, thoughtful, and inviting as the experiences we create.

As part of CU's senior leadership team, the Director will partner closely with other department heads to align communications strategy to organizational goals. They supervise a Communications & Marketing Manager focused on program marketing, content production and calendar, and communications systems.

Requirements

• Demonstrated expertise leading communications & marketing strategy, preferably in a civic, community, or non-profit context.
• Experience leading long-term strategic initiatives and campaigns that invite others into participation.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills. You can make complex ideas clear and compelling without flattening their meaning.
• Strong editorial judgment and creative instincts. You value spirited and thoughtful design and tone, and can provide effective creative direction to others.
• Experience stewarding an organizational brand and shaping content and audience strategies
• Track record of effectively supervising and developing staff. You can set direction, develop others, make decisions, and work generously with colleagues whose expertise differs from your own.
• Deep commitment to Citizen University’s mission, values, and ideas around powerful, responsible citizenship, pluralistic democracy, and healthy civic culture.
• Lead with respect, generosity, and genuine interest across political, cultural, ideological, and geographic differences.
• Can balance high standards with a desire to experiment, learn, and adapt.
• Bring emotional intelligence, humanity, and playfulness to your work.
• Comfortable staying nimble and curious throughout the development of projects
• Value investing in the growth of others through sincere feedback, trust, and meaningful responsibility.
• Model a growth mindset, embracing feedback with a sense of humility and a desire to always continue learning
• Candidates must be US-based and not require sponsorship for employment.

Responsibilities

• Set the vision, priorities, and strategy for CU's communications department, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Shape and continually sharpen CU’s organizational narrative and audience strategy: what we are trying to say, to whom and why it matters.
• Steward CU's voice, brand, and visual identity, providing creative direction and maintaining a high bar for quality, fidelity and vibrancy across communications.
• Translate big ideas about citizenship and civic renewal into communications that are clear, accessible, memorable, and distinct.
• Develop strategies for putting CU's ideas, methodologies, learning, and impact into wider circulation.
• Collaborate with Program teams to turn emerging ideas, practices, and learning into useful and compelling content, stories, resources, and toolkits.
• Build and drive CU’s approach to thought leadership and public positioning, drawing on the voices and expertise of staff, participants, partners.
• Cultivate media, partnerships, speaking opportunities, and other avenues for extending CU's reach and influence.
• Stay attuned to the broader civic and cultural conversation, identifying places where CU has something distinctive and useful to contribute.
• Steward CU's content and channel strategy
• Provide strategic direction and guidance to the Communications and Marketing Manager on program marketing and outreach
• Oversee and approve content production and channel execution.
• Support major fundraising and organizational communications in partnership with Development and executive leadership.
• Use communications metrics and audience insights to learn, adapt, and sharpen strategy.
• Serve on our Directors Team, contributing to organizational strategy, goal-setting, culture, and cross-team initiatives.
• Hire and supervise Communications department staff and support their professional development through work planning, coaching, and mentoring
• Lead Communications staff, contractors, and creative partners toward excellent work while maintaining clear priorities and healthy workloads.
• Lead departmental planning, budgeting, and resource allocation
• Strengthen communications capacity across CU while maintaining coherence, quality, and a distinctly CU spirit.

Benefits

• 100% employer sponsored health insurance coverage including dental and vision (with optional dependent additions)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Life Insurance
• Short-Term Disability
• Company match on 403(b) Retirement Plan eligible contributions
• 2 weeks of sick time
• 3 weeks of PTO
• The entire week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day off
• 10 additional holidays off
• MacBook
• Home office equipment and tech stipend
• Professional development budget

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed