Director of Marketing and Communications

SOAR • Pikeville, KY

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Marketing and Communications leads SOAR’s marketing and communications strategy, ensuring every message, design, campaign, and story reflects who we are, what we believe, and the people and communities we serve.

This role serves as SOAR’s chief storyteller and brand steward, responsible for bringing to life the organization’s mission to build a stronger Eastern Kentucky, one job at a time. The Director translates complex, place-based work into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with local communities and decision-makers alike.

A core responsibility of this role is translating SOAR’s impact into concise, compelling stories that connect people and communities to stakeholders, corporate partners, policymakers, legislators, state and federal agencies, and funders. The Director ensures SOAR’s work is clearly understood, emotionally resonant, and strategically positioned to influence investment, policy, and partnership.

This role manages and coaches a growing marketing team, including a Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Multimedia Specialist, and external marketing vendors. The ideal candidate is a modern, digital-minded marketer who understands brand storytelling, uses data and trends to guide decisions, and leads with creativity, clarity, and care.

This is an in-office position reporting to one of SOAR's main or satellite offices within the region. Significant travel throughout Eastern Kentucky is required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field
• Experience managing teams and external vendors
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, with demonstrated storytelling ability
• Strong strategic thinking, data analysis, and project management capabilities
• Daily in-person attendance required
• Proficiency and willingness to learn: Asana for project and task management, HubSpot for CRM and marketing automation, WordPress for website content and SEO, Canva for graphic design, Social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube, Google Analytics and Meta Insights, StoryBrand framework for messaging, Marketing SOPs for consistency and structure, SharePoint and Dropbox for file management
• Regular and reliable attendance required
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment
• Must be able to handle prolonged periods of sitting at a desk or standing at an event
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at a time when necessary

Responsibilities

• Serve as SOAR’s lead storyteller, shaping and stewarding the narrative of the organization’s impact across people, programs, and communities
• Translate complex workforce, economic development, and place-based initiatives into clear, compelling, and accessible stories
• Ensure SOAR’s impact is communicated in ways that are concise, emotionally resonant, and grounded in real outcomes and lived experience
• Develop messaging that connects local impact to broader regional, state, and national priorities
• Craft and oversee impact storytelling for community stakeholders, corporate partners, policymakers, legislators, state and federal agencies, and funders
• Identify, develop, and elevate human-centered stories that illustrate life-changing outcomes for individuals and communities
• Ensure storytelling is integrated consistently across digital content, reports, presentations, campaigns, and public-facing materials
• Develop annual and quarterly marketing and communications plans aligned with organizational goals and program priorities
• Maintain and evolve SOAR’s brand messaging framework to ensure consistency across all platforms and audiences
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align marketing strategy with organizational outcomes and impact goals
• Oversee and optimize individual program marketing plans to ensure alignment with SOAR’s overarching narrative
• Lead content strategy and campaign planning aligned with the stages of engagement: attract, convert, engage, and retain
• Oversee and continuously improve the marketing SOP to ensure consistent execution and accountability
• Identify and recommend new digital tools, platforms, and opportunities that strengthen reach and impact
• Oversee execution of all marketing campaigns to ensure brand alignment, consistency, and mission clarity
• Manage cross-channel marketing initiatives across web, email, social media, and digital campaigns
• Review and approve major marketing assets, templates, and materials
• Maintain active oversight of digital analytics, SEO, and audience engagement strategies
• Provide storytelling guidance, editing, and feedback to support high-quality content development
• Troubleshoot process or performance challenges and adjust plans as needed
• Project-manage all marketing tasks in Asana, including timelines, priorities, and assignments
• Support execution as needed, including copywriting, website updates, email campaigns, social media, and design.
• Manage, mentor, and coach marketing team members through weekly one-on-one meetings and monthly in-person team meetings
• Lead weekly team check-ins to align priorities, remove roadblocks, and celebrate wins
• Support team members in setting and achieving quarterly professional development goals
• Foster a positive, accountable team culture grounded in clarity, curiosity, and mutual respect
• Complete at least one advanced professional development activity per quarter
• Manage relationships with marketing vendors and creative partners
• Evaluate vendor performance quarterly to ensure alignment with brand standards, goals, and budgets
• Coordinate vendor work with internal team efforts for seamless execution
• Approve vendor deliverables and manage timelines
• Develop and analyze monthly, quarterly, and annual marketing performance reports
• Track progress toward strategic goals, audience growth, engagement, and conversion metrics
• Use data to identify wins, gaps, and actionable improvements
• Train and empower team members to collect and interpret their own metrics
• Present insights and recommendations to leadership to inform decision-making

What This Job Offers

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