Communications Manager

Location: New Jersey 

Employee Category: Full-time Employee 

Positions Hiring: 1

Start Date: Immediately   

Salary: $55,000-$65,000 (dependent on credentials and experience)  

Reports to: Vice President of Strategic Operations

Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance; 20 days PTO; Monthly Self-Care & Technology Stipend; robust company holiday calendar; summer Fridays; annual summer and end-of-year shutdown; professional development budget.

About Strategic Community Partners

SCP is a national firm that works with organizations by advising, designing, and managing projects and initiatives that advance equity within and for communities. We partner with organizations to build capacity by pairing strategy with community and cultural context to drive powerful and equitable missions forward.

We are passionate about and focus on capacity building in the following areas:

• Community-Grounded Research and Evaluation

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Education (Early Childhood, K-12, and Higher Education)

• Project Management and Systems Building

• Recruitment, Retention, and Overall Talent Management

• Strategic Planning

• Youth- and Community-Based Initiatives and Events

Learn more about Strategic Community Partners here.

Role Overview 

Strategic Community Partners (SCP) is looking for an exceptional Communications Manager who will lead SCP internally and externally on the creative and communications fronts. Charged with uplifting and shaping the narrative of SCP, as well as leading creative projects we collaborate on with our partners, this leader is both creative and strategic; can differentiate communication based on the audience; is a strong communicator across mediums; has created strategy and executed creative communications efforts; and has a track record of exemplary creative- and communications-oriented projects that have led to significant outcomes and usability. As a member of the SCP team, this individual is intrinsically motivated, extremely comfortable working in gray space and creating from the ground up, thrives when working in urgent situations and with complex cross-collaborative projects—and thrives in such a work environment. 

Education 

• Bachelor’s Degree required   

Experience

• At least four years of work experience with evidence of an exemplary proven track record of results 

• At least three years of experience developing brand and communications strategies and leading creative projects/initiatives with exemplary results

• Experience serving as the lead contact and point-person for a creative communications project/initiative—including designing, organizing, planning, executing, and crisis management 

• At least two years of experience working in a mission-driven organization committed to education, equity, and/or justice 

• Experience facilitating high-stakes meetings with stakeholders and collective groups to co-create strategy and content, as well as engage in feedback cycles 

• Experience managing vendors across a project, as well as executing a project plan 

• Proven track record of exemplary decision-making and judgment while leading mission-driven work with a community 

• Demonstrated experience and expertise in creating strategy and executing on (listed in order of current need): 

  • Graphic Design ( e.g., impact reports, presentations, brochures, social)

  • Project and Timeline Management, including external media partners, agency vendor management  

  • Website Maintenance (e.g., Squarespace, Wix)

  • Social Media Management (Editorial Calendar Creation, Execution, and Community Engagement and Management)

  • Newsletters (HTML, Mailchimp, etc.) 

  • Blogs 

  • Narrative/Promotional Videos (providing creative direction to our media partners)

  • Copywriting and editing 

  • Public Relations (not required, yet preferred) 

Skill Sets

• Creative, innovative, and strategic 

• Compelling and influential communicator (with strong differentiation skills based on audience and across mediums (e.g., in meetings, through blogs, via social)

• Strong organization and planning habits overall, including: 

  • Project plans and timeline 

  • Partner collaboration and management 

• Strong creative vision and direction

  • (proficient, willing to further develop) 

• Strong relationship-builder 

• Ability to manage several priorities and partners at once while also working at a fast pace (and thrives under these circumstances)

• Exemplary decision-making and judgment 

• Strong problem-solving skills, including, yet not limited to, the ability to proactively identify crisis management concerns and mitigate them during the organizing and planning phases of event planning 

• Ability to be flexible and jump into any role necessary 

• Extremely comfortable working in gray space and creating from the ground up 

Mindset

• It is necessary to pair strategy with community and cultural context to partner with communities. 

• You do this work with and alongside communities—not on or for communities. 

• You are passionate about the work you do. 

• You believe in delivering nothing less than excellence—process, presentation, and communication are all equally important. 

• An unwavering commitment to integrity is a non-negotiable. 

• Matters of education, equity, and justice are not projects, are not to be intellectualized, nor are you saving anyone. It is an honor and privilege to do this work.  

• You are intrinsically motivated. 

• You are extremely comfortable working in gray space and thrive when creating with little direction/context/no precedent—viewing it as an opportunity for innovation and exploration to serve our communities and partners best. 

• In complex, time-sensitive, and perhaps even crisis situations, you are further fueled by the opportunity to partner, lead, and serve. 

• You are positive and operate from a place of abundance, opportunity, and passion.

Core Responsibilities 

• Create, lead, and execute overall SCP creative and communications strategy, operating with a long-term view, including, yet not limited to: 

  • Blogs

  • Brand Direction and Management 

  • Copyediting 

  • Graphic Design (e.g. one-pagers, impact reports, presentations, brochures) 

  • Narrative/Promotional Videos (providing creative direction with our media partners)

  • Newsletters (HTML, Mailchimp, etc.) 

  • Public Relations, as needed

  • Social Media Management (Editorial Calendar Creation, Execution, and Community Engagement and Management)

• Create, lead, and execute SCP’s creative and communications processes with our partners, including, yet not limited to: 
   

  • Brand Management 

  • Copywriting and editing 

  • Graphic Design (e.g. one-pagers, impact reports, presentations, brochures, social media) 

  • Newsletters (HTML, Mailchimp, etc.) 

  • Social Media Management 

  • Website Development 

• Interface directly as a leader of the organization with partners 

• Manage day-to-day execution, ensuring on-track progress toward strategic goals internally and with partners

Additional Role Details

• Serve as a leader in the organization, taking ownership and responsibility for the success of our work internally and externally as an organization.