Communications Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Salary : $100,000 - $139,000 DOE

Title : Communications Manager

Salary Range : $100,000 - $139,000

Classification : Full-time; Exempt; Represented by Protec17

Location : Seattle, WA; In person & eligible for telework

Organizational Overview

The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) is a public administrative agency that oversees homelessness-related programs and funding in the Seattle-King County region.

Created by an interlocal agreement between the City of Seattle and King County in 2019, KCRHA is responsible for unifying and coordinating the homelessness response system across our large and diverse region.

KCRHA works with a wide range of stakeholders, with a focus on continuous improvement across the system, centering lived experience and making the most effective use of public funds.

Our mission is to address and bring everyone inside throughout King County using equity and social justice principles.

Team Overview

The Communications Manager is part of the External Affairs team which leads government relations, communications, and special projects.

The team has direct lines of interaction with all divisions across the agency, working closely with the Office of the CEO to ensure alignment with KCRHA’s senior leaders and overall strategy and goals.

Role Description

We are recruiting an experienced Communications Manager (the Manager) to play a key role in executing KCRHA’s communications goals and strategy.

The Manager reports to the Deputy Chief of External Affairs (DCEA). The Manager will develop, review, and execute plans for messaging and sharing information with stakeholders including service providers, housing partners, government and human service agencies, community groups, housed and unhoused neighbors, and the public.

The Manager works to ensure transparency, share relevant information, build credibility in and between KCRHA and external stakeholders, and provide a regular cadence of clear and consistent communication.

A successful Communications Manager will be a leader and significant contributor, capable of both self-starting and matrixed teamwork.

The Manager should understand the fundamentals of external affairs and public relations strategy, messaging for various audiences, and be skilled in written and verbal communication and tactical execution.

Accountabilities

Essential functions of the role include :

• Executes strategic storytelling to communicate KCRHA’s role in the homelessness response system for purposes of advocating for KCRHA’s goals with funders and elected officials, public education, and community relations.
• Generate stories / content regularly that advance communication goals, covering stories relevant to priority audiences.
• Translates complex policy issues into audience-friendly, engaging stories and general content while also ensuring all information is represented accurately.
• Research, design, and prepare newsletters, slide decks, graphics, and materials for presentations.
• Organize, manage, collaborate, and execute multiple projects.
• High level of customer service and attention to detail.
• Internal and external visual and narrative brand management.
• Coordinate, plan, design and produce a broad spectrum of communication materials such as annual reports, brochures, signs, corporate identity, and collateral materials.
• Works closely with the Communications Specialist to amplify stories and content across publicly accessible platforms including web and social media.
• Work closely across teams (internal and external) to identify new story opportunities, interview subject matter experts, and elevate the voice of the populations for KCRHA exists to serve.
• Build relationships and foster partnerships with service providers, various community organizations, and governmental agencies to identify homelessness system needs and communicate opportunities for collaboration.
• Investigate, research, and stay up to date on what is happening in homelessness locally, across the state, and nationally.
• Respond to media requests as designated by the DCEA.
• Perform related duties as assigned by the DCEA.

Minimum Requirements

• Fluency in equity and racial justice concepts and language, understanding their privilege and power, and can bring equity impact analysis to life in the context of their tasks.
• Knowledge of housing and homelessness issues.
• 5 - 10+ years of experience in communications, journalism, public relations, advocacy, or a related field.
• Write clear, concise, effective, professional, and grammatically and factually accurate content.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience working with quantitative and qualitative data.
• Proficiency in digital, print, and journalism standards.
• Knowledge of communications principles, tools, and strategies.
• Advanced writing skills for general audiences, policymakers, and KCRHA principals.
• Strategic and creative mindset
• Comfortable taking on a proactive leadership role and engaging in opportunistic decision-making, ambiguity, and iteration within a high-profile environment.
• Experience in and specific examples of success in cross-team and / or coalition and multi-stakeholder collaboration

Additional Requirements

• Experience with government and community stakeholders in King County, strongly preferred.
• Ability to be in the office approximately two days each week.
• Customer service orientation.
• Ability to provide and accept feedback.
• Diligence, accuracy, and timeliness.

Benefits

The KCRHA offers a comprehensive benefits package.

Health : Medical, dental, and vision coverage.

Insurance : Life insurance and Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage.

Retirement : Pension and Deferred Compensations Plan for eligible employees.

Paid Time Off : Unlimited vacation, 96 hours of paid sick and safe leave, 12 official holidays, and 2 personal holidays.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) : Confidential support for personal and work-related challenges.

EEO Statement

The KCRHA is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee based on race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, nationality, national origin, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

In addition, The KCRHA will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities.