IMPORTANT: This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders. Other applicants need not apply.
The Senior Director, Digital Communications leads the communications team in developing all digital communications for The Wilderness Society, including advocacy, marketing, and online fundraising campaigns. The Senior Director develops on-line communications campaigns that win public support and sway policy makers in favor of wilderness protection and conservation. Additionally, the Senior Director, in conjunction with the marketing team, develops marketing campaigns that increase brand awareness, engagement and giving.
The unique strengths of The Wilderness Society - our scientific and public policy expertise, our coalition work, our advocacy and outreach campaigns – are promoted through online initiatives under the direction of the Senior Director. The Senior Director uses strategic, creative online campaigns to build capacity within The Wilderness Society and within the wilderness community itself.
QUALIFICATIONS:
The ideal candidate has at least eight years’ experience in online advocacy and marketing campaigns, environment, and/or political communications work, outstanding strategic instincts, excellent writing skills, a proven track record of broad communications initiatives, and a love of challenge. A strong background in leading and deploying digital communications and marketing strategies to drive results is essential. Knowledge of legislative process/public affairs is helpful; experience with environmental, public lands and/or energy issues is desirable. The ability to lead initiatives, juggle competing priorities and work effectively within teams and coalitions is important.
Given the rapidly changing world and fast paced environment in which we exist, the ideal candidate must have exceptionally strong new media experience. Applicant should hold demonstrated leadership in new media communications, preferably within a non-profit advocacy or fundraising setting, with experience or demonstrated knowledge of the following:
- Online advocacy, marketing or fundraising, campaigns using tools such as e-mail lists, social media, web sites and e-newsletters.
- Online community building, including a solid understanding of trends and best practices for online storytelling, video, blogging and engagement tactics.
- Implementation of strategies for list growth or Web traffic growth. Understanding of SEM and online marketing.
- Data analytics and user testing.
- Hands-on technical experience with content management systems and online campaign programs, such as Drupal and Convio would be a plus.
This position plays a critical role in the success of the organization - the ideal candidate must possess strong leadership skills. The Candidate should have a strong vision for the direction of online communications at TWS and possess strong leadership abilities in order to educate and gain buy-in from staff throughout the organization. Candidate should be adept at:
- Prioritizing the diverse and evolving demands from a large or dispersed organization, while also advocating for online needs among the competing priorities of the larger organization.
- Candidate should feel comfortable planning for and upholding the larger vision and priorities of the organization’s online work while collaborating with non-communications staff with specialized needs.
- Our preferred candidate has a flexible and supportive management style, which fosters self-direction and growth among team members. They are able to move the organization’s online goals forward while maintaining realistic goals for a small online team. The applicant should be a creative thinker who also embraces the creativity of their team.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Director, Digital Communications will:
- Lead and manage TWS’ digital communications team and integrate that team into The Wilderness Society's multidisciplinary, collaborative environment; Define departmental expectations, objectives and measurement systems, while providing an environment for professional growth.
- Manage departmental budget and oversight.
- Oversee strategic digital communications planning for The Wilderness Society itself and for -The Wilderness Society's strategic campaigns.
- Lead the strategic development, implementation and management of all digital content for TWS’s policy, program, marketing and fundraising priorities, including email and online content for web properties, mobile, and social media.
- Ensure that online communications expertise is present as part of the development of every campaign, marketing and development effort.
- Lead the communications department and campaign directors in a better understanding of web technology and creative ways to use web initiatives to achieve program goals.
- Advocate and work aggressively for the expansion of strategic online communications capacity at TWS and within our partner groups and the broader environmental community.
- Provide electronic communications counsel to coalition partners and supervise the development of online tools for grassroots’ use.
- Lead the ongoing development of Wilderness.org, ensuring the site is relevant and user friendly for our targeted audiences while being considered a best in class site.
- Strategically manage Drupal Content Management System (CMS) and Convio Constituent Relationship Management (CRM), ensuring systems meet our communications, fundraising and budgetary requirements; manage the budget and contract management of such vendors.
- Develop, integrate and focus new media channels for building a passionate, engaged and giving wilderness community.
- Develop and lead an aggressive SEO strategy that optimizes our online presence and engagement levels.
- Drive the development and implementation of a mobile giving strategy and platform.
- Partner with the Marketing Department to develop strategic briefs for marketing campaigns, ensuring each campaign includes messaging, metrics, creative approaches, marketing and fundraising tactics, jointly managing all elements of campaigns, to include content and design direction.
- Oversee cause marketing and corporate sponsorship promotion online and through electronic outreach, including promoting current partners and assisting in developing new marketing partnerships.
- Manage the development of major online message campaigns to strengthen program, marketing and fundraising efforts; ensure online efforts are integrated with offline efforts.
- Support the development of strategies to engage, fundraise among, retain, and grow the TWS database, increasing productivity through volume and giving levels.
- Ensure integrated planning and measurement tools are in place for all online efforts.
- Lead the ongoing development and maintenance of the campaign dashboard, ensuring metrics are in place to evaluate campaigns for optimal ROI and a learning environment exists to drive continuous improvement in all of our efforts.
- Lead the strategic messaging and online implementation meetings to ensure coordinated, targeted plans are in play.
- Assist with grant proposal writing and high donor cultivation.
FUNCTIONAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and experience:
- A professional background that includes extensive and successful experience in digital strategy and implementation.
- An understanding of the unique communications challenges faced by not-for-profit advocacy organizations and direct and substantive experience in surmounting those challenges.
- A record of success in a highly complex, multi-layered, intellectually charged work environment.
- The proven ability to develop and implement online communications/public relations campaigns, targeted to a variety of audiences including grassroots organizations, in support of well-defined strategic objectives.
- A demonstrated sensitivity to the sometimes conflicting agendas of internal and external audiences that are a necessary part of the dynamics of any complex organization—and the ability to effectively manage these conflicts.
We offer a very competitive salary and benefits package, including health and dental insurance and a pension plan. The Wilderness Society is an equal opportunity employer and actively works to ensure fair and equal treatment of its employees and constituents regardless of differences based on culture, socioeconomic status, race, marital or family situation, gender, age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, or sexual orientation.
This position may be located either in Washington, DC or in Denver, CO.
Submit résumé, cover letter, writing samples and references to:
Jane Taylor
VP, Communications
The Wilderness Society
jane_taylor@tws.orgor
1615 M St., NW
Washington D.C. 20036
No phone calls, please
