Vice President, Communications

Charitable nonprofits improve our lives, add vitality to our communities, contribute to our local and national economies, and enhance the health of our democracy. The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) is the largest network of nonprofits in North America. We connect, champion, and inform organizations across the country to score big wins for nonprofits and the communities they serve. Working with our core network and other collaborative partners, we get things done. We are seeking a dynamic, creative, and detail-oriented Vice President, Communications to join our collective efforts to create a connected and powerful nonprofit community that has what it needs to champion the public good.

The Vice President, Communications will be lead the development and implementation of a robust and multi-faceted communications strategy, further positioning NCN as the leading voice of and for the nonprofit sector.

We Are:

• The trusted go-to experts for and about nonprofits, providing practical information that nonprofits use to operate more effectively, efficiently, and ethically, bringing attention to issues affecting the work of nonprofits, and illuminating how they contribute to a strong culture and a healthy civil society.
• A robust network that connects and strengthens nonprofits across the country so they can identify shared challenges, develop winning strategies, and amplify their voices to produce solutions that improve lives and enrich communities.
• A powerful advocate at the federal, state, and local levels, delivering policy analysis and effective strategies to strengthen nonprofits and protect their missions.
• Driven by our core values, including centering equity in all our work.
• Growing our team and looking for someone like you to join us.

You Are:

• Passionate about the work of nonprofits and those they serve.
• An exceptional communicator
• A network builder and galvanizer
• A highly organized project manager
• A proven and respected leader who takes initiative

Essential Details:

• • Compensation: Salary range of $170,000 - $220,000, plus the generous benefits described below. This is a salaried, exempt position.
  • Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
  • Reports to: President and CEO

Location: Our office is in Washington, D.C. and a local candidate is highly preferred, with the expectation of at least two days in-office per week.

What You’ll Do:

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

• Develop and executive proactive communications strategies to enhance NCN’s ability to meet our mission, including through enhancing the visibility of NCN, its key leaders, and the nonprofit sector as a whole.
• Supervise and coordinate with internal communications staff, other NCN colleagues, and outside consultants.

BRAND MANAGEMENT AND ELEVATION

• Ensure clear communications that are consistent with established brand guidelines.
• Build on NCN’s robust newsletter subscriber base and social media following.

MEDIA RELATIONS

• Build and maintain relationships with reporters relevant to NCN’s work.
• Serve as primary point of contact for media inquiries, routing to appropriate spokesperson(s).
• Support spokespeople with talking points and other advance preparation.

COALITIONS, COLLABORATION, AND CAPACITY BUILDING

• In collaboration with our Knowledge, Impact, and Strategy team, support and build the capacity of communications staff across NCN network.
• Co-lead regular calls of the coalition of communications staff from large, national nonprofits.

What You’ll Need:

We recognize that an individual's lived experience is a valued skillset, and that people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. When reviewing applications, we take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. That said, we are most likely to be interested in applicants who can demonstrate the following qualifications:

• At least 10 years of experience, with multiple years at a management level desired. Experience with nonprofits and/or networks is a plus.
• Demonstrated success driving significant expansion of visibility for an organization, its leadership, and its key issues.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, especially writing and listening, with great attention to detail.
• Natural and unqualified commitment to earning, maintaining, and building trust with people within and outside the organization.
• Commitment to equity as a personal and professional value.
• An enthusiastic team player who enjoys being part of a collaborative, collegial environment of dedicated and talented staff committed to shared success.
• Energetic, dependable, and exemplary.
• Highly organized with excellent time management skills and the ability to excel at multi-tasking and meeting deadlines while juggling multiple projects.
• Creative problem-solver with a steadfast work ethic, sense of purpose, and sense of humor.

Additional Desired Skills:

• Multilingual candidates encouraged to apply.
• Experience with working with networks, associations, or similar structures desired.

What Else You Should Know:

We are driven by our values. These core values guide our actions as we unite and strengthen nonprofits across the country to improve lives and enrich communities: serving others by listening and leading; getting things done, together; earning trust in everything we do; centering equity in all our work; and honoring the nonprofit workforce.

We value our people. In honoring the nonprofit workforce, the National Council of Nonprofits believes in a healthy workplace and offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. For this position, the salary range is $170,000 - $220,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits include health (with 100% of employee premiums covered, and 50% of dependent premiums), dental, vision, wellness, life, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurance; participation in 401k retirement plan with employer match; flexible spending accounts; paid annual and sick leave; monthly stipends for transportation and communications; and generous holiday schedule, as well as opportunities for professional development.

The National Council of Nonprofits is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both though our work and within our workforce. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving longstanding social and economic problems, and we aim to diversify the voices of our staff to best reflect the people and communities that nonprofits serve.

The National Council of Nonprofits is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, people of color, Indigenous people, LGBTQ individuals, veterans, people experiencing disabilities, and members of other minority or marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Our office is conveniently located in downtown Washington, D.C., above Metro Center. Learn more about the National Council of Nonprofits at www.councilofnonprofits.org.

Application Process:

To be considered for this position, please send the following four items to employment@councilofnonprofits.org:

• A thoughtful cover letter that explains your interest in the role and our organization, how you qualify, and when you would be available to start.
• A resume.
• A short (2-3 paragraph) compelling narrative regarding the value of nonprofits in communities.
• Three references.

Thank you in advance for your submission. Due to the high volume of applicants, we can respond only to those who BEST match our needs.