Communications Hub Director

Position Title: Communications Hub Director, Welcoming Neighbors Network

Location: Fully Remote

Reports to: Director – Welcoming Neighbors Network

Hours per week (average): 40

Overtime Status: Exempt

Salary Range: $115,000 - $135,000

Welcoming Neighbors Network (WNN) is seeking an energetic, collaborative, knowledgeable, experienced Communications Hub Director to build and grow a new strategic communications hub to help the efforts of Welcoming Neighbors Network members and partners across the nation as they strive to pass pro-housing policy.

Please apply here.

Through coalition-building, community organizing, policy development, and grassroots lobbying, Welcoming Neighbors Network member organizations advocate to legalize abundant housing options, lower the cost of housing, reduce the displacement of marginalized communities, and ensure all Americans can find safe, stable housing that fits their needs and budgets. As a national network, WNN members come together to hone strategies, support one another, share lessons, replicate successes, avoid mistakes, and tackle challenges creatively.

The Communications Hub Director will build and manage a new small team that would act as a coordination hub and internal agency for pro-housing policy communication efforts across the nation. The new group will serve as the rapid response, earned media, paid media, digital communications, and polling hub for groups focused on delivering more abundant housing policy in their communities.

Responsibilities include:

• Manage and execute an overall communications strategy in support of passing state and local housing abundance policy, working with the local groups on the ground to communicate their agenda through earned, paid, and digital media.
  • Primary responsibility will be providing communications support to WNN supported groups in their campaigns to pass pro-housing policy.
  • Second responsibility will be to manage and execute on rapid-response communications efforts as they arise in state and local housing fights across the country.
  • Third responsibility will be to lift local success stories nationally —to continue to build momentum for further pro-housing policy efforts.
• Build and manage a small press and digital team to help execute the strategic plan you design in supporting passing state and local housing policy.
• Disseminate polling and other research to strategic partners.
• Engage in press training for local advocates.
• Draft written materials such as campaign strategy memos, field mobilization and training materials, and talking points for activists.
• Maintain knowledge of pro-housing policy developments in target cities and states across the country.
• (Plus other related responsibilities as needed)

Qualifications:

(Research shows that members of marginalized groups often do not apply if they do not meet all qualifications. If you feel you can excel at this role, please apply.)

• Ideally, five to seven years of combined employment in communications advocacy; and/or in federal or state candidate campaigns.
• Ideally, 2-4 years of staff management experience in communications or digital fields.
• Zeal for our organizational goals and strategies, including
  • Passing ambitious pro-housing policy in communities across the country
  • Supporting local advocates to run powerful campaigns,
  • Cultivating strong, creative, trusting coalitions, and
  • Working with a diverse array of partners behind the scenes to accomplish our objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to work well under a fast-paced campaign environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Strong understanding or a willingness to develop strong understanding of housing policy, in able to communicate on the issue effectively.
• Dedication to building an inclusive, empowering organization that leans into collaboration, plays well with others, and values outcomes over credit.
• Commitment to racial and social equity, inclusion, and empowerment, inside our organization and in our work with partners and collaborators.
• Strong interpersonal abilities, with a willingness to cross boundaries and work with diverse people, including with unlikely allies.
• Passion for building effective communication campaigns, rooted in tangible examples of successful campaign approaches both inside and outside of pro-housing policy.
• Extraordinary writing skills, including the ability to turn around high-quality written content quickly.
• Ability to quickly and effectively shift between a variety of audiences using rhetoric that appeals to the left, center, and right.
• Exceptional attention to detail, super organized, great time management, systems-thinking.
• Calm under pressure and a commitment to kindness and respect.
• Dynamic problem solving skills.
• Comfortable with technology & ability to quickly learn to use new tech tools.

Pay and benefits: This is a full-time, remote work position that offers flexibility in terms of hours and days. Periodic travel will be necessary for this position. The salary range is $115,000 - $135,000 (depending on experience), with a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees (and their families). Employees are able to enroll in 401k retirement plan and are eligible for a 3% automatic contribution and up to a 4% employer match on 401k contributions. Employees are also eligible for pre-tax transportation benefits. Employees will receive up to 180 hours of annual vacation time (accrued at 5 hours per pay period), 80 hours of health leave, up to 2 days of casual leave, and 20 hours of volunteer leave annually. Employees will also receive 13 paid holidays throughout the calendar year. Employees are eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave after 90 days of employment.

About Welcoming Neighbors Network:

The Welcoming Neighbors Network (WNN) is America’s only national network of independent state and local pro-housing advocacy organizations. Comprising 46 member organizations across 29 states – plus a prospective member and partner network extending further still – Welcoming Neighbors Network powers the most effective pro-housing organizations and policy campaigns in the country.

WNN member organizations were driving forces behind landmark statewide pro-housing policy victories in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawai’i, Massachusetts, Maryland, Montana, Oregon, and Washington state, and citywide victories in Minneapolis, Charlotte, Portland, Cambridge, Anchorage, and Austin. These policies promise to translate into untold thousands of homes for middle class, working class, and low-income Americans in integrated, amenity-rich, climate-friendly communities.

The Welcoming Neighbors Network is a hub for local pro-housing groups and leaders to connect with one another across state lines. WNN documents and shares organizational and campaign resources, based on the successes and learning from across the membership. WNN also helps on-the-ground members and partners build capacity and power by providing access to their national relationships and economies of scale.

WNN facilitates collaboration and peer-support of network members across the country and targets resources to maximize campaign impact. We embrace incremental victories on the way to transformative goals and we incorporate a wide variety of allies to navigate different political contexts to achieve policy goals.

Welcoming Neighbors Network commits to building an organization that empowers the leadership of directly impacted communities, especially Black, Indigenous, Asian American, Latine, immigrant, and low-income or working class communities. WNN prioritizes policy priorities that improve social and economic outcomes for historically oppressed communities, especially communities of color.

Hiring Statement

Welcoming Neighbors Network is a subproject of Social and Economic Strategies Center, a project of Hopewell Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. Hopewell is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. Hopewell’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a resume and a cover letter that includes background in communications as well as your interest and any relevant experience in housing, zoning, and land use. Priority will be given to applications received by Monday, April 7th.

The target onboarding date for this role is July 1st.

This hiring process includes 3 interview stages for qualified candidates, with the candidate pool winnowing significantly between each stage:

• Stage 1: Phone interview
• Stage 2: Exercise assignment and panel video interview
• Stage 3: Panel video interview, potential additional exercise assignment, and reference checks.

E-Verify

Welcoming Neighbors Network participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with employees’ Form I-9 information to confirm authorization to work in the United States. Job candidates and employees authorized to work may not be discriminated against on the basis of national origin or citizenship status.

Artificial Intelligence

Regarding the use of AI: We understand that AI is a tool that is growing in popularity and is widely available. While we do not prohibit the use of AI in polishing your written materials in your application, please ensure that your work expresses your original thoughts and accurately reflects your abilities, skills, knowledge, and problem-solving capabilities. We want to get a feel for you! We maintain the right to disqualify any candidate who we feel has plagiarized and/or misrepresented their skills via the misuse of AI generators and other tools. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out for clarification.