Opening: Manager of Communications

SUMMARY

The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers (CNJG) is a statewide nonprofit philanthropy-serving organization. Among our members are private and community foundations, corporations, public/government grantmakers, federated funds, and giving circles. As a membership association, our priority is to support the philanthropic aspirations of members through networking, high quality training and education, knowledge building, and technical assistance.

The Manager of Communications is a key member of the CNJG team and operates in a remote office. This position will develop and implement communications plans; assist in creating programs; update our website, philanthropy-sector content, and marketing materials; write, edit, and manage e-newsletters, reports, and other member and public-facing communications; expand social media presence; and assist in creating a new organizational website. The Manager of Communications will work closely with the CEO, Director of Member Services, as well as the Manager of Programs and Learning. We also work with a few trusted consultants to support our communications, web, and graphic design needs.

The full-time position reports to CNJG’s President and CEO.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and champion a solid understanding of CNJG’s vision, mission, core values and purposes to steward brand coherence, act as an ambassador for the organization, and engage partners and others in strategic communications.
• Work with CNJG leadership to create and manage communications calendars to promote and broaden awareness of CNJG programs and services and increase the visibility of the organization.
• Work collaboratively with CNJG colleagues and partners to market and promote key initiatives, programs, services, and trainings.
• Create and develop supporting material and content to communicate member benefits and programming through print and electronic means.
• Create and develop supporting material and content to communicate information about the broader NJ and/or national philanthropic and/or nonprofit sector through print and electronic means.
• Create content and manage the distribution of all print and electronic communication materials including e-newsletters, the annual report and other reports, brochures, mass e-blasts, etc.
• Regularly update and maintain website with new, updated, and consistent content, including design and content for a planned website upgrade.
• Manage and expand all aspects of CNJG’s social media presence including content creation and scheduling.
• Monitor and report on online engagement analytics (social media, web, etc.).
• Conduct research and gather data and information to develop and create presentations, reports, briefing documents, and other communications.
• Work with other staff on planning, implementing, managing special events, particularly communication/public relations efforts related to those special events.
• Prepare talking points and messaging for CEO, sponsors, and speakers.
• Work with CNJG leadership to develop, plan and execute special events that support the
• organization’s mission, vision, and goals.
• Participate, as required, in CNJG meetings, including staff meetings, board meetings, and quarterly membership meetings.
• Provide communications/technology support for all CNJG events and communications projects.
• Update and track information in Salesforce database and create reports.
• Ongoing communication with members. Respond to members and member queries, including research and information gathering.
• Assist in preparing lists, reports, and analysis of data as needed; preparing materials for board meetings and other programs; and other administrative support as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

EXPECTATIONS

• Work closely with the President, Director of Member Services, Manager of Programs and Learning and communications consultant to support communication and promote programs and services.
• Stay informed about members’ grantmaking activities, philanthropic resources, and trends.
• Must be able to travel throughout New Jersey, and out of state on occasion for regional and national conferences.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, with an ability to convey information clearly to meet the needs of the audience.
• Driven to solve problems and innovate.
• High attention to detail and able to proof and quality check own work and others’ work and prepare materials free of errors for colleagues and members.
• The ability to organize and prioritize projects to meet work goals in a timely manner.
• Self-starter who values a collaborative team environment.
• Ability to adapt to shifting work demands and organizational priorities and willingness to assist organization with special projects and activities, as assigned.
• Commitment to personal growth and development on issues of racial equity and diversity.
• Experience working in, or a strong interest in and understanding of, the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors.
• Ability to anticipate needs of members and fellow team members.
• A good sense of humor.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS    

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field, with an equivalent 2 years related work experience, ideally, in the nonprofit, philanthropic, or business sector with an interest in the nonprofit and/or philanthropic sector.
• Excellent writing skills and ability to edit others’ work for clarity, conciseness, and grammar.
• Outstanding administrative and project management skills, with high level of attention to accuracy, detail, and organization.
• Ability to contribute to an organization’s strategic communications in alignment with vision, mission, and values.
• Demonstrated sound judgment, and the ability to manage a diverse workload.
• Ability to work with diverse constituencies, maintain diplomacy, and negotiate successfully.
• Ability to listen actively, synthesize information and facilitate decision making.
• Experience managing e-communications tools such as Mailchimp and Drupal websites.
• Skills in, or desire to learn, basic audio-visual technology systems.
• Experience with social media tools within a professional context.
• Knowledge of AP, MLA, APA and CMOS styles a plus.
• Ability to understand and comprehend a membership environment.
• Ability to perform a substantial number of tasks independently yet work collaboratively as part of a small team.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office required.
• Experience with a CRM system (Salesforce) and online tools (MailChimp, SurveyMonkey, Zoom phones/meeting/webinar).
• Must be equally comfortable working independently, as well as part of a small team.
• CNJG is a fully virtual office. Must agree to work at own location.
• Must be able to travel throughout the state of New Jersey for programs as assigned.

PHYSICAL EXPECTATIONS

The Manager of Communications must:

• Have access to a reliable, properly insured vehicle to travel throughout the state.
• Lift up to 30 lbs.
• Work at a desk with repetitive hours at a computer.
• Participate in occasional early morning and/or evening work.

COMPENSATION

This is an exempt, salaried position. Based on experience, salary for the position is between $61,800 and
$65,000. Total compensation includes contribution to CNJG health insurance policy, generous 401K contribution after one-year, quarterly stipend to support remote office, personal time off, standard holidays, and summer hours. The final candidate for the position must successfully complete a background check.

HIRING PROCESS AND TIMELINE

Please submit a cover letter and resume in PDF format to cnjgsearch@cnjg.org using the subject line
“Manager of Communications Search” by October 1, 2023. No phone calls, please.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will remain open until the new team member is found. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

We will review resumes as received and anticipate conducting 30-minute phone interviews beginning in late September and early October. Beginning in October, those selected to advance in the hiring process, will be invited to a 1-hour video interview. If invited for this interview, we will ask for 4 writing samples relevant to this position to be received in advance of the video interview. Finalists will be invited to a second 1-hour interview. This position would ideally start in November 2023.

The Council of New Jersey Grantmakers is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. We welcome and encourage all qualified candidates to apply.