Communications Manager

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OVERVIEW

The Clark Fork Coalition is looking for a Communications Manager to lead its front-facing messaging and branding efforts. Reporting to CFC’s Development Director and working closely with the Development Special Events Manager, this position employs multifaceted approaches to engage diverse audiences in river care and advocacy. The Communications Manager ensures that CFC’s image and messaging across platforms are cohesive, inspired, and captivating. The Communications Manager plays an integral role on a high-impact and collaborative team, leveraging the power of compelling language and images to drive positive change. Identifying and capitalizing on opportunities for CFC to maximize its impact and extend its reach within and beyond the watershed, this position is responsible for deploying holistic communications strategies that align with organizational objectives and enhance community investment. This role is pivotal in effectively and accurately shaping public perception and understanding of CFC’s work and the watershed’s challenges, health, and resilience–inspiring and mobilizing river advocates, seasoned and new, to invest in CFC’s mission of restoring and protecting the Clark Fork River and its tributaries.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Produce written and visual content from start to polished finish, converting informational outlines from staff across all departments into accurate, impactful, value-rich materials aligned with CFC’s brand guidelines and mission.
• Lead day-to-day management of CFC communications across all platforms–including but not limited to: annual reports, newsletters, social media, website content, fundraising letters, major donor correspondence, direct mail appeals, event signage, brochures, reports, ads, press releases, guest columns, and letters to the editor. 
• Ensure that all organizational messaging, storytelling, and branding is consistent, cohesive, compelling, and positive.
• Respond to CFC staff needs for content creation, strategizing, and editing. 
• Distill sometimes complex information from multiple sources within CFC to create high-impact, cohesive outreach materials.
• Tailor communications, media, outreach, and marketing strategies to coordinate with and elevate CFC’s development initiatives.
• Regularly update pages, events, and other data on CFC’s website, actively seeking updates from staff across departments and coordinating with an external contractor on quarterly maintenance needs.
• Track, analyze, and report on multi-channel metrics, utilizing them to maximize engagement, SEO, and reach; and to justify communications decisions.
• Grow, manage, steward, and segment email audiences to achieve strategic departmental and organizational goals, using self-researched best practices as a guide.
• Regularly assess and identify messaging to stakeholders and target audiences.
• Assist in planning and implementing marketing campaigns across a range of platforms–including print, radio, television, event sponsorships, PSAs, Google Ads, and Meta.
• Assist with in-person and virtual events and tours as needed, ensuring that all materials and communications involved are aligned with CFC’s brand and mission.
• Act as point person for media outlets, actively pitching stories about CFC to local, regional, and national media outlets as guided by leadership.
• Track CFC media hits and share with staff/board and across CFC’s channels.
• Manage and maintain organization of CFC’s library of digital assets.
• Expand CFC’s integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into organizational communications to build a more equitable, accessible, and inclusive community of river advocates.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Attend staff meetings, board meetings, team-buildings, and outreach events.
• Produce annual work plans, weekly timesheets, expense logs, and other paperwork on time. 
• Participate in departmental and organizational annual and strategic planning processes.
• Assist with and share in other organizational duties as needs arise.

QUALIFICATIONS & QUALITIES

• Skilled: At least three years’ experience in marketing, copywriting, design, DTP, public relations, communications, or related field–preferably in the nonprofit sector.
• Experience with Canto or other digital asset management software; Canva, Illustrator, and InDesign or similar graphic design program; Microsoft 365 suite of apps;
• MailChimp or comparable email delivery system; Google Ads; Google Analytics; Postmark.
• Exceptional communicator: Excels at adjusting writing voice, tone, and style to fit each project; translating data and reports into digestible, effective public-facing collateral; and verbally communicating in a relatable, knowledgeable, optimistic, and transparent manner. 
• Organized: Can maintain a high quality of work and collaborative attitude while efficiently prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines, and keeping track of schedules and data across multiple platforms.
• Highly collaborative: Has a documented track record of working effectively with diverse personalities across a range of projects to achieve a collective goal. 
• Self-directed: When faced with a challenge or obstacle, defaults to first researching best practices and exploring solutions. Takes direction and runs with it. 
• Receptive: Genuinely welcomes, processes, and applies constructive feedback.
• Strategic: Brings critical thinking and creative solution-finding to every task.
• Balanced: Partakes in work and organizational goings-on with flexibility, a sense of humor, and transparency.
• Curious: Actively and continuously seeks opportunities to listen, learn, and grow.
• Generous: Shares and maximizes pre-existing knowledge base and skillset to uplift CFC’s organizational strategies and goals.
• Mission-focused: Is sincerely committed to and enthusiastic about CFC’s work and mission of protecting and restoring the Clark Fork River and its tributaries.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

• Salary: $50,000+ per year depending on qualifications and experience
• Generous paid time off 
• Additional 15 paid holidays 
• Employer-paid health coverage 
• Retirement contribution, with match up to 3% of salary and immediate vesting 
• Flexible work hours, hybrid work structure (combination of in-person and remote acceptable)