Director of Communications (San Diego, CA) - Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank

The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is currently hiring for a Director of Communications.

ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO FOOD BANK
Established in 1977, the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank is a critical component to the welfare of San Diego County, providing nutritious food to people in need, advocating for the hungry and educating the public about hunger-related issues. For more information about the organization, please visit www.sandiegofoodbank.org.

Our Mission:The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank and our North County Food Bank Chapter provide nutritious food to people in need, advocate for the hungry, and educate the public about hunger-related issues.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The San Diego Food Bank feeds approximately 400,000 people every month in partnership with 500 nonprofit community partners.
• We are the fourth largest independent food bank in the country.
• We distributed 50 million pounds of food in fiscal year 2023 - 2024; 44% of that food being fresh produce.
• We have a 99% rating on Charity Navigator.
• We are committed to innovation and sustainability to reduce our impact on the environment. We have 1,400 solar panels, we are LEED v4 Gold Certified, we have a 3,600 sq.ft composting and recycling center that houses our recycling and composting machine, and received the 2020 Business Waste Reduction & Recycling award?

Under the direction of the Chief Advancement and Communications Officer (CAC), the Communications Director (CD) will hold primary responsibility for the Food Bank’s internal and external communications, with a particular focus on creating content and sharing information with the community and media about our impact and services. The CD will be responsible for creating and implementing communications strategies that maintain and enhance the organization’s profile in the community. The CD will also promote the Food Bank’s core services and their impact, engage community stakeholders, and build bridges with diverse communities and partners. As an organization that serves a diverse range of populations, the CD will develop strategies to tell the agency’s stories in ways that respect and lift our clients’ dignity and strengths. The CD will collaborate with other Marketing and Development staff in conceiving and developing outreach strategies for donor stewardship and solicitation. The CD will also work alongside a cross-functional team from public policy, media, digital marketing, development, and programs to showcase the services, programs, and mission of the San Diego Food Bank.


PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Lead the development and implementation of the organization's communication strategy, with a focus on promoting the organization's mission, programs, and impact to a variety of audiences.
• Oversee the development of multi-channel communication campaigns, including the creation of messaging, content development, and the management of communication channels and platforms.
• Collaborate with program staff to develop and disseminate program-specific messaging and content.
• Monitor and report on the effectiveness of communication efforts.
• Attend meetings, events, and other functions as needed to represent the organization and advance communication goals.
• Support the organization to further define and develop its brand and generate increased awareness and recognition among key stakeholders.
• Work with the SDFB Leadership Team to support and evaluate the annual communications plan and content calendar. 
• Develop, maintain, and deploy key messages about the San Diego Food Bank’s services, impact, outreach, community, and advocacy efforts to an array of community stakeholders.
• Create speeches and presentations for the Food Bank’s CEO in support of the CEO’s public outreach and awareness efforts.
• Ensure brand and strategic messaging are represented consistently in all communications.
• Track news mentions articles, and publications.
• Lead the organization’s media relations, including managing and maintaining relationships with media contacts, pitching stories to reporters, writing copy for press releases, preparing CEO and staff for interviews, and responding to media inquiries.
• Serve as an on-camera spokesperson for the San Diego Food Bank.
• Coordinate and monitor paid media plans and track impacts.
• Build and execute communications campaigns with high reach and visibility. Working directly with journalists, media, and agency partners and managing media inquiries to gather stories within the community.
• Contribute to and integrate communications strategies into the various elements of the communication mix (advertising, advertorials, online, PR, event marketing, etc.).
• Work in partnership with the Digital Marketing team to create videography for the Food Bank that includes but is not limited to creating Food Bank promotional videos, filming interviews, filming check presentations, creating live streaming videos, filming news conferences, and filming B-Roll.
• Assist the Food Bank’s government relations team with providing briefings on government affairs and food bank education campaigns among elected officials at the local, state, and national level.
• Manage communications assets, such as electronic filing for photos, brochures, fliers, THML, email, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE
A typical way of obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities outlined:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, or related field.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in communications (company or agency).
• Experience in the main responsibilities:
  • Copywriting
  • Media strategy and Media Relations
  • Advertising
  • Public Relations
• Excellent creative and communications skills.
• Ability to work in a small hands-on team, result-oriented, team player, and leadership skills.

IDEAL CANDIDATEThe ideal Director of Communications is a strategic communicator with superb writing skills and a talent for crafting tailored, audience-specific messaging that effectively promotes the organization's mission. They excel in leading multi-channel communication efforts, ensuring consistent brand messaging while serving as a confident spokesperson. With a passion for storytelling and tone, they develop impactful content for media, community partners, and government officials, driving public awareness and engagement.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Effective communications strategies for both internal and external content.
• Communication campaign designs to reach maximum reach, visibility, and effectiveness.
• Media training to be able to represent the food bank in a variety of different media opportunities.
• Media relations.
• Local community and understanding of the diverse nature of the Food Bank recipients, donors, and community partners.

Ability to:

• Create plans with specific KPI’s to measure effectiveness and analyze results.
• Utilize technology to produce multiple reporting outputs to monitor, track, and analyze the impact of communications strategies and initiatives.
• Utilize multiple mediums to communicate internally and externally including in person, via the media, via social platforms, website, email, etc.
• Lead without authority in a team of experienced managers and executives.
• Work independently and problem-solve effectively.
• Exercise tact, objectivity, sensitivity, strategy, and sound judgment with a variety of people in a variety of situations.
• Work in a fast-paced environment with multiple changing priorities without loss of work quality or effectiveness.

LICENSES, CERTIFICATES, SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Valid CA driver’s license.
• Must have own vehicle as some travel throughout San Diego County is required in this position.

SCHEDULE

• Typical schedule is Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 5:00 pm.
• Early mornings, evenings and weekends may be required occasionally.
• Position is expected to be on-site; remote work will be permitted based on performance, workload, and project needs. 

COMPENSATION

• This is a full-time, exempt/salary, benefited position.
• Compensation is based on experience, with a salary range of $95,000 - $130,000 per year.
• The compensation package includes a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package including: 403(b) plan with 200% employer matching; excellent health care coverage with free employee medical, dental and vision plans; company paid term life insurance; and a generous accrual of paid vacation and sick leave. 

HOW TO APPLY

• Interested and qualified candidates should apply on our career website located at https://www.theapplicantmanager.com/careers?co=jc
• Submissions missing a resume will not be considered for the position.
• Background check and drug test is required for the position before employment starts.

 

This is a management position
This is a regular full-time position