Director, Marketing & Communications

The Seattle Foundation is on the lookout for a dynamic Director of Marketing & Communications to steer the daily operations and oversee the marketing team. This position calls for a blend of strategic vision and creative flair, enabling you to align overarching objectives with meticulous attention to the details of everyday activities.

Position Highlights

• Target Hiring Range: $130,000 - $140,000; Full Salary Range: $105,933 - $169,494
• Type: Permanent; Full-Time, Salary/Exempt
• Location: Hybrid Work Model; Offices located downtown Seattle, WA
• Submission Requirements:
• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Brand Deck
• Excellent PTO Package: Enjoy 3 weeks of vacation, 2 weeks of sick leave, 4 wellness days, 15 holidays, and 2 weeks off (paid) during Fourth of July and Thanksgiving weeks.

About Seattle Foundation

Founded in 1946, Seattle Foundation has guided philanthropy in the Seattle region as trusted advisors to donors who care deeply about their community and partners to organizations driving work on the frontlines. The foundation believes that the people most proximate to the issues of our time have the solutions and develop targeted strategies to inspire collective action.

The inflection point Seattle Foundation finds themselves in at this moment is about how they lean more deeply into impact work that is transformational while simultaneously retooling their business model to support this shift. In 2023, the Foundation engaged in a strategic planning process to seize the moment and lean in. The three-year strategic plan (to be publicly released later this year) is the culmination of a nine-month process involving significant dialogue and iteration with core stakeholders and potential partners across the region. This process was rooted in a commitment to advance the Blueprint for Impact through near-term goals and milestones toward their vision of a joyful region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice.

Position Overview:

Seattle Foundation is seeking a Director, Marketing & Communications (MarComm) to oversee the day-to-day leadership and management of our marketing and communications function and team. This position will leverage strategic and creative thinking to focus on the big picture while maintaining integrity in the details of the day-to-day operations of the marketing and communications team.

This role reports to the Chief Marketing Officer and is responsible for content development and strategy execution with a focus on the following key bodies of work:

• Sharpening Seattle Foundation’s overall storytelling and narrative work
• Bolstering our marketing acumen to drive revenue goals
• Inspiring current and future donors, community organizations, employees and board members to rally around our cause through effective brand, marketing, and communications practices.

The Director will play a pivotal role in guiding current and potential fundholders to clearly understand what they gain by placing their funds with Seattle Foundation and telling the story of our brand and role in being a changemaker across the region. As a leader on the MarComm team, the Director will support and drive communications goals in partnership with teams across the Foundation.

The ideal candidate has demonstrated leadership experience across marketing strategies, with emphasis on digital platform strategies and event strategies to support audience engagement and revenue goals. They have exceptional experience in creative content development (including narrative campaigns and storytelling), and a track record of successfully designing and implementing external and internal communication strategies. This candidate is ambitious and will lead with knowledge and expertise, warmth and joy, and a belief that they are a partner in creating the change that will strengthen our community. 

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Act as a thought partner to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) on strategic decisions (e.g. decisions regarding budget allocation, and marketing and brand strategies) and moving strategy through to operations.
• Establish measurable quarterly and annual goals with clear KPIs and success metrics to support alignment with organizational priorities, while maintaining regular alignment with CMO.
• Lead and mentor the Events Manager and Digital Marketing Manager to develop individual capabilities and support a high-performing team that consistently deliver results.
• As a Director and people manager, contribute to the creation and development of an inclusive, joyful, results-oriented culture to retain and attract talent.
• In partnership with the CMO, manage the MarComm team’s budget, ensuring optimal resource distribution across priorities and goals, while maintaining rigorous tracking systems to measure return on investment.
• Develop and implement evaluation and reporting strategies for the MarComm team in collaboration with leaders across the organization.
• Serve as a brand ambassador and represent the organization at events and engagements to strengthen stakeholder relationships and brand presence, including developing and stewarding media relationships.
• Manage and source marketing and communications consultants and vendors to drive high-quality content development and storytelling.

Communications & Marketing Operations

• Oversee all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the MarComm team.
• Design and implement internal and external communication strategies, processes and procedures through leveraging cross-team collaboration, to drive organizational priorities.  
• Strategically manage and prioritize marketing and communications requests to optimize resources and deliver impactful results.
• Develop and oversee rapid response and crisis communication strategies to ensure the organization is prepared to address urgent situations effectively.
• Partner with the CMO on public and media relations. Cultivate and manage partnerships with media – locally, regionally, and nationally – to increase brand awareness and engage with diverse audiences.
• Ensure consistency in brand and messaging across all platforms (e.g. social media, website, e-newsletter, blogs, paid and earned media, etc.) both internal and external.

Digital Platform Strategies and Event Engagement

• Guide the development of the digital marketing strategy, with an emphasis on content development across all platforms (social media, website, e-newsletter, blogs, paid and earned media, etc.).
• Develop comprehensive digital marketing strategies to enhance audience engagement and drive revenue growth; supervise the Digital Marketing Manager in implementing marketing strategies.
• Guide the design of our engagement and events strategy, ensuring that events are integrated into the overall marketing strategy to strengthen connections with stakeholders and support fundraising objectives; supervise the Events Manager in the planning and execution of the events strategy.
• Partner with the Digital Marketing Manager to leverage data insights to refine digital campaigns and improve audience targeting for maximum impact.
• Collaborate across teams to align digital and event initiatives with broader organizational goals.

Creative Content Development and Storytelling

• Set the narrative strategy for and develop compelling, creative content to bring the Foundation’s brand, value proposition, and community impact to life across platforms such as social media, websites, e-newsletters, blogs, and both paid and earned media.
• Drive the creation of narrative campaigns that amplify the organization’s mission and impact, setting the narrative direction for the organization’s work and purpose.
• Lead the development of content strategies that ensure brand consistency and message alignment across all platforms.
• Support the CEO with executive communications, such as blogs, speeches, and social media strategies, to maintain brand integrity and advance narrative goals.
• Develop and execute plans to maximize media coverage, including earned and paid strategies.

Requirements

• 7+ years working in marketing and communications.
• 5+ years of direct people management experience, leading and developing a high performing team. Previous experience leading or capability to lead a small team, as well as external consultants.
• Creative thinker with a proven track record of driving successful end-to-end marketing and communications strategies with the use of analytics and KPIs to demonstrate impact and effectiveness.
• Exceptional writer, copy editor and creative content creator across multimedia modalities (e.g. the Foundation’s blog, social media, newsletters, donor and community-facing collateral, video, etc.).
• Proven experience driving projects and deliverables across teams, with an ability to connect with and influence stakeholders through effective project and change management strategies. 
• Demonstrated experience translating complex ideas into clear and compelling narratives for diverse audiences from philanthropists to community grantee partners, civic leaders, policymakers, corporate leaders, and more.  
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills with an ability to keep multiple projects on track, anticipate obstacles, adapt to change and communicate expectations along the way.
• An orientation toward organizing and smart political judgement, including an ability to consider a variety of diverse stakeholder interests and perspectives.
• Experience leveraging marketing and communications technologies to improve processes, outcomes and relationships.
• Proven track record in clearly driving strategy from design to execution.
• Multimedia experience, including track record of managing different forms of media and communications platforms to drive greater impact.
• Successful track record of securing positive, substantive media stories and working with journalists. Established relationships with local, regional, and national media outlets is a plus. 
• Demonstrated commitment to DEI principles and approaches, especially racial and economic justice.
• Passion for philanthropy and a commitment to the foundation's mission.
• Ability to thrive in a complex, fast-paced, culturally diverse environment, as well as under pressure and during periods of change.

Benefits

• 100% Paid by employer: medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, LTD. 403(b)

• Retirement matched at 5%; increasing to 10% over time, 100% immediate vesting.
• PTO: 3 weeks’ vacation, 2 weeks sick, 4 wellness days, 15 holidays,
• $1,200 annual remote work benefit, $750 annual wellness benefit, $1,200 annual transit benefit; Professional development stipend, optional Flex plan and dependent coverage.
• The hiring range reflects SeaFdn’s objective to hire at approximately the mid-range within the associated grade. Per Washington State law, SeaFdn discloses the full range of the associated grade for this position; this range is 100% of range and has not been adjusted. 

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

The work is performed remotely, in an office setting, or a hybrid combination. All positions require the capability of working at a PC for extended periods. Team efforts with event support may require periods of physical activity involving standing, walking, and moderate lifting. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions of the role.

Safety and Health Requirements:

Seattle Foundation places the health and safety of its employees and the communities we serve as our highest priority. To support this priority, we require that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Waivers are available for accepted medical and religious exemptions.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

Seattle Foundation envisions a thriving region of shared prosperity, belonging, and justice, where all individuals and communities have equitable access and outcomes, regardless of race, place, or identity. We are committed to advancing racial equity using an intersectional lens, and integrate our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts into all that we do. We hold ourselves accountable to uphold our organizational values and strive to do better every day.

About Seattle Foundation Continued...

Seattle Foundation has gone through significant growth and change over the past several years. The Foundation carried out a strategic refocus in 2020, shaping the Blueprint for Impact framework that explicitly centers racial equity and inclusion as critical to everything they do. Alesha Washington, President & CEO, joined the Foundation in May 2022 and is guiding the Foundation towards honing its strategic focus and community impact. In March 2024, Seattle Foundation’s Board approved a three-year strategic plan focused on near-term opportunities to deepen impact and a roadmap to financial sustainability to evolve their business model.

Building on our core strategic grantmaking approach and guided by our recently adopted strategic plan, Seattle Foundation will work to use our voice and grantmaking activities to advance community priorities around the following three areas:  1) affordable housing financing, 2) transit-oriented development, and 3) equitable childcare access. These are cross-cutting issue areas, meaning that their work does not live in siloes and the work their grantees do in these areas is multi-dimensional. These are high-impact opportunities with near term milestones that both allow the organization to advance toward their vision and inspire stakeholders to join them.

By focusing on these high-priority issues, the Foundation can employ the unique skills and relationships that they hold in service of communities most impacted by racism and other inequities. As the Greater Seattle region changes and new policies are passed to maximize public resources, the specific near-term opportunities will evolve. The Foundation’s priorities will always be guided by their community grant partners proximate to the needs of community.