Director of Communications

Pay Rate

Why Join Us

You believe that every person deserves a place to call home. You see that homelessness is a systemic issue and want to be a part of the solution. You are ready to utilize your talent, experience, and creativity towards purpose-driven work. You want to work alongside industry leaders to learn, implement, and pioneer best practices.

LA Family Housing is a leading non-profit agency in Homeless Services and Real Estate Development. With 40 years of experience and 17,000+ lives changed each year, we know what it takes to end homelessness. We take tremendous pride in the emergence of our staff as national leaders in innovation, best practices, and policy within housing production and homeless services. Join the fight to end homelessness and make a difference in people's lives at LA Family Housing!

The Position

The Director of Communications leads the Communications team in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment. This role ensures that LAFH's internal and external communications align with the agency's mission and values and plays a significant role in promoting the LAFH brand. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director is responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive communications plan across various media channels. Specific duties include overseeing the development and production of all external marketing efforts, including website content, social media content, and brand management; supporting fundraising campaigns and special events; overseeing public affairs, media relations, and public presentations; and directing internal communications in partnership with the People & Culture team. This position will supervise and mentor the Marketing Manager and Internal Communications Manager. The ideal candidate is a creative and collaborative leader who brings strong writing skills, a deep understanding of audience engagement, and a passion for using communications to drive social impact.

What You'll Do

Communications Strategy and Media

• Develop, implement, and evaluate a marketing and communications strategic plan and corresponding milestones, identifying department and agency needs, and assessing the impact of various communication channels
• In partnership with the President and CEO and Chief Development Officer, develop key messaging for the agency to effectively communicate LAFH's value proposition to internal and external audiences, including staff, donors, the community at large, and industry leaders, and positioning LAFH as a thought leader in local, state and national conversations on homeless services and affordable housing development
• Promote the agency's mission, vision, programs and real estate development, ensuring consistent messaging and branding to drive momentum, raise awareness and funds, and engage donors and other stakeholders in the work of LAFH
• Collaborate with the Chief Development Officer and President and CEO to develop and implement media plans that positively reflect the image and work of LAFH
• Serve as the main point of contact for media inquiries
• Write and distribute press releases, place stories, organize media events, and provide message training for leadership team members and key organizational spokespersons
• Support and prepare staff, participants and external stakeholders for external interviews, presentations and speeches

Marketing & Branding

• Oversee design and development of strategic and creative print and digital materials, including promotional, informational, outreach, and educational publications and other collateral
• Provide strategic direction for LAFH's digital media presence, including email marketing, storytelling campaigns, social media, and website
• Direct and manage the design and updates of the agency website to ensure consistent messaging across all communication channels
• Support fundraising campaigns and appeals, developing impact stories and messaging, and overseeing design and production of print and digital materials, including video production
• Support annual and special events to reinforce branding and positioning of LAFH with various constituencies; oversee run of show, scripting, speaker relations, design and production of print and digital collateral
• Oversee development, production and dissemination of participant-focused stories
• Provide oversight and direction for public education and presentations, supporting agency leadership with design and production of communication materials to reinforce branding and positioning of LAFH

Internal Communications

• Supervise and coach the Internal Communications team to build and implement an organization-wide internal communications program, including agency intranet, internal monthly newsletter, regularly disseminated collateral, videos, and other methods of internal communication as needed
• Guide the creation of internal content for emails, Intranet, printed flyers, and other communications channels as needed to clearly convey information about staff news such as recruitment events, annual open enrollment communications, staff parties, programmatic and administrative updates, and other organization-wide news. Review and provide final feedback on all materials before dissemination
• Provide strategic oversight to ensure all internal communications content and messaging is on-brand, on-message, and consistent with our external communications materials and strategy

Other

• Effectively lead, develop, and retain the Communications team
• Provide marketing support to LAFHBuilds
• Perform additional tasks, projects, and responsibilities as assigned

What You're Skilled At

• Excellent writing, public speaking, and interpersonal communication abilities
• Experience in media relations and crisis management
• Experience in creative design and/or content management
• Experience in developing internal communications strategies and systems
• Strong knowledge of issues related to homelessness and ability to communicate across departments and hierarchal structures
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage complex projects from concept to execution
• Strong team management and supervisory skills
• Collaborative and team-oriented working style
• Ability to work with diverse populations and handle high-acuity situations
• High level of organization, self-motivation, and ability to drive change within an organization
• Sound decision-making capability
• Exceptional creative problem-solving, organizational, and project management skills
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and events simultaneously

Other

• Maintain and execute confidential information according to HIPAA standards
• Obtain and maintain CPR/First Aid Certification
• Ability to pass post offer Tuberculosis (TB) clearances
• Travel is a regular duty for this position and is required 35% of the time
• Use of a personal vehicle to travel between worksites and other locations is required
• Must have and maintain a valid Driver's License and auto insurance in good standing
• Ability to work a 9/80 work schedule
• Ability to work hybrid schedule

Experience

• 8-10 years of experience in communications, including at least 3 years in a leadership role, preferably in a nonprofit or mission-driven setting
• Extensive experience in marketing, crisis communications, internal communications, and brand reputation management
• Experience in working with news media and journalists
• Background in various industries, including government, is a plus

What We Offer

Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 403B Retirement Plan, 529 Education Savings Plan, Long Term Disability, Employee Assistance Program, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Legal Access Plan, Employee Appreciation Program, Company Sponsored Employee Events, Staff Development, 9/80 Alternative Work Schedule, Paid Sick, Vacation and 13 Observed Holidays, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Eligibility and more!

Physical Demands, Environmental Conditions, Equipment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Potential physical demands include but are not limited to: walking, climbing stairs, handling, finger/grasp/feel objects and equipment, reaching, communicating, being mobile, repetitive motions, visual activity, driving, and entering buildings. Comfortable working in a pet-friendly environment required. If an accommodation is needed, please inform the Human Resources Department.

Equal Employment Opportunity

LAFH is committed and proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.

Fair Chance Act

LA Family Housing will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if LA Family Housing is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing's Fair Chance Act webpage.