Communications Director, Global Corporate & Foundation Partnerships

Location: Portland, OR, Washington D.C. or US Remote

Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based (United States) is required at the time of application for this position.

Position Status: Full-time, Regular - ExemptSalary:  The salary range for this position is $91,000 - $101,667 commensurate on experience

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Program / Department Summary

In support of Mercy Corps’ mission, the US and Europe Corporate and Foundation Partnership teams manage Mercy Corps’ fundraising relationships with major US and European companies and foundations. We set bold visions for the positive social change we can create with our partners, provide outstanding partner services and relationship management, and together build meaningful partnerships that provide value to all parties while creating lasting impact for the local communities where we work. Our partnerships span areas including emergency response, economic and market development, food and water security, climate change, and peacebuilding. We work across many teams at Mercy Corps, including marketing and communications, mass market fundraising, the executive office, and with our program and country-based colleagues around the world. This team is within Mercy Corps’ broader Development team, also encompassing major and mid-level giving and strategic philanthropy.

General Position Summary

The Director of Communications, Global Corporate & Foundation Partnerships, will lead the communications and influence strategy for key fundraising priorities for the global corporate, foundation and catalytic philanthropy audiences.  The role will manage and direct  sophisticated communications efforts with corporate, foundation and other high value donors – raising Mercy Corps’ profile, generating third party endorsement, and deepening valuable partnerships for the organization. The position will provide key insights, assess and track impact, and guide the Senior Directors in setting strategy for communications across 7-9 high value donor portfolios and priority fundraising initiatives. We seek an outstanding strategist with broad communications experience, extending across content and creative asset development, media relations, social media, editorial planning, digital marketing, and events management. The successful candidate will be familiar with what motivates corporate and foundation partners to engage around social impact and excel at translating content to fit the audience. This role will interface externally with corporate and foundation partners, as well as behind the scenes across multiple departments – the ability to communicate professionally and navigate complex external and internal organizational structures is key. The Communications Director will be a highly experienced and effective project manager, capable of driving forward multiple projects simultaneously while working cross-functionally across departments.  This position reports to the Director of Corporate and Foundation Partnership Services, and supervises the Communications Officer, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships. This role will develop the capacity of strategic communications across multiple revenue-generating teams - identifying and addressing gaps to proactively problem-solve challenges.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Communications Strategy for Development Team Priorities (25%):

• Lead the communications strategy for identified Development Team priorities - including climate change, cryptocurrency, and refugee livelihoods
• Lead the communications, influence and profile strategy for multi-million, 8 figure+ ‘big bet’ opportunities, positioning Mercy Corps as a leader in the big bet philanthropy space and advancing influence and third party validation for our priority transformative impact programs
• Co-manage consultants engaged in communications deliverables/messaging for strategic priorities

Communications Strategy and Deliverables for High Value Donor Opportunities (25%):

• Lead the communications strategy for a portfolio of high-value corporate and foundation donors across the US and Europe.
• Design and implement profile-raising, multi-channel communications and PR strategies.
• Work directly with communications counterparts at partner companies and foundations, representing Mercy Corps to external audiences.
• Assess the impact of potential communications opportunities - both proactive and reactive - across the corporate and foundation portfolios, determine the appropriate level of effort and commitment, and resource the implementation (coordinating across teams).
• Strategic corporate employee communications – develop strategic employee communications plans for top corporate partners in partnership with the Senior Officer for Employee Engagement

Profile and Influence Strategy via Private Sector Partnerships (20%)

• Create a profile and influence strategy to raise Mercy Corps’ profile with key corporate and foundation donor audiences, including attendance, speaking or engagement opportunities at relevant conferences, and executive participation in global events. Responsible for event strategy briefs and contributing to executive talking points.
• Advocate for representation of corporate- and foundation – funded work across Mercy Corps’ digital  channels and PR strategies, leveraging private sector partnerships to increase visibility and business development opportunities.
• Explore new strategies to increase Mercy Corps’ profile through and in service of private sector funding partnerships.
• Contribute to Mercy Corps’ ethical fundraising and communications strategy; advance materials that support the strategy and engage with private foundations and corporations around ethical storytelling.

Project Management and Writing (20%): Oversee/delegate private donor communications projects including:

• Reactive partner communications - Work across teams (including marketing, digital, creative services, media relations and programs teams) to source and transform content into compelling corporate & foundation audience-specific products. This can include, but is not limited to, emails, blog posts, pitch decks, fact sheets, and videos. Manage consultants in support of this work as required.
• Emergency response communications, including draft email solicitations and updates
• Develop communications around moments such as World Refugee Day or Giving Tuesday, adapting content for private sector audiences.
• Manage the strategy and execution of any Mercy Corps-organized corporate & foundation partnership events, e.g. side events at conferences, webinars, or partner summits.

Team Management (10%)

• Manage the Communications Officer, creating and hiring this new position to effectively support the teams’ goals.

Supervisory Responsibility

Communications Officer, Corporate and Foundation Partnerships

Accountability

Reports Directly to: Director of Services, Corporate & Foundation Partnerships

Works Directly With: Senior Directors for Corporate & Foundation Partnerships in the US and Europe; Relationship Managers for Corporate & Foundation Partnerships across the US and Europe; Senior Employee Engagement Officer; Chief Development Officer; Managing Director Brand Marketing; Senior Director Communications; other Marketing and Communications team members; and Mercy Corps donors and partners.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• BA in related field, such as Business, Communications, Non-Profit Management, or International Development
• 6+ years of experience in corporate or non-profit communications, ideally in international development-related issues
• Proven strategist, with the ability to articulate a vision and execute to goal
• Demonstrated ability and experience hiring, coaching, motivating and supervising employees
• Expertise across a variety of specialties including media relations, social media, editorial planning, digital marketing
• Outstanding writer with experience in multiple formats
• Visual thinker – an appreciation for design and the ability to work closely with designers
• Outstanding communicator with excellent interpersonal skills
• Understanding of the social impact and philanthropy space, and demonstrated experience interacting with corporate and foundation donors
• Experience working across teams to identify high-return opportunities and coordinate accordingly
• Ability to manage and prioritize competing demands, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and project manage complex tasks with confidence and poise
• Ability to adapt and pivot in a fast-paced environment, excelling in both proactive and reactive responses

Success Factors

The Communications Director, Corporate & Foundation Partnerships will have a demonstrated experience developing and implementing communications strategies for large and high-profile entities. They will be able to create strategies that maximize the value of our communications to and through partners and understand how to raise our profile among our target audiences, with an emphasis on visual strategy/design. Experience in corporate social impact and/or innovative philanthropy will be a strong asset. They will have strong organization skills with the ability to manage and see projects from ideation through to implementation and completion. They must have the ability to work collaboratively with multiple teams and individuals across many departments to ensure successful project outcomes.  A passion for international development work is appreciated.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in the U.S. and it requires up to 5% travel to domestic locations.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme**.** We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.

Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.

Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees

Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status. This policy is necessary to ensure not only the safety of our workforce, but the ongoing functionality of the organization.

This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.

For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment.  Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations.  Failure to comply may impact your employment.  Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.