Communications Manager

The Arc Montgomery County; Derwood (MD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Arc Montgomery County is seeking a Communications Manager to lead the development and execution of communications and marketing plans. You will shepherd messaging, coordinate a skilled team, and partner with external vendors to elevate visibility and stakeholder engagement.

Ideal candidates will have a Master’s degree in Communications or related field and at least three years of supervisory experience, plus strong skills in Adobe Creative Cloud, CMS, and analytics.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Communications or related field; 3+ years of professional experience preferred.
• Experience supervising staff or teams and coordinating with vendors.
• Proven ability to develop cohesive messaging across multiple channels.

Responsibilities

• Create and implement comprehensive communications and marketing plans.
• Supervise Communications Coordinator and Graphic Designer and coordinate with photographers/videographers.
• Develop content for internal/external communications, newsletters, blogs, and press releases.
• Lead the social media calendar, monitor analytics, and report on key metrics.
• Ensure accessibility and brand consistency across all materials.

Skills

Verbal and written communication

Leadership

Time management

Organization

Independent work

Education

Master’s degree in Communications or related field

Supervisory experience

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud

Microsoft Office

Google Analytics

Google AdWords

CMS (HTML)

SEO/SEM

Job description

Under the supervision of the Associate Director of Communications & Outreach, the Communications Manager will work collaboratively with the Associate Director to create and implement communications and marketing plans that enhance The Arc Montgomery County’s visibility, strengthen support for the organization, and improve stakeholder and constituent engagement. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with strong organizational and leadership skills, can prioritize and work independently, and is a confident, levelheaded problem solver with a professional, service-oriented attitude. This position requires strong verbal and written communication with the ability to create cohesive messaging, use resources to communicate effectively and harmoniously with people of all abilities, ages and backgrounds, exceptional organization, excellent time management, outstanding attention to detail, and an energetic and enthusiastic attitude. The Communications Manager supervises the Communications Coordinator and Graphic Designer, and maintains working relationships with contracted professional photographers, videographers, and other vendors. This position may require some early mornings, weekends, and evenings.

Job-specific Duties And Responsibilities

• Inclusion & Engagement for People Supported
• Facilitate and model inclusive interactions and relationships.
• Promote increased independence in all aspects of life for people supported, with emphasis on community engagement.
• Encourage people to challenge traditional paradigms and change the way they view and interact with people who have disabilities.

Branding & Accessibility

• Adhere to and enforce brand guidelines as outlined by The Arc of the United States, The Arc Maryland, and The Arc Montgomery County, including correct name and logo usage, brand colors, and style.
• Knowledge and usage of inclusive and accessible language.
• Knowledge and implementation of physical and digital accessibility.

Communication & Marketing Implementation

• Create and manage a comprehensive communications calendar which incorporates editorial, social media, special events, and other organizational communications.
• Develop and execute a full range of communications for internal and external stakeholders including but not limited to email, newsletters, interdepartmental documents, the employee intranet, group text messages, brochures, presentations, press releases and blog posts that are creative, consistent, targeted, and impactful.
• Create content for the organizational website to inspire and engage, optimizing for search engines.
• Create and maintain a results-driven social media strategy by leading the Communications team in the development and curation of content, monitor industry trends, review analytics, and provide key metric reports.
• Build rich, creative, visually stimulating content that inspires and engages for website, social media, and employee intranet, optimizing for search engines as appropriate.
• Design campaigns for specific audiences and purposes that inform and persuade, build customer loyalty, increase brand awareness, and improve constituent engagement with and support for the organization.
• Oversee the design and inventory of marketing giveaways for public and special events.

Awareness & Outreach

• Identify opportunities and submit The Arc, its employees, people supported, and stakeholders for recognitions and awards.
• Represent The Arc during public events to provide information about the organization, its programs, and its mission and values.

Documentation & Recordkeeping

• Oversee a digital filing system of organizational forms, presentations, photography, and video to ensure public facing items are compliant and approved for use.
• Analyze and report social media, website, earned and paid media performances.

Supervision

• Supervise in-house Graphic Designer, Communications Coordinator, maintain working relationships with contracted professional photographers, videographers, and other vendors to create content for multiple platforms.
• Support all divisions/departments to maintain effective communication, emphasizing cohesiveness and collaboration.

Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned. Occasionally flexible schedule (related to events and project deadlines).

Qualifications

• Master’s degree plus three years of relevant professional experience, or bachelor’s degree plus five years of relevant professional experience. 30 relevant credit hours may be substituted for one year of experience. Three years of experience must be at a supervisory level.
• Demonstrated comprehensive proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrated experience managing social media platforms and social media marketing.
• Experience with search engine marketing, Google Analytics, and Google AdWords.
• Working knowledge of content management systems, HTML coding, and digital graphics production.
• Adaptable, dependable, and responsible.
• Reliable transportation.
• Willingness to learn new skills.