Director of Communications

Manna Food Center; Silver Spring (MD); On-site; USD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Manna Food Center is seeking a Director of Communications to guide the organization’s public voice and reputation. You will lead enterprise communications, executive messaging, and media relations, working across teams to advance advocacy, fundraising, and community impact.

As a leadership team member, you will develop strategic communications, manage crises, and push for innovation in digital storytelling and audience engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in communications or related field.
• Strong writing, editing and presentation skills.
• Experience in nonprofit communications, advocacy and digital strategy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement enterprise comms strategy aligned with the plan.
• Coordinate internal/external messaging across the org with stories of participants and donors.
• Lead campaigns, stewardship, annual reports, grants and major gifts comms.
• Create editorial standards, calendars, messaging frameworks, and dashboards.
• Prepare CEO speeches, testimony, and executive messaging as needed.
• Protect brand identity and manage reputation across channels.
• Support government affairs and advocacy messaging partnerships.

Skills

Exceptional writing skills

Presentation skills

Nonprofit communications

Advocacy

Media relations

Executive communications

Digital strategy

Analytics

AI-enabled tools

Strategic vision

Executive presence

Influence

Results orientation

Accountability

Developing others

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Public Relations, or related field

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Director of Communications

Silver Spring, MD, US

2 days ago Requisition ID: 1022

Salary Range: $100,000.00 To $110,000.00 Annually

About Manna Food Center

Manna Food Center is one of Maryland's leading anti-hunger organizations, serving more than 10,000 families each month through innovative food access, nutrition, advocacy, and community partnership programs. As Manna continues to expand its regional impact, deepen its advocacy efforts, and strengthen partnerships across Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, strategic communications has become an essential organizational function.

Position Purpose

The Director of Communications serves as Manna Food Center's chief communications strategist and is responsible for protecting, advancing, and elevating the organization's reputation, voice, and influence. As a member of the Leadership Team, this individual develops and executes an enterprise-wide communications strategy that strengthens stakeholder trust, advances advocacy priorities, supports fundraising, enhances employee engagement, and positions Manna as a recognized leader in hunger relief and food security.

Why This Role Matters

Communications at Manna is more than marketing. It is a strategic function that aligns staff, informs the community, inspires philanthropy, strengthens partnerships, supports government relations, advances public policy, protects the organization's reputation, and tells the stories that demonstrate Manna's impact. The Director ensures every communication reinforces the organization's mission, values, and strategic priorities.

Leadership Philosophy

Lead with collaboration, transparency, innovation, accountability, continuous improvement, servant leadership, and a commitment to cross-functional partnership. Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership while building organizational trust through clear, timely, and authentic communications.

Strategic Areas of Responsibility

• Develop and implement Manna's enterprise communications strategy aligned with the strategic plan.
• Collaborate across the organization to ensure internal and external messaging is coordinated, consistent, timely, and aligned with Manna's mission and strategic priorities, while telling compelling stories of participants, volunteers, donors, employees, and Manna's broader community impact.
• Partner with departments on campaigns, stewardship, annual reports, grants, and major gifts communications.
• Develop communications standards, editorial calendars, messaging frameworks, and measurement dashboards.

2. Executive Communications & Thought Leadership

• Prepare CEO speeches as needed, testimony, board communications, presentations, op-eds, and executive messaging.
• Position executive leadership as trusted voices on hunger, food security, nonprofit leadership, and public policy.
• Coordinate speaking engagements, conferences, podcasts, and media interviews.

3. Organizational Communications

• Strengthen interdepartmental communication and organizational alignment.
• Lead change management communications and executive updates.
• Support employee engagement and culture through strategic internal communications.

4. Brand & Reputation Management

• Protect and strengthen Manna's brand identity.
• Maintain visual and messaging standards across all communications.
• Monitor and proactively manage organizational reputation.

5. Government & Public Affairs

• Support advocacy initiatives and legislative priorities.
• Develop messaging for government partnerships and regional expansion.
• Partner with the Vice President of Programs to support and amplify public education campaigns related to hunger, nutrition, and Manna's broader community impact.

6. Media Relations

• Build relationships with local, regional, and national media.
• Develop proactive earned-media strategies.
• Serve as lead communications contact during media opportunities and crises.

7. Digital Communications & Innovation

• Oversee website, email, social media, digital campaigns, and analytics.
• Recommend AI tools to improve content creation, workflow efficiency, analytics, and audience engagement.
• Evaluate emerging communications technologies.

8. Crisis & Issues Management

• Develop crisis communications plans and rapid response protocols.
• Advise executive leadership during sensitive communications situations.
• Monitor reputational risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Serve as a collaborative member of the Leadership Team.
• Coach leaders on effective communications.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement.
• Represent Manna with professionalism and executive presence.

Decision-Making Authority

• Enterprise communications strategy
• Brand standards
• Communications budget recommendations
• Agency and vendor management

Performance Expectations

• Implement an enterprise communications strategy in Year One.
• Create processes that improve internal communications across departments.
• Increase earned media, digital engagement, and thought leadership.
• Establish crisis communications protocols.
• Implement communications dashboards and workflows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Public Relations, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressively responsible communications leadership.
• Exceptional writing and presentation skills.
• Experience with nonprofit communications, advocacy, media relations, executive communications, and digital strategy preferred.
• Experience using analytics and AI-enabled communications tools preferred.
• Strategic Vision
• Executive Presence
• Influence
• Results Orientation
• Accountability
• Developing Others

Why Join Manna

This is an opportunity to shape the public voice of one of the region's fastest-growing and most innovative anti-hunger organizations. The Director of Communications will help tell stories that inspire action, influence policy, strengthen philanthropy, engage employees, and help build a future where every person has access to nutritious food with dignity.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Manna Food Center is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.