Director of Communications

National Crime Prevention Council; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 80,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous health and dental coverage

Retirement match

Work-place flexibility

Job summary

National Crime Prevention Council in Washington, DC is seeking a Communications Director to lead NCPC’s voice, brand, and public education campaigns. You will shape strategy, oversee the Communications Department, and drive national and local coverage in partnership with advertisers and top talent.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years of progressive communications leadership in nonprofit or public affairs, exceptional writing, strong digital fluency, budget management, and a proven record of turning

Qualifications

• 7 years of progressive communications experience, including leadership roles in nonprofit, public affairs, or agency settings.
• Commitment to crime prevention issues and public engagement.
• Proven track record generating national and regional coverage on policy and advocacy.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and teams.
• Exceptional writing and editorial judgment for executive communications.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy aligned with NCPC’s mission and goals.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the Communications staff; set priorities and resources.
• Ensure brand voice and visual identity across campaigns and materials.
• Oversee planning and execution of large-scale public education campaigns with partners and vendors.
• Lead integrated communication planning, including media relations, digital, and partnerships.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Writing & editorial

Digital fluency

Crisis communication

Education

Advanced degree in communications or public policy

Tools

CRM systems

Content Management Systems

Job description

Communications Director

National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)

Is This You?

You are a mission-driven leader with superpowers — a laser-sharp strategic mind, a distinct talent for

novel approaches that challenge convention, and an energizing leadership style — that fuel your

communications career and determination to make a difference. We are the nation’s top nonprofit

dedicated to public safety, ready to meet you.

Why You’ll Love It

What we do, what you will do as our Communications Director, matters. NCPC gives voice to victims

and hope to families, and empowers communities to become safer places to live, work and play. We

work to protect kids from deadly fake pills and other social media scams and pitfalls, counter violence

against women, keep friends and family safe from fraud, and more. The proof is in the lives saved. Just one example: Through an award-winning public education campaign and public policy pressure to hold social media companies accountable, national awareness increased and opioid deaths among young people dropped by more than 20 percent.

Driving public awareness and action is at the heart of what NCPC does. If selected, you will lead a crucial part of our organization. Your opportunity: Drive NCPC’s position as a thought leader and, partnering with advertising giants and Hollywood top talent, introduce our iconic mascot McGruff the Crime Dog®, beloved for his work to Take A Bite Out Of Crime®, to new generations of Americans.

What You’ll Do

Communications is central to driving NCPC’s work and achievements. Reporting to the NCPC

Executive Director, the Communications Director shapes and amplifies NCPC’s voice and stewards the

McGruU the Crime Dog® brand, leading NCPC’s communications strategy, overseeing the

Communications Department, and is directly involved in hiring for every aspect of the department.

Key responsibilities include:

• Strategic leadership: Develop and implement a comprehensive communications strategy aligned with NCPC’s mission and goals.
• Team management: Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the Communications staff; set priorities, allocate resources, and foster professional growth.
• Brand stewardship: Ensure consistent brand voice and visual identity across campaigns, partnerships, and all public-facing materials.
• Campaign oversight: Oversee planning and execution of large-scale public education campaigns, coordinating cross-functional teams, external partners, and vendors.
• Integrated communication planning and management: Lead holistic approach to NCPC communications, ensuring strategic integration that maximizes individual components’ strengths while delivering cohesive message delivery. Components include:
• 1. Media relations: Lead proactive media outreach, cultivate relationships with national and local press, manage crisis communication, and secure top-tier coverage.
• 1. Digital strategy: Direct strategy for NCPC digital assets, which include social media, monthly newsletter, and a podcast, CRM integration, and analytics to grow audience engagement and measure impact.
• 1. Partnership development: Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships and other collaboration with government, nonprofit, corporate, and community organizations to extend reach and resources.
• Leadership communications: Develop messaging and content for the Executive Director, including op-eds and speeches. Identify, secure and manage speaking opportunities to raise visibility for NCPC and its priorities.
• Content and quality control: Approve high-level messaging, review recurring content, and ensure all communications meet exceptional standards of accuracy and polish.
• Budget and performance: Develop and manage communications budgets, set KPIs, and report on outcomes to Executive Director.

If You’ve Got It, Bring It

Key requirements are:

• 7 years of progressive communications experience, including leadership roles in nonprofit, public affairs, or agency settings.
• Commitment to building subject matter expertise in crime prevention, which entails knowledge of the multi-faceted issues and challenges, and understanding what matters to the public, how to spur people into action.
• Proven success in communications with a track record of generating national and regional coverage on policy and advocacy-related issues, engaging the organization’s target audiences through digital channels, and engaging partners in a strategic, coordinated manner.
• Demonstrated experience managing teams and leading cross-functional projects.
• Exceptional writing and editorial judgment with experience producing executive-level communication and campaign messaging.
• Strong digital fluency including social media strategy, CRM-driven marketing, content management systems and analytics.
• Budget management experience and ability to set and translate metrics into decisions.Preferred:
• Experience leading public education or issue-advocacy campaigns, particularly including public service advertising.
• Branding experience and familiarity with brand revitalization.
• Experience managing and growing engagement with a range of digital tools, from social media to podcasts.
• Advanced degree in communications, public relations, journalism, public policy, or commensurate professional experience.

Important traits:

• Strong strategic thinker with equally strong executional focus.
• Solution seeker unafraid to challenge convention.
• Collaborative leader who builds trust and develops talent.
• Crisis-ready communicator who remains calm under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for working with senior leaders, partners and stakeholders.
• Mission-driven, creative and committed to equity and inclusion.

Salary and Benefits

• Salary range for this position is $80,000 to $115,000
• Generous health and dental coverage
• Retirement match
• Work-place flexibility
• Convenient DC location with onsite health facility, game room, and other amenities
• Teaming up with an American icon

NCPC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment

and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion,

age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation,

gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.