Director of Communications and Development

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Austin Texas; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan with matching

Job summary

The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd seeks a Director of Communications and Development to oversee all parish communications and fundraising initiatives. This full-time role drives storytelling, brand consistency, and engagement across digital and print channels, aligning ministries with donor growth and spiritual pathways.

Located on two campuses in Austin, the parish values collaborative leadership with staff and ministry partners to strengthen outreach, stewardship, and endowment efforts

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Experience in communications and development prioritized.
• Knowledge of the Episcopal Church preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Oversee external and internal communications across channels to tell parish stories with consistent branding.
• Lead fundraising and stewardship efforts, including annual giving and capital campaigns.
• Collaborate with Rector and leadership to share program information and parish life stories regionally.
• Manage parish website, social media, and publications with staff and ministry partners.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Communications or related field

Job description

The Director of Communications and Development leads two critical areas of ministry in a cohesive and systematic approach to supporting the parish's mission and growth. The Director will conceptualize and facilitate all aspects of external and internal communication for the parish and its ministries so that external and internal audiences know the value of parish ministries and how and why they should participate in ministry. The Director will lead the parish’s fundraising and stewardship efforts and will increase the donations that support parish ministries. These efforts will connect giving to a Christian spiritual path and to donors’ growth as followers of Jesus. Located on two campuses in Austin, Texas, Good Shepherd is one of the largest and fastest growing Episcopal parishes.

Communications Responsibilities

• Responsible for the overall communications and messaging of the parish and for timely content creation across various channels (digital and print) - cultivating a sense of belonging among parishioners and the broader community through effective storytelling and consistent brand identity.


• Directs message development and planning with the other members of the communications team, offering supervision, support, and effective short and long-term planning.


• Working closely with the Rector and other leadership staff and ministry leaders, the Director will seek to share the programming information and narrate with consistency the stories of parish life, both internally and to the wider Episcopal Church and geographic community.


• This position is responsible for the parish website, all social media usage, and production of all forms of publications, working collaboratively with direct report staff as well as partnering with worship and programming staff.

Development Responsibilities

• Leads, in partnership with the parishioner-chair, the Financial Stewardship Ministry Group and its work with the parish’s annual stewardship/giving campaign. This includes creating and implementing a comprehensive communications plan, tracking and collecting relevant data, and coordinating with other ministry areas in the implementation of an effective campaign.


• The Director will increase donations through annual giving, estate bequests and major capital gifts. The Director will lead future capital and endowment efforts as the parish grows its ministries, and the Director and the Rector will make major asks.


• Developing parishioner relationships is a key component of this work, coupled with systematic planning, study of data, and projecting for the future of the parish.


• The building of parish endowments is a significant component of future planning, and the Director’s work will raise the profile of the endowments and increase donations to the endowments.

The Director position is full time and will include occasional Sundays, special events, holidays and evening work. This is an office-based position for effective collaboration with other church staff. The Director will report to the Senior Associate Rector and will supervise other church staff.

• Benefits include paid health insurance for the staff member, as well as other optional opt-in coverages.


• Other benefits include retirement with matching policies.

Salary is competitive and will be determined based on experience and skill. Bachelor’s degree is required and prior communications and development experience is prioritized. Knowledge of the Episcopal Church is preferred, although not required.