Head of Communications & Public Relations

McKinley Children's Center; San Dimas (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

403(b) retirement plan with company 3%

Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

Employee Assistance Program

Tuition Reimbursement

Training Opportunities

Job summary

McKinley Children's Center in Southern California seeks a Communications Director to design, direct, and execute the organization’s communications, media relations, and public relations framework. Lead as chief storyteller, securing high-impact media placements and safeguarding brand integrity.

The role partners with senior leadership to elevate McKinley’s public profile, positioning it as a premier thought leader while guiding messaging across regional and national touchpoints.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications, or a closely related field required; Master's degree preferred.
• 6–8+ years of progressive professional experience in public relations, journalism, or media management, with leadership in a nonprofit setting.
• Strong writing portfolio across op-eds, press releases, donor stories, and thought leadership with excellent editing.
• Extensive relationships with local and national media outlets and journalism networks.
• Proven track record of PR campaigns, earned media, and crisis communications.
• Commitment to trauma-informed storytelling and community-centered narratives.
• Experience leading communications or creative teams; coaching and development.
• Proficiency in Google Suite and project management tools (e.g., Monday.com).
• Strategic CMS, email marketing, and social media analytics expertise; familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite or Canva.
• Ability to drive special events; physical ability for filing/packing tasks; background checks required.

Responsibilities

• Architect and lead comprehensive PR and media relations strategies to promote McKinley’s mission and programs.
• Cultivate relationships with reporters, editors, and national outlets to secure ongoing coverage.
• Serve as primary media contact; write and pitch press releases; coordinate press conferences; manage crisis communications.
• Oversee content quality and brand consistency as chief writer/editor for executive communications.
• Ensure external communications meet tone, grammar, and community-centered storytelling standards.
• Develop and enforce brand guidelines across internal and external channels.
• Oversee digital footprint and data-driven campaigns; optimize donations and event promotion.
• Lead multi-year communications roadmap in alignment with organizational strategy.
• Manage department budget and collaborate with leadership on messaging and public affairs.
• Support major fundraising events with PR and stakeholder engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Media relations

Crisis communications

Copywriting

Content management

CMS

Email marketing

Social media analytics

Budget management

Team coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Journalism, Communications

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Google Suite

Monday.com

CMS

Email marketing software

Adobe Photoshop

Illustrator

Premiere Pro

Canva

Job description

McKinley Children's Center in Southern California seeks a Communications Director to design, direct, and execute the organization’s communications, media relations, and public relations framework. Lead as chief storyteller, securing high-impact media placements and safeguarding brand integrity.

The role partners with senior leadership to elevate McKinley’s public profile, positioning it as a premier thought leader while guiding messaging across regional and national touchpoints.