VP, Communications & Marketing
APPLY FOR THE POSITION OF
VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
POSITION PROSPECTUS
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
Overview
Easterseals offers a unique opportunity for a highly motivated and accomplished professional to join its team as Vice President of Communications & Marketing (VP). The ideal candidate will be a leader with exceptional strategy, communications, analysis, and listening skills.
Easterseals DC MD VA
For more than 100 years, Easterseals has been leading the world to full equity, inclusion, and access for all people through life-changing disability and community services. For children and adults with disabilities; for veterans and seniors; for children from low-income families; and for their families, caregivers, neighbors, and friends, Easterseals delivers support to enhance quality of life. We’re reducing poverty and homelessness, improving health care and employment, and empowering people of all ages and abilities to be full and equal participants in their communities.
Easterseals DC MD VA (ESDCMDVA) (www.eseal.org) is the affiliate serving Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Our Mission is to make profound, positive differences in the daily lives of people of all ages with disabilities, special needs, military backgrounds and their families, and our Vision is to create a hopeful, inclusive community where all people realize their potential and live meaningful lives. We live these goals by providing education, healthcare, and employment services to thousands of children and adults in our area, helping them overcome barriers to well-being, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, or any other group affiliation. More than half the individuals we serve each year are low- and moderate-income.
We deliver exceptional services through a network of 8 sites and in-home care, providing Adult Medical Day Care, Early Child Development and Education (including Head Start), Therapy, Respite, Behavioral Health Care and Workforce Development services where participants and their families find support, hope, medical care, and enjoyable activities. We are an independent 501(c)3 with a local Board of Directors focused on focused on creating a hopeful, inclusive community where all individuals realize their potential and live meaningful lives.
Our dedicated staff of approximately 225 professionals includes specialists in education, therapy, senior services, social work, assistive technology, nursing, and related professions. As part of the Easterseals international network, we draw on the resources of almost 25,000 professionals to stay at the cutting edge of service delivery.
Core Values
- Respect: We treat one another fairly. We value the uniqueness and dignity of each member of our community by honoring the choices our participants make and goals they set for themselves, as well as the ideas of our staff and volunteers. We appreciate our collective strength.
- Responsibility: We share an obligation to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to benefit the organization and its participants. We are good stewards of organizational resources and are accountable for our actions.
- Integrity: We conduct business ethically. We hold ourselves to a high moral standard and speak up when a correction is needed. We communicate openly, honestly, and directly.
- Innovation: We are willing to embrace new ideas, take measured risks, and find better ways to help more people.
- Care: We show compassion for others. We assume the best about everyone we encounter. We strive to live our mission each day.
Organizational Leadership and Governance
Board of Directors
ESDCMDVA’s Board has been recognized with the “Excellence in Board Leadership” Award by The Center for Nonprofit Advancement and the “Best Board in the World” Award from Easterseals, Inc. The Board, particularly the Marketing Committee, will partner closely with the VP to advance ESDCMDVA’s marketing and communications – they are actively supportive of our Strategic Plan and the related Marketing Plan.
To learn more about the Board of Directors click here.
Jon Horowitch, President & CEO
Jon Horowitch is committed to changing lives of individuals with disabilities and complex needs. Jon first joined Easterseals as a member of the Board of Directors in 2007 and became Chief Operating Officer in 2011. In February 2017, Jon was named President and Chief Executive Officer.
Before joining Easterseals, Mr. Horowitch had a long career in the for-profit sector at leading companies including Capital One, Global Crossing, Credit Suisse, and AT Kearney and served on the Easterseals DC MD VA Board of Directors as well as other volunteer positions. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and with honors in History from Williams College.
Senior Leadership Team
The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) brings a diverse array of expertise, competencies, perspectives, and personality traits to the organization. The VP will be a member of the SLT and be a key voice on achieving organizational objectives. To learn more about the SLT, click here.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the President & CEO, the VP will lead the Communications and Marketing function of ESDCMDVA and be responsible for executing, measuring the results of, and continuously enhancing an integrated brand and customer segment strategy and related activities focused on:
- Building awareness of our work and the value we create for the community
- Driving leads and enrollment across programs
- Growing the donor base and funds raised
- Enhancing employee recruiting and retention
The VP will be a business leader who effectively partners with the Board (particularly the Marketing Committee), the SLT and Program leadership, Development, and the Marketing and Communications Team, comprising a Communications & Grants Manager, a Digital Marketing Specialist, and an Outreach Strategy & Partnerships Manager. The VP will also be a relationship-builder who can engage reporters/social media influencers as well as pro bono support for the organization (such as media sponsorships, agency work).
The VP will have demonstrated expertise at setting strategy, driving its execution, and measuring both the direct results of activities as well as their impact on overarching business goals. This is a hands-on position and the VP will also be actively engaged in the day-to-day work of the team.
Key Responsibilities
- A senior member of the Easterseals team, helping drive organizational strategy and performance as a member of the SLT
- Responsible for developing and implementing marketing plans, including optimizing and revising as appropriate to drive results:
- Leverages a strong understanding of paid, owned, and earned marketing channels and experience developing and implementing marketing plans to deliver results. This includes creative and content development, media planning, partnerships, PR, etc.
- Leads development of affiliate messaging and oversees and updates talking point documents and brand voice guidelines.
- Oversees development of creative assets.
- Develops and manages to annual operating plan including communications calendar and budget.
- Oversees media relations and ensures collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships with key media outlets, beats and reporters/producers, and expansion of media database.
- Lead communicator for ESDCMDVA:
- Speaks effectively to media and coaches other executives and Board members for media appearances; continuously enhances crisis communications plan.
- Serves as the Communications & Marketing Department liaison to the Marketing Committee of the Board, engaging them in supporting marketing activity and providing regular strategic and performance updates/reports, and effectively communicates with the Board.
- Leads the Communications & Marketing team to ensure all key activities are performed, measured, and monitored and that the team’s skills grow over time:
- Establishes and monitors performance against marketing KPIs; summarizes activities and progress effectively to senior management and the Board through dashboards.
- Coaches and mentors the Communications & Marketing staff to develop their skills, increase their performance, and enhance their engagement with the department and ESDCMDVA as a whole.
- Ensures all facets of marketing and communications proceed effectively and efficiently, including digital, PR, earned media; written and video materials, including client story videos and other event collateral; advertising, signage, etc.
Personal Characteristics
It is important that the VP be actively engaged in and supportive of the mission of Easterseals. A passion for creating opportunities for people with disabilities, from low-income families, and veterans/military families to overcome barriers to well-being will be crucial to success.
The successful candidate will be a thoughtful, strategic individual who applies a disciplined, metrics-based approach to communications and has a strong drive for results. He or she will be savvy at building relationships both inside and outside the organization, and will have an appetite for both hands-on communications activities as well as strategy-setting and leadership. Strong business acumen will drive confidence from the Board and SLT colleagues, while operating skills such as organizing, planning, delegation, and team development will be crucial to building rapport and confidence of the staff. The candidate should have a demonstrated ability to adapt to changing circumstances and think on one’s feet.
Required Qualifications
- Demonstrated strategic leadership of marketing and communications function - proven track record of metrics-based management of communications and marketing as well as delivering high-quality, impactful communications
- Strong understanding of paid, owned, and earned marketing channels and experience developing and implementing marketing plans
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills as well as executive presence dealing with the public, media, and Board
- Passion for the Easterseals mission
- Proven ability to motivate staff and volunteers
- Experience overseeing and tracking budgets
- Expert at time management and bias toward action
- At least ten years of marketing and communications experience
- At least five years of management experience
- Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends (e.g., attending events, press contacts)
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent military service experience
Desired Qualifications
- MBA or master’s degree in related field
- Demonstrated ability to engage press and/or social media influencers
To Apply: Contact Tracey Williams, Vice President of Human Resources, at twilliams@eseal.org.
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