Director Of Strategic CommunicationsFriends Of The Los Angeles River (FoLAR) Seeks a Dynamic, Creative, And Highly Organized Strategist To Lead Public Communications, Cause Marketing, And Digital Advocacy Campaigns That Invite Angelenos Into Our Mission!Salary Range
$70K - $75K, negotiable based on skills/experienceReports to:
Chief Development OfficerAbout the OrganizationEstablished in 1986, FoLAR builds capacity for communities, students, and future leaders to advocate for nature, climate, and equity on the Los Angeles River. We envision a verdant LA River that supports vulnerable communities in climate adaptation. The River will be transformed into a dynamic, functioning ecosystem that reduces flood risk, cleans the air, cools temperatures, and supports the biodiversity essential to our collective wellbeing.About the RoleThe goal of this position is to bring attention to the River and FoLAR’s work and motivate action - educating, advocating, volunteering, learning, storytelling, donating - through media savvy, intersectional, strategic, and well-informed communications.Reporting to our Chief Development Officer, the Director of Communications is a cross-functional role leading FoLAR’s brand awareness, communications, creative strategy, public and media relations, fundraising, and executive positioning to raise the organization’s profile and to connect Angelenos with the intersectional issues of the Los Angeles River including its role in nature-based climate adaptation.The Director is responsible for collaborating across departments to identify and run high-profile, effective, and innovative campaigns and strategic communications. FoLAR is known for its reach and ability to mobilize people for volunteerism, advocacy, and public events. Our power to create change comes from our ability to engage and activate the diverse communities and stakeholders connected to the LA River. This role is the tip of the spear in creating that leverage through mobilizing large groups of engaged community members.Specific Responsibilities:Create highly-organized communications plans and calendars that are updated for reference by multiple internal stakeholders.Use cutting edge digital tactics to grow our social media following significantly and engage with followers to foster an actively connected community with the LA River. Focus on reaching and sharing the experiences of vulnerable communities that have been historically under-recognized in environmental movements.Collaborate with the operations, development, policy, and education teams to identify programmatic, educational, volunteerism, storytelling, and calls-to-action campaigns.Identify, predict, strategize, and implement rapid response campaigns in response to current and emerging events.Create or oversee the creation of mass promotional campaigns for FoLAR’s three annual major events (Great LA River CleanUp, River Fest, and Earth Day) as well as our year-round community events.Represent FoLAR in digital advocacy coalition spaces.Manage collaborative projects with aligned organizations on shared issues as well as all community engagement-related grants or projects.Lead the development of relevant talking points for campaigns and issues to be used by the FoLAR staff and Board.Develop and manage FoLAR’s Communications Department budget and guide relationships with related contractors.Supervise FoLAR’s Storytelling Communications Coordinator and communications internships.Work closely with FoLAR’s Chief Development Officer and Development Team to create and execute high-impact and mission-aligned fundraising campaigns.Manage the FoLAR website and work with FoLAR’s Development Team to co-manage our online donation and events platform.Collect, organize, and analyze digital engagement data to guide communications strategies and track audience engagement across platforms.Develop engaging, easy to understand, and evidence-based science communication content related to the LA River.Staff the Communications Committee of the board and gain their insights in further refining communications strategies.Interface with a variety of media and press with the specific goal of gaining earned media attention.Collaborate with organizing and campaigns teams on overlapping programmatic priorities including, but not limited to, political education, activist training opportunities, and mass mobilizations.Required Qualifications:Must have a Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, political science, or related field; equivalent professional experience will also be considered.Must have at least seven (7) years of experience in non-profit, campaign, social impact, or advocacy communications and thoroughly understands digital communications and cause marketing, including email, text, and social media campaigning.Must have working knowledge of social media strategy and building an active following.Must have a proven ability to lead interdepartmental teams, multi-organization coalitions, and third-party contractors, controlling timelines and budgets, anticipating issues, and working towards solutions to complex problems.Must be an expert communicator and comfortable communicating across all levels, both up and down the organization.Able to understand and work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.Must have experience in setting and collecting data and performance metrics to achieve quarterly and annual metrics goals while maximizing reach and impact.Strong organizational skills required.Must have a passion for civic engagement, climate resilience and/or the environment and environmental/social justice.Knowledge of website management, SEO, privacy, and digital accessibility standards.Must be located in Los Angeles County and able to work productively both in-office and remotely.Must be committed to and aligned with diversity, equity, and inclusion as core tenets of our work.Additional Preferred Qualifications:Spanish fluency strongly preferredExperience managing budgets strongly preferredBackground in environmentalism, climate change, water, or related field strongly preferredProven PR and media experience strongly preferredExperience in advocacy, public engagement, community-based social marketing, and/or community organizing is preferredKnowledge of and network in Los Angeles’ non-profit and activist community and environmental landscape is strongly preferredWhat We Offer (benefits)Competitive salary based on experienceHealth, dental, and vision insurance ( 75% covered)403b retirement planTwo weeks paid vacation in addition to 12 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, and additional paid time off between Christmas and New YearsGenerous family leave and sabbatical leave opportunitiesFlexible work schedule and remote work options based on individual and team needsClose, passionate, fun, and creative team environmentOpportunities to grow with the organizationBeautiful office locationApplication ProcessIf you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, don’t let that stop you! If you think you offer what it takes to excel in this role, are non-conformist, have a sense of humor, and a passion for the environment and climate action - please apply!To apply for this position, please email your cover letter, resume, AND at least two writing or one writing and one campaign sample to
jason@folar.org with “ [NAME] - Director of Communications Application” in the subject line. Format is important; please send the cover letter in the body of the email as text and any documents (resume, etc.) as easily accessible attachments. No calls or walk-ins.Equity at FoLARThe LA River traverses through diverse communities of people, plants, and geographies. It provides an opportunity to reshape our environment in a way that is more inclusive, equitable, and just. We are committed to building a team, leadership, and a River Movement that is as diverse as the communities the River touches. We believe in working with nature and alongside communities to achieve climate resilience, park equity, and environmental health for all.Friends of the Los Angeles River is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or national origin. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.