URI Director of Communications

 

Position Description  

ABOUT UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE

Founded in 2000, the United Religions Initiative (URI) is a global interfaith network that promotes peace and justice by engaging people at the grassroots level to bridge religious and cultural differences and work together for the good of their communities and the world.

The purpose of URI is to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence, and to create cultures of peace, justice, and healing for the Earth and all living beings. Grassroots groups called Cooperation Circles (CCs) are the foundational unit, the center, and the life of URI. Self-governing and self-funding, they bring people of all beliefs together to address the most pressing issues facing their communities, building bridges of compassion and understanding between people of different religious and cultural traditions. The global network presently consists of over 1,000 CCs in 112 countries. 

Working together, groups of URI members from diverse belief traditions identify and address pressing problems with grassroots ingenuity.  Projects and programs undertaken by our CCs serve one or more of 14 Action Areas, including the Environment, Health & Social Services, Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Peacebuilding, Women, and Youth.

URI cultivates and uplifts the CC network through eight regional offices around the world and a Global Support Office in San Francisco. URI is governed by a Global Council of Trustees elected by & from member CCs. For more information visit www.uri.org.

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

The Director of Global Communications leads the organization’s internal and external communications and marketing strategies that showcase URI as a key player in global grassroots interfaith harmony and peacebuilding efforts. This role is responsible for collaborating with URI global and regional staff members, trustees, and external marketing or communications partners. The Director oversees all aspects of Communications and Marketing strategy development and implementation to broaden URI’s visibility and bring awareness to the impact of the URI network’s grassroots efforts. The Director reports to the Executive Director and serves on the Directors Team of the Global Support Office staff.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

ROLE: Marketing & Communications (70%)

  • Partners with the Executive Director and Departmental Directors to strengthen URI’s strategic communications strategies to connect with donors, supporters, partners, and members, and to showcase the impact URI is making through its grassroots efforts.
  • Leads the formulation and execution of a global communications strategy that is in coherence with URI’s strategic plan and programmatic needs.
  • Develops, executes, and evaluates external and internal communications campaigns, identifying successes and opportunities to adjust plans.
  • Plans, manages, provides, and sources content to elevate external regional communications and visibility globally through URI’s website, publications, social media channels, and other means. 
  • Provides communications training and guidance to international staff and stakeholders, to ensure strong regional and global content.
  • Works with URI colleagues, grassroots members, and other stakeholders to gather stories, data, and information to be shared across URI’s external and internal communications platforms.
  • Designs and implements internal communications strategies and processes that connect URI’s network of Cooperation Circles and other stakeholders.
  • Collaborates with appropriate teams and provides stewardship in the development and production of all marketing and communications materials.
  • Drafts URI press releases, and communicates with media, influencers, and other external sources to raise URI’s visibility and publicize events and news. 
  • Crafts messaging for a global audience, with sensitivity to religious, cultural, political, geographic, economic, and other differences.
  • Strategizes and closely collaborates with URI’s Development Team to design and produce effective materials for current and prospective donors.
  • Leads communications support for URI events, such as its annual Circles of Light Gala.
  • Provides communications support on URI’s Individual Membership program.
  • Oversees and updates designs for URI’s website, branding guidelines, and other important communications tools as needed.
  • Seeks additional opportunities for communications, marketing, and co-branding of URI’s name and stories.
  • Oversees URI media monitoring.

ROLE: People Management (30%)

  • Provides strong project management and leadership, including through the supervision of relevant staff, interns, and volunteers.
  • Manages relationships with appropriate external contractors and agencies, such as those that produce marketing and communication materials and videos. Provides strong guidance, to ensure materials stay within brand guidelines and achieve the intended look and feel based on the established marketing or communications strategy.

COMPETENCIES/QUALIFICATIONS include:

  • Passion for communicating with impact and strong appeal across demographic and international boundaries.
  • Demonstrated project management skills.
  • Ability to share URI’s mission, stories, and vision to those both familiar and unfamiliar with the organization.
  • Ability to build rapport and effectively collaborate with URI leadership team members around the world, as well as with grassroots members and other stakeholders.
  • Ability to create and implement strong strategic marketing and communications plans.
  • Superior writing, storytelling, and communications skills. Ability to translate informal grassroots stories into compelling articles, social media posts, and other communications materials.
  • Strong social and conventional media skills, with significant related experience.
  • Experience working with development/fundraising teams.
  • Ability to see both the big picture and the small details, and manage strategies and projects accordingly.
  • Experience with adapting to marketing analytics; able to translate marketing trends into effective campaigns.
  • Design experience with Photoshop, InDesign, and other programs preferred.
  • Ability to manage a remote team.
  • Highly collaborative and flexible working style. Comfort in coordinating with colleagues globally, sometimes outside of traditional working hours in the United States.
  • Commitment to personal and organizational learning as part of a diverse global community.
  • Commitment to raising both celebrations and challenging issues, and to engage reflectively in related conversations.
  • Commitment to embrace URI’s vision and values, as described in its Preamble, Purpose, and Principles.
  • Ability to occasionally travel domestically and internationally.
  • Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Marketing, or relevant field of study. 
  • 10+ years of communications experience.
  • 3+ years of leadership experience.
  • Significant interfaith and/or intercultural experience highly preferred.
  • International non-profit experience preferred.
  • Demonstrated superior English-language oral and written communication skills. Fluency in other languages is a plus. 

TERM: This is a full-time position, 5 days per week.  

SALARY: Commensurate with experience

LOCATION: The successful candidate will live, and already be legally permitted to work, in the United States of America.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

TO APPLY:  Send a cover letter stating why you believe your qualifications are a match for the position, your résumé and two references to [email protected], with the Subject line: “Application for Communications Director Position from YOUR NAME”.  Applications will be accepted until June 18, 2021, or until the position is filled.