Director of Communications

Organization: Oakland Promise

Location: Oakland (Hybrid)

Reports to: Chief Development Officer

Position Type: Full-time, exempt position (12-month contract) with benefits and possibility for extension or conversion.

About Oakland Promise

Oakland Promise is a cradle-to-career organization dedicated to advancing economic mobility through education and wealth-building for Oakland families. As we enter our second decade, we are deepening our focus on ensuring that every child not only graduates from college, but also builds lasting financial stability and generational wealth.

Position Overview

The Director of Communications is a strategic and creative leader responsible for shaping and advancing Oakland Promise’s public narrative, brand, and visibility during a pivotal period of organizational growth. As a member of the six-person Development & Communications team, this role will lead organization-wide communications efforts that support fundraising, storytelling, and community engagement.

The Director will serve as a key thought partner to executive leadership and help position Oakland Promise as a leading voice in education, economic mobility, and wealth-building locally and nationally. This is a high-impact role that will guide communications strategy through several major organizational priorities, including Oakland Promise’s 10-Year Anniversary, strategic fundraising campaigns, and an evolving narrative centered on generational wealth and long-term economic opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Communications & Brand Leadership

• Lead Oakland Promise’s overarching communications strategy, brand positioning, and public narrative across all channels.
• Develop and execute integrated communications plans aligned with organizational priorities, including policy initiatives, organizational changes, programmatic impact, and evaluation findings.
• Ensure consistency, clarity, and strength of voice across internal and external communications (e.g. internal and external newsletters, thought leadership, social media channels, etc).
• Serve as the organization’s marketing lead, overseeing brand standards, messaging frameworks, editorial direction, and campaign prioritization.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to program teams in developing communications strategies that advance programmatic goals, community engagement, and participant recruitment - including citywide awareness campaigns, mentor recruitment initiatives, and place-based outreach efforts.
• Partner closely with executive leadership to identify strategic storytelling and visibility opportunities.

Communications, Content & Storytelling

Lead communications strategy and execution for major organizational initiatives, including:

• 10-Year Anniversary Campaign
• Place-based initiatives
• Annual / Anniversary Report
• Scholar, family, and community storytelling campaigns
• Video production and multimedia content

Additional responsibilities include:

• Translating complex programmatic and evaluation data into compelling, accessible narratives.
• Writing and editing high-quality copy for campaigns, speeches, reports, landing pages, brochures, donor communications, and promotional materials.
• Providing creative direction and oversight for visual assets and collateral in partnership with designers and external vendors.
• Overseeing Oakland Promise’s digital presence, including website content, social media strategy, and email communications.

Media Relations & Thought Leadership

• Lead media relations strategy, including press outreach, media partnerships, and earned media opportunities.
• Position Oakland Promise as a leading voice in education, economic mobility, and wealth-building.
• Prepare executive leadership for media appearances, speaking engagements, interviews, and public-facing opportunities.
• Draft press releases, talking points, op-eds, and external messaging materials.

External Engagement & Visibility

• Serve as a primary communications liaison to local, statewide, and national coalitions and partners.
• In collaboration with the Executive Team, represent Oakland Promise at convenings, advocacy events, conferences, and cross-sector partnerships as appropriate.
• Contribute to policy and field-building communications aligned with organizational priorities.
• Provide strategic communications oversight for high-profile organizational events, including the Annual Awards Ceremony and anniversary-related activations.
• Ensure events are leveraged as opportunities for storytelling, fundraising, community engagement, and brand visibility.
• Help drive the organization’s visibility through strategic participation in community events, panels, and public forums.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of experience in communications, public relations, marketing, or related fields, including at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record of leading organization-wide communications strategies and high-impact campaigns.
• Strong experience in media relations and earned media placement.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex ideas, data, and programmatic impact into compelling narratives.
• Experience supporting fundraising communications and donor engagement strongly preferred.
• Background in education, nonprofit, philanthropy, public sector, or mission-driven organizations preferred.
• Exceptional writing, editing, messaging, and storytelling skills.
• Strong project management, cross-functional leadership, and stakeholder management abilities.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong execution skills
• Excellent project and campaign management capabilities
• Skilled storyteller and narrative architect
• Strong editorial judgment and communications instincts
• Calm, adaptable, and effective in high-stakes or fast-paced environments
• Collaborative leader with a community-centered approach and strong commitment to teamwork and cross-functional partnership

• Full-time, exempt position (12-month contract) with benefits and possibility for extension or conversion.
• Hiring range for this role is $110,000 to $120,000 based on skill sets and experience.
• Oakland Promise offers a competitive benefits package, which includes dental /health/ vision, paid vacations and sick days and a 401k match up to 3%.
• Oakland Promise currently has a hybrid work policy.
• The ability to learn and grow within a supportive team environment.
• An opportunity to network and interact with leaders in the community.
• Some evening and weekend hours may be required

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