Communications Director

826 Boston seeks a talented and collaborative storyteller to join the Development and Communications team at 826 Boston. Far from a traditional communications role, the communications director will oversee the storied 826 Boston brand as it is used to share student writing, raise funds for transformative programs, and engage with potential partners in unexpected ways. The Communications Director reports to the Senior Director of Development and oversees two direct reports: the Publishing Manager and the Communications and Development Coordinator. 

Mission: 

826 Boston is a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization where students in grades K-12 and beyond can share their stories, amplify their voices, and develop as leaders in school and in life.

Responsibilities: 

Fundraising and Events

• Design the strategy for annual digital fundraising; lead the Annual Appeal campaign (print, email, social media), a key source of funding for 826 Boston’s programs; for monthly donors and mid-level donors; leverage 826 Boston’s generous community to raise funds through quarterly digital fundraising efforts
• Oversee the creation of event-specific materials (films, print pieces), including three major fundraisers per year
• Work with the Communications and Development Coordinator and Publishing Manager to provide support for bookstore relationships, book release parties, and other program-driven events
• Support the Communications and Development Coordinator to coordinate community events with an 826 Boston presence 

Content Development

• Design and implement a communications strategy, including a yearly calendar of campaigns and activities (i.e. emails, website content, and social media campaigns), and an online presence that reflects our commitment to our ongoing DEI and antiracism work
• Write, edit, and disseminate email communications with 826 Boston supporters; build, manage, segment, and maintain email lists in Mailchimp; oversee the timely and accurate send-out of email to new, existing, and priority email audiences 
• Collaborate across teams—and in the community—to gather, write, and coordinate content. Cultivate new, diverse voices to tell stories about our work on a variety of platforms 
• Oversee the development and implementation of a robust social media strategy and work closely with the Communications and Development Coordinator to create high-quality content, with the goal of growing the organization’s digital network and transforming followers into engaged supporters and volunteers
• Work with the executive director and members of the Senior Management Team (SMT) to guide internal communications and crisis/opportunity communication plans
• Manage and/or oversee the creation and coordination of key organizational publications, including the annual report, strategic plan executive summary, info sheets, and other materials as needed
• Oversee website content, updates, and overall accessibility 

Publishing/Branding/Design 

• Work with the Publishing Manager to oversee the publishing process for all 826 Boston publications and stories (in a variety of mediums), including the yearly signature publication, in-class publications, and occasional special projects
• Coordinate with program and development team members to ensure branding integrity across all print materials (including flyers & Canva designs), online publications, and physical spaces 
• Coordinate the creation of templates as needed for print and online materials; consult on materials as needed (e.g., in-school event programs and flyers) 

Public Relations and Thought Leadership

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with the press to increase 826 Boston’s brand awareness; seek and capitalize on new opportunities for coverage and timely thought leadership pieces
• Oversee strategy to support the increased awareness/visibility of 826 Boston and develop 826 Boston as a thought leader in its field, identifying key stories, media pitches, and strategies with the Executive Director and Development Director
• Serve as the liaison for awareness-building partnerships that can amplify student voice

Personnel Management 

• Provide team management support to the Development Director, including but not limited to overseeing the onboarding of new team members, helping to develop team priorities and strategy, building out yearly budgets, contributing innovative practices to department meetings, helping to build team rapport, and coordinating quarterly reporting presentations
• Supervise the Communications and Development Coordinator and the Publishing Manager

Qualifications: 

The ideal candidate is a team player with a steadfast commitment to improving the quality of K-12 education, including adopting antiracist/anti-oppressive approaches, with a desire to work in a collaborative and inclusive culture and a passion for youth empowerment through writing and publishing.

826 Boston recognizes that impostor syndrome and the confidence gap might prevent some applicants from applying. Few candidates will have all of the relevant experience listed below, but 826 Boston is committed to assessing candidates with transferable skills and a willingness to be trained for this role.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience with fundraising
• A track record of diligence in proofreading
• Experience as a graphic designer or working with designers to promote a cause or brand
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering community, building a strong sense of team, and embracing values of diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Demonstrated organizational, time management, project management, and resource management skills; experience overseeing a direct report 
• Knowledge of social and racial justice, intersectionality, BIPoC and LGBTQIA+ history, and historic/current systems of oppression
• Ability to travel to 826 Boston offices located in Roxbury, MA
• Proficiency with the following programs is very important: Google Suite, any website content management system, any bulk email program
• Proficiency with the following programs is a bonus: Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Salesforce, any book publishing platform, any podcast or audio platform

This role requires regular in-person hours. Typical hours are: 

• Tuesday & Thursday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (in-person, flexible with start and end times if needed)
• Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (remote, flexible with start and end times if needed) 
• Hours will include evening and weekend events on occasion, which are subject to a flexible comp-time policy

Compensation:

Salary is $70,000 a year. Benefits include generous paid time off (including vacation, sick leave, holidays, and a two-week winter break); health and dental insurance (826 Boston covers 80% of premiums); parental leave; and more.

This is an exempt, full-time position that reports to the Senior Director of Development. The ideal start date for this position is as soon as possible. 

826 Boston Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement 

At 826 Boston, we honor and actively work toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across our organization. We are committed to centering the voices of the students who we serve, to creating inclusive spaces, and to incorporating feedback from our community into our decision-making processes. Our DEI lens is always evolving through the courageous conversations in which we participate and the relationships that we build through our work and service. We strengthen our cultural competency through experience, training, and feedback, which informs the development of all new organizational practices and goals and the evaluation of all existing procedures.

826 Boston is dedicated to providing a platform for student advocacy through writing and publishing opportunities. In our work and mission, we are committed to dismantling white supremacy culture by recognizing that we are complicit in systems of racism and oppression. We will work to hold ourselves accountable in addressing these harmful structures and behaviors. To learn more about our DEI Action Plans across the organization, please click here. 

About Us

826 Boston is part of a national network of youth writing centers, co-founded by the award-winning author Dave Eggers and educator Nínive Calegari, which were named in GOOD Magazine’s “30 Places We Want to Work.” Since opening in 2007, 826 Boston has delivered its free youth writing and tutoring programs to more than 32,000 students and has been recognized by The Boston Globe as one of the best places in the city to volunteer. 826 Boston’s youth writers have published their work in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and in numerous award-winning 826 Boston books, including A Place for Me in the World, which was hailed as a “triumph of middle school education” by The Boston Globe. In 2013, the 826 National network garnered the prestigious American Literacy Prize awarded by the Library of Congress.

Accommodations

826 Boston provides reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities at every stage of the application process. Disclosing a disability or requesting a need for accommodations is a separate process from admissions and will have absolutely no bearing on a candidate’s application status. 826 Boston will make every effort to meet your request, but specific requests are not guaranteed. If you need to request an accommodation, please contact Catherine Gomez at catherine@826boston.org.

How to Apply

Please include why you are interested in 826 Boston and how your experience has prepared you for this position in your cover letter. The priority application deadline for this position is May 30. After that date, applications will be considered on a rolling basis. It is in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits include generous paid time off (including vacation, sick leave, holidays, and a two-week winter break); health and dental insurance (826 Boston covers 80% of premiums); parental leave; and more.

Please include why you are interested in 826 Boston and how your experience has prepared you for this position in your cover letter. The priority application deadline for this position is May 30. After that date, applications will be considered on a rolling basis. It is in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.