Communications and Operations Manager

Join The Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet

Communications and Operations Manager

The Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet is looking for a versatile storyteller and organizer to serve as our Communications and Operations Manager. This is a unique opportunity to shape how our community sees and understands one of the Hudson Valley’s most ambitious cradle-to-career initiatives, while keeping the day-to-day engine of our organization running smoothly. The ideal candidate is equal parts creative communicator and organized operator: someone who can design a compelling social media post in the morning, keep the Executive Director’s calendar and the office humming through the afternoon, and draft a polished press release before the day is done.

The Communications and Operations Manager is responsible for leading the Cabinet’s external communications and digital presence while managing the internal operations, scheduling, and administrative systems that keep the organization effective. Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with all staff, this role blends communications strategy and execution with the operational backbone of a growing collective impact organization.

This position is designed for a professional who thrives on variety, moves fluidly between creative and logistical work, and takes pride in both a polished public message and a well-run office.

About the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet

Children's Cabinets are a collective impact model that reimagines youth development systems through cross-sector collaboration that centers youth and families' needs across education, economic, health, the built environment, and broader community context.

The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet was formed in 2020, an outcome of a gathering of over 20 civic leaders at Harvard University to discuss longstanding issues of educational disparities and intergenerational poverty that impact the lives of children, youth, and families in Poughkeepsie. As an outcome of the summit, the Mayor and the Superintendent of the Poughkeepsie City School District launched and became co-chairs of the Cabinet Leadership Council. A first-of-its-kind partnership and social compact was formed between the city government, public school system and key public and private anchor institutions.

We are guided by our North Star, that by 2033 over 5,000 City of Poughkeepsie young people and their families will be connected annually to transformative cradle-to-career opportunities that place them on pathways to postsecondary completion and socioeconomic mobility. A key part of the Cabinet's growth has been its ability to attract national partners to help rapidly scale its capacity and impact. Those partners include: Purpose Built Communities, The EdRedesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education; StriveTogether; William Julius Wilson at Harlem Children’s Zone; The Wallace Foundation; and others.

The Current Opportunity

As the Communications and Operations Manager, you will be the connective tissue between the Cabinet’s public voice and its internal operations. On the communications side, you will design and publish social media content, manage our digital presence, draft press releases, produce our newsletter, and serve as the Cabinet’s communications liaison to the Wallace Foundation’s Advancing Opportunities for Adolescents (AOA) initiative and its technical assistance partners, including its focus on youth-led storytelling. On the operations side, you will keep the Executive Director’s and team’s calendars, support high-quality meetings, coordinate travel and office needs, and steward the development and financial operations that keep the organization running.

This role requires exceptional attention to detail, creativity, flexibility, and the ability to shift priorities quickly while maintaining a positive and professional demeanor.

Essential Responsibilities:

Communications (50%)

Communications, Social Media & Digital Media

• Execute our three-prong social media strategy
• Design and publish engaging content across the Cabinet’s social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.), including original graphics built in Canva or similar graphic design tool.
• Own and maintain the social media content calendar, ensuring a consistent, on-brand posting cadence.
• Manage and update website content and other digital communications so they remain current and reflective of the Cabinet’s work.
• Maintain brand consistency across all materials, templates, and visual assets.
• Capture and curate photos, video, and stories from programs and events for use across channels.

Media Relations, Storytelling & Content

• Draft, edit, and distribute press releases, media advisories, and public statements.
• Build and maintain relationships with local media and manage a media contact list.
• Produce the Cabinet’s newsletter and other recurring communications to partners, funders, and community members.
• Serve as the Cabinet’s communications liaison to the Wallace AOA initiative’s technical assistance partners, contributing to youth-led storytelling and shared communications efforts.
• Support the development of reports, presentations, and marketing collateral, including the annual report.

Operations (50%)

Administrative Support

• Maintain and coordinate complex calendars for the Executive Director and team members, anticipating needs and resolving conflicts.
• Schedule meetings and events across multiple stakeholders, including funders, board members, and community partners.
• Coordinate room reservations, meeting logistics, calendar reminders, and confirmations.
• Prioritize competing scheduling requests and keep the Executive Director’s time well-organized and protected.
• Organize and file receipts and financial documentation.
• Support expense tracking and budget management.
• Assist with invoice processing and payment coordination.
• Maintain organized filing systems (physical and digital).

Meeting Support, Documentation & Office Operations

• Attend Work Group meetings; take detailed, accurate minutes and organize them into clear, actionable follow-up items.
• Distribute meeting summaries and action items to relevant stakeholders, and track completion.
• Develop meeting materials, agendas, and supporting research as directed to ensure high-quality meetings.
• Set up virtual and in-person meeting technology and logistics.
• Maintain a welcoming, organized, and well-supplied office; coordinate maintenance, vendors, and service providers.
• Research and coordinate staff travel, including flights, lodging, ground transportation, itineraries, changes, and expense tracking.
• Support special projects and events as needed, and provide backup support for other administrative functions.

Development Operations Support

• Prepare excellent research briefings to support meeting preparation.
• Record and input donor meeting notes to the CRM.
• Set up and monitor the grant calendar.
• Manage donor action trackers and prompt the Executive Director and other staff to action as needed.
• Initiate routine development communications such as tax acknowledgements, thank-you cards, etc.

All other duties and responsibilities as assigned by Executive Director

Experience and Background

Required:

• Associate’s degree in communications, marketing, business or office administration, nonprofit management, or a related field with a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience;
  • OR high school diploma plus a minimum of 8 years of administrative, communications, or operations support experience in a nonprofit, education, or professional services environment.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience creating and managing communications and social media content, including graphic design and content calendars.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience with calendar management, meeting coordination, and CRM databases.
• Demonstrated experience with office needs and logistics management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong copywriting and proofreading.

Preferred:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• Experience drafting press releases and working with local media.
• Experience managing an organizational website and email marketing platforms.
• Experience working in nonprofit organizations or community-based initiatives.
• Familiarity with collective impact models or cross-sector partnerships.
• Experience supporting executive-level staff in fast-paced environments.
• Fluent in Spanish, written and spoken.

Essential Competencies

• Creative communicator: Strong sense of visual and written storytelling; able to translate complex work into clear, compelling content.
• Detail-oriented: Exceptional attention to detail with the ability to catch errors and ensure accuracy and polish.
• Organized and quick to shift gears: Manages multiple priorities and transitions seamlessly between creative and operational tasks.
• Flexible and adaptable: Comfortable adapting to changing priorities and unexpected situations.
• Professional discretion: Handles confidential information with integrity.
• Customer service excellence: Strong interpersonal skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Sense of humor and team spirit: Brings positivity and levity to workplace challenges and contributes to a collaborative culture.

Required Technical Skills

• Proficiency using social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) in an organizational capacity.
• Proficiency with Canva or comparable graphic design tools.
• Advanced proficiency in Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets).
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Proficiency in virtual meeting platforms (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.).
• Proficiency maintaining and using CRM systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong organizational and time management abilities.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Experience with website content management systems (e.g., Wix, Squarespace, WordPress).
• Experience with email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact).
• Photography, videography, or basic video editing.
• Event planning and logistics experience.
• Project management and coordination abilities.

Role Details: Compensation and Schedule

• Reports to: Executive Director
• Employment Status: Full-time (regularly scheduled hours: 9 AM - 5 PM Monday - Friday, in-person)
• Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
• Compensation: $58,000 - $62,500; Benefits and PTO Package
• Office environment: Professional, collaborative nonprofit setting
• Physical requirements: Ability to sit for extended periods, lift up to 25 pounds, and operate standard office and presentation equipment
• Travel: Regular local travel required for meetings, events, or general office needs.

Application Process

Application Deadline: Open until filled; priority given to applications received prior to July 17, 2026. Afterward, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please email resume and cover letter as detailed below to jobs@pkchildren.org.

Applications without a responsive cover letter will not be reviewed. In your cover letter, please respond to the following questions:

• Describe a communications, social media, or storytelling effort you led from idea to published content. What was your role, what tools or platforms did you use, and what was the impact or reach?
• Tell us about a time you kept a busy office, executive, or team running smoothly amid shifting priorities. How did you stay organized and anticipate needs before they became problems?
• This role blends communications and operations for a mission-driven collective impact organization. What excites you about that combination, and how would you help tell the story of the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet?

Optionally, you may include a link to a portfolio or two to three work samples, such as social media posts, graphics, newsletters, or press releases.

Experienced, qualified applicants that do not meet 100% of listed qualifications, skills, or experience are encouraged to apply.

The Poughkeepsie Children's Cabinet provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established by applicable law. We seek to build a diverse staff representative of the communities we serve.