Communications Director
New Haven, Connecticut
Communications & Brand Marketing (CBM) /
Full Time /
Hybrid
Planned Parenthood of Southern New England
Care. No Matter What.
We are Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, one of the region’s largest and most trusted providers of reproductive health care. We are recognized for the wide array of services we provide, the outstanding sexual health education we deliver, and our strong commitment to social justice. Working for Planned Parenthood is more than a job; it’s being a part of a powerful movement. Together, we’ll take pride in shaping the future of sexual health and reproductive rights for all people.
Reporting to the Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Communications, the Communications Director takes the lead in planning and implementing strategic communications for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE), Planned Parenthood Votes! Connecticut (PPV!CT) and Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island (PPV!RI). This role provides communications and message leadership in several key focus areas, including media relations, rapid response communications, philanthropic communications, executive communications, and employee communications. The Communications Director serves as the message expert for the organizations’ health care, education, and advocacy work, collaborating closely with the Brand and Marketing Director to ensure clear, compelling, and consistent brand narratives for all three organizations. The Communications Director supervises the Communications Officer and manages, through influence, several cross-functional communications projects and processes.
Primary Responsibilities
- Communications Strategy Management: Leads planning and execution of strategies that advance PPSNE, PPV!CT, and PPV!RI communications goals; takes a customer-oriented approach to partnering with other functions to support achievement of their goals through communications strategies and tactics.
- Demonstrates message fluency across all core mission delivery areas (health care, education, and advocacy); has the capacity to serve as organizational spokesperson on these topics.
- Develops and maintains deep understanding of key external audiences across organizational functions and geographies served by PPSNE, PPV!CT, and PPV!RI.
- Understands and leverages communications opportunities to support strategic organizational functions including philanthropy and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).
- Collaborates with COS/Head of Strategic Communications on crisis communications management; oversees implementation of rapid response communications efforts.
- Serves as a thought partner to the COS/Head of Strategic Communications to guide executive and internal communications strategies and implementation of select tactics.
- Media Relations Management: Plans long-term and issue driven media strategies with key evaluation measures to advance PPSNE’s goals.
- Develops and implements media plans for major organization priorities (including legislative sessions and elections in CT and RI, awareness campaigns and key annual observances, breaking news, and events).
- Builds and maintains relationships with key reporters in CT and RI.
- Plans and pitches stories to local, regional, and national media.
- Provides both on-site and remote support for media engagement events; coordinates and staffs press conferences, media visits to health centers, elected official visits, and on-site/in studio media interviews.
- Supports organizational spokespeople for media engagements; plans and delivers media and message training for staff and other PPSNE surrogates, including Board members, students, volunteers, and advocates.
- Leadership and Collaboration: Serves as a member of the Communications & Brand Marketing department leadership team to execute clear, consistent, on-brand communications and media strategies that advance strategic organizational priorities.
- Supervises the Communications Officer, who is responsible for producing editorial and digital content, publications project management, email communications, and media relations support; takes a leadership role in facilitating effective cross-functional collaborations.
- Supports the COS/Head of Strategic Communications, the President/CEO, and other spokespeople in ways that increase organizational visibility and impact.
- Participates in key department management activities including annual department planning and communications budget management.
- Establishes and maintains relationships with communications vendors; supervises vendor relationship management and related processes carried out by other members of the CBM team.
- Advances the organization’s commitment to social justice and helps foster a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
- Data + Analytics: Analyzes and incorporates data, polling, and research into communications and media strategies.
- Provides high-level messaging and research counsel to organizational leadership.
- Monitors, reports on, and optimizes communications and media metrics in partnership with the Communications Officer, to ensure demonstrated impact of communication strategies and shape needs for future initiatives.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, journalism, public policy, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience, with increasing responsibility and leadership in communications and/or media relations.
- Experience working in a strategic role, utilizing the balance of creative and analytical thinking.
- 1-2 years of experience supervising staff, ideally across various focus areas of work.
- Proven ability to effectively communicate with diverse audiences, including the media, legislators, donors, partner organizations and broader engagement with supporters and the general public.
- Ability to effectively navigate a fast-paced work environment with changing priorities and at times a high degree of ambiguity; simultaneously handle multiple projects with competing deadlines and needs.
- In-depth experience with message strategy and development in one or more of the organization’s core mission delivery areas (health care, education, and advocacy); demonstrate a willingness and ability to develop content expertise across all three areas.
- Exceptional writing and editing skills. Demonstrated ability to handle controversial issues and to translate technical health and policy information to broad audiences.
- Strong relationships with local media and progressive organizations in Connecticut and/or Rhode Island.
- Excellent interpersonal skills, including a high level of self-awareness, empathy, and humility; ability to work and build trust across cultural differences as well as to effectively communicate across differences.
- Demonstrated understanding of the role that racial inequity plays in our society and its impact on health care, education, public policy, and advocacy.
- Ability to manage a programmatic budget, balancing vendors and internal projects.
- Availability to work flexible hours, including weekend and evening as required.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred.
- Must reside in Connecticut or be willing to relocate to Connecticut within first 60 days of hire.
$69,822 - $116,370 a year
This positions annual salary* range is: MIN: $69,822 MID: $93,096 MAX: $116,370 and is based on full years of experience
*Due to our commitment to equity and fairness PPSNE does not negotiate salaries.
PPSNE is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values diversity and inclusion and reflects the diversity of our communities and patients. We strongly encourage people of color and members of the LGBTQ community to apply.
PPSNE offers a comprehensive benefit package which includes; Health, dental and vision insurance, paid parental leave, retirement savings, tuition reimbursement, generous paid time off, a flexible spending account, wellness program and more.
