Director of Strategic Communications

Position Description

Salary Range: $70K - $75K, negotiable based on skills/experience

Reports to: COO/CFO

Ideal Start Date: May 15, 2022

Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR) seeks a dynamic, creative, and highly organized strategist to lead public communications, cause marketing, and digital advocacy campaigns for Friends of the Los Angeles River. 

About the Organization

Established in 1986, FoLAR envisions a verdant Los Angeles River that supports vulnerable communities in climate adaptation. The River will be transformed into a dynamic, functioning ecosystem that reduces flood risk, cleans the air, cools temperatures, and supports the biodiversity essential to our collective wellbeing. FoLAR builds capacity for communities, students, and future leaders to advocate for nature, climate, and equity on the Los Angeles River.

The LA River traverses through diverse communities of people, plants, and geographies. It provides an opportunity to reshape our environment in a way that is more inclusive, equitable, and just. We are committed to building a team, leadership, and a River Movement that is as diverse as the communities the River touches. We believe in working with nature and alongside communities to achieve climate resilience, park equity, and environmental health for all.

Friends of the Los Angeles River is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or national origin. Women and people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the Role

Reporting to our COO/CFO, the Director of Communications is a cross-functional role leading FoLAR’s brand awareness, communications, creative strategy, public and media relations, and executive positioning to raise the organization’s profile and to connect Angelenos with the intersectional issues of the Los Angeles River and the importance of nature-based climate adaptation in and along the river. The Director is responsible for working with all other departments of the organization to identify and run high-profile, effective, and innovative campaigns and strategic communications. FoLAR is known for its reach and ability to mobilize people for volunteerism, advocacy, and public events. Our power to create change comes from our ability to leverage supporters, audiences, and interested citizens. This role is the tip of the spear in creating that leverage through mobilizing large groups of engaged citizens. 

The ultimate goal of this position is to bring attention to the River and FoLAR’s work and motivate action - advocating, volunteering, donating -  through media savvy, intersectional, strategic, and well-informed communications.

FoLAR staff are currently working from home in Los Angeles. Our office will reopen in a flexible hybrid model (date TBD). Our return to office plan is contingent on public health safety protocols and we are committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our team members. On an optional basis, our Los Angeles office is currently open to staff (with proof of vaccination and booster).

The new Director of Communications will be expected to:

• Create communications plans and calendars that are highly-organized and consistently updated for reference of multiple internal stakeholders.
• Use cutting edge digital tactics that markedly grow our social media following and convert those followers to activities on the river. 
• Collaborate with the operations, development, policy, and education teams to identify programmatic, educational, volunteerism, and calls-to-action campaigns.
• Identify, predict, strategize, and implement rapid response campaigns in response to current and emerging events. 
• Create or oversee the creation of promotional and informative materials and calls-to-action to be sent through mass communications. 
• Represent FoLAR in digital advocacy coalition spaces.
• Regularly identify and run collaborative projects with aligned organizations on shared issues.
• Lead the development of relevant talking points for campaigns and issues to be used by the FoLAR staff and Board.
• Staff the Communications Committee of the board and gain their insights in further refining communications strategies.
• Interface with a variety of media and press with the specific goal of gaining earned media attention.
• Collaborate with organizing and campaigns teams on overlapping programmatic priorities including but not limited to political education, activist training opportunities, and mass mobilizations.
• Manage project and departmental budgets, contractors, and team members.

Required Qualifications 

• Must have a Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, political science, or related field; equivalent professional experience will also be considered.
• Must have at least seven (7) years of experience in non-profit, campaign, social impact, or advocacy communications and thoroughly understands digital communications and cause marketing, including email, text, and social media campaigning.
• Must have working knowledge of social media strategy and building an active following.
• Must have a proven ability to lead interdepartmental teams, multi-organization coalitions, and third-party contractors, controlling timelines and budgets, anticipating issues, and working towards solutions to complex problems.
• Must be an expert communicator and comfortable communicating across all levels, both up and down the organization.
• Able to understand and work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Must have experience in setting and collecting data and performance metrics to surpass annual metrics and maximize reach and impact.
• Strong organizational skills required.
• Must have a passion for civic engagement, climate resilience and/or the environment and environmental/social justice.
• Must be located in Los Angeles County and able to work productively both in-office and remotely.
• Must be committed to and aligned with diversity, equity, and inclusion as core tenets of our work.

Additional Preferred Qualifications 

• Spanish fluency strongly preferred
• Experience managing budgets strongly preferred
• Background in environmentalism, climate change, water, or related field strongly preferred
• Agency experience strongly preferred
• Experience in advocacy, public engagement, community-based social marketing, and/or community organizing is preferred
• Knowledge of and network in Los Angeles’ non-profit and activist community and environmental landscape is strongly preferred

What We Offer (benefits)

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Health, dental, and vision insurance ( 75% covered)
• 403b retirement plan
• Three weeks paid vacation in addition to  10 paid holidays, 1 floating holiday, and additional paid time off between Christmas and New Years
• Flexible work schedule and remote work options based on individual and team needs 
• Close, passionate, fun, and creative team environment
• Opportunities to grow with the organization
• Beautiful office location

Application Process

If you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, don’t let that stop you! If you think you offer what it takes to excel in this role, are non-conformist, have a sense of humor, and a passion for the environment and climate action - please apply! 

To apply for this position, please email your cover letter, resume, AND at least two writing or one writing and one campaign sample to resumes@folar.org with “Director of Communications Application” in the subject line. 

Format is important; please send the cover letter in the body of the email as text and any documents (resume, etc.) as easily accessible attachments. No calls or walk-ins.