Communications/Creative Services Manager

CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGERWe’re looking for a strategic communications manager to oversee our newly established creative services team and drive digital engagement strategies across our organization. This is a fantastic opportunity to cultivate a team of in-house professionals and freelancers to make a real difference in child welfare. The creative services team manages websites, email campaigns, and social media campaigns designed just for the families and child welfare professionals we serve–hundreds of thousands of them each month. We are welcoming, committed to excellence, and focused on staff well-being. Join us!ABOUT USNorthwest Resource Associates is a nonprofit child welfare agency. We envision every young person having family that nurtures their growth and potential. We work toward this vision by designing and delivering programs and technology that empower youth, strengthen families, and improve child welfare systems. More than four decades old, we are headquartered in Seattle, WA, and have offices in Alaska and Oregon as well. You can find our program work at the following websites:AdoptUSKidsAlaska Center for Resource FamiliesNorthwest Adoption ExchangeOregon Post-adoption Resource CenterEquity and inclusion are priorities across all programs at Northwest Resource Associates. We are passionate about inclusive and affirming policy and practice and are recognized by the Human Rights Campaign’s All Children, All Families program. We seek staff diversity in ability, age, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. In addition, we welcome applications from those with lived experience in foster care or with adoption. We are an equal opportunity employer.WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOROur ideal candidate will be a seasoned supervisor and a savvy communications strategist–able to staff and guide the creative services team to develop websites, blogs, email campaigns, and social media channels that deliver to our audiences the right information at the right time. This job may be for you if you:Are a highly skilled and accountable communicator with a record of success and a pocket full of lessons learned along the way.Easily identify and measure key performance indicators and conversion goals, optimize for search engines using the latest tools, squeeze the most out of Google AdWords, and conduct A/B testing.Are a super collaborator, with experience working across organizations, including with programmatic or subject matter experts.Have experience with audience research techniques such as customer journey mapping.Enjoy collaborating with software development teams and UX professionals as well as writers and designers to develop and improve communications.Value a good strategy session, storytelling, and plain language.Can motivate teams to meet high standards.Are a people person and caring supervisor and colleague.Are process-oriented, able to establish policies and procedures that consistently lead to effective products, efficiently produced.Are dedicated to continuous improvement and experienced with or curious about Agile project management and tools.Are willing and able to roll up your sleeves and pitch in when your team needs you.RESPONSIBILITIESThe manager of digital marketing and communications, or creative services manager, will be responsible for staffing and managing our 40-year-old agency’s first centralized creative services team and for developing communications strategies for an array of programs and their websites and channels. Specific responsibilities include:Equitably recruit, interview, select, and retain well-qualified staff and champion the team’s work within and outside of our agency.Oversee the work of individuals and help them grow professionally by providing support, mentorship, opportunities, and feedback.Develop a roster of freelancers and consultants that can help the team flex or surge to meet needs and deadlines.Work with program teams throughout the agency to develop service level agreements and to schedule and resource ongoing work and special projects.Lead the team to establish processes for taking in and planning work, collaborating, obtaining review and approvals, quality assurance, and production.Cultivate a team culture that is focused on the needs of our audiences and that can apply an equity lens to both our processes and products.Liaise with digital products team to develop and implement plans for improving websites, blogs, emails, and social media channels.Working with creative services and program teams, develop communication goals and measurable objectives. Then define, implement, monitor, and continuously improve content and engagement strategies to meet the objectives.Uphold style and branding standards.Occasionally participate in business development activities that could help grow the team.Occasionally report to or present to funders.Ensure the team’s adherence to all information security policies, the agency handbook, and other agency policies and procedures.QUALIFICATIONSMinimum qualificationsAt least five years of experience working in communications and marketing.At least three years of being a collaborative leader invested in your team’s success.At least three years of supervisory experience.Excellent written and verbal communication skills.Demonstrated expertise in communications and strategy and use of analytics.Experience working on digital communication products or applications that have been evaluated to meet users’ needs.Experience with editorial and design processes, style guides, and brand stewardship.Understanding of equity and inclusion principles and the importance of disrupting systemic racism and unconscious bias.Strong project management and organization skills and ability to juggle multiple projects, relationships, and priorities.Familiarity with best practices in writing, editing, content strategy, design, digital marketing, and user experience.Commitment to continuous learning and innovation.Bonus skills and experienceExperience with Agile project management and tools.Experience with WordPress, Heroku, MailChimp, Jira, Google Analytics, or Yoast.Professional or lived experience in child welfare.Experience working in a nonprofit setting.LOCATIONPuget sound location strongly preferred. We use a hybrid work model. Team members have access to our downtown Seattle office and may use it any time but are mainly working remotely. Employees may be asked to spend up to 20% of their time in the office.SALARY AND BENEFITSThis is a full-time, exempt position with a salary of $82,000 to $95,000.We offer flexible work schedules, 3.5 to 6 weeks of paid vacation per year, 15 to 16 paid holidays per year, paid sick leave, a generous family leave policy, a retirement plan contribution, optional 403b plan, medical and dental insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care insurance, and commuter benefits.