Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or equivalent experience
6-10 years of experience in communications/marketing, with 3+ years at a senior level
Proven track record in strategic communications and PR leadership
Exceptional writing skills with a portfolio of formal work required
Experience supervising creative teams and managing creative direction
Strong management of complex production portfolios and vendor governance
Experience managing budgets and vendor contracts transparently
Commitment to the YMCA's mission of community strengthening
Responsibilities
Lead strategic communications and PR initiatives for a complex organization
Directly supervise creative and content teams to elevate narratives
Manage multi-channel portfolios and make strategic trade-off decisions
Establish vendor governance and accountability standards
Oversee B2B communications for stakeholders including funders and boards
Ensure responsible departmental budget management and transparency
Develop and activate brand platforms across distributed networks
Benefits
Opportunity to impact community through mission-driven work
Collaborative and inclusive work environment
Professional development opportunities
Flexible work arrangements
Access to YMCA facilities and programs
Full Job Description
Description
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or related field - or equivalent professional experience.
6-10 years of progressive experience in communications, marketing, or integrated agency work, with at least 3 years at a senior Account Director, VP, or equivalent level.
Demonstrated background in strategic communications, PR, or integrated agency account leadership - managing senior client or institutional relationships and delivering under deadline pressure at scale.
Exceptional institutional writing and data-storytelling ability - able to produce or direct executive- and board-facing narrative to a standard that is ready to advance without revision. A portfolio of published formal work is required.
Proven creative direction experience: has directly supervised a creative director, ACD, or senior art director. Understands the account director / creative director relationship - the brief sets the direction and the creative director elevates it.
Demonstrated production portfolio management experience at scale: scoped and managed complex, multi-channel portfolios with precision and strategic instinct. Makes sound, independent trade-off decisions and arrives at every conversation equipped with solutions and clear recommendations.
Demonstrated experience establishing and setting up vendor governance standards and visibility systems - ensuring contract compliance, deliverable accountability, and budget clarity across a complex portfolio of external relationships.
Experience leading B2B or institutional communications for complex organizations - funders, partners, boards, or cross-sector stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to manage department budgets, vendor contracts, and procurement responsibly and transparently.
Genuine commitment to the YMCA's mission of strengthening community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
Application requirement: Writing samples and a portfolio of published formal work are required with application.
Preferred Qualifications
Nonprofit & Community Expertise: Deep familiarity with mission-driven organizations and the ability to tailor philanthropic storytelling to diverse community audiences.
Operational Excellence: Experience applying lean methodologies or continuous improvement frameworks to streamline complex departmental structures.
Strategic Brand Activation: A demonstrated track record of managing brand platform development and activation across distributed, multi-site networks.
Inclusive Engagement: A strong commitment to accessibility, with a preference for candidates who are bilingual or have experience overseeing translation and localization for communications materials.
