Job Posting: VP of Communications and Storytelling

The role

The Pop Culture Collaborative is seeking an experienced visionary to be its first ever Vice President of Communications and Storytelling. This senior leader will report to the Chief Strategy Officer and oversee the design, creation and execution of a robust brand, communications, and storytelling strategy to key stakeholders across multiple sectors including: leaders within philanthropic and investor communities, social justice movements, as well as entertainment and other mass media industries. They will lead the communications strategy collaboratively within a broader, entrepreneurial team to advance the organization’s ambitious field-building and impact goals, ultimately to achieve an expanding field of artists, strategists, producers, designers, philanthropic leaders, and public figures around a visionary goal to ignite public yearning for a just and pluralist society through narrative change and pop culture. The successful candidate will utilize their deep knowledge of and passion for serving underrepresented and marginalized communities to advance the storytelling and communications narrative on a broader scale. The VP of Communications and Storytelling requires entrepreneurial instincts, brand strategy expertise, public relations sensibilities, and editorial and content production experience. The successful candidate will work with self-direction, a collaborative spirit, a passion for pop culture and social justice, have an advanced level of social emotional intelligence, and possess cultural competency and/or professional experience working with diverse groups, particularly BIPOC communities, women, transgender, nonbinary, queer, and/or disabled people.

 

ROLE OVERVIEW

The VP of Communications and Storytelling will be central in the ecosystem of the Pop Culture Collaborative team, partners and allies. Responsibilities for this position include:

High-Level Strategy Development

  • Develop the organization’s annual communications and storytelling strategy and
    accompanying program budget.
  • Lead a strategy design process for the next phase of the Collaborative’s brand strategy.
  • Collaborate with the Collaborative leadership team to evolve their voices and storytelling.
  • Develop an evaluation plan to assess the impact of the program’s strategy and work.
  • Consult on the Collaborative’s grantmaking and other field resourcing strategies related to its grantee community’s communications and content distribution needs.

Program Implementation and Team Oversight

  • Implement brand strategy across the organization’s overarching visual systems, including website and social media, organizational decks, public events, and media products.
  • Oversee the organization’s social media voice, content strategy, and audience growth strategy.
  • Architect and supervise, in partnership with staff and consultant teams, the goals, story strategy, editorial voice, design, and production schedule of special micro sites, media products, and learning tools.
  • Oversee staff and consultant production teams, provide writing and editing as needed.
  • Manage staff team and consultant(s) on website content and design updates in coordination with brand strategy, program news, thought leadership, media products, etc.
  • Oversee PR consultants to implement press strategy for organization’s earned media, op-ed/article placements, awards submissions, and public speaking.
  • Coordinate on story strategy, edit and provide feedback on press releases, awards, and speaking submissions.
  • Expand and overhaul the Collaborative’s e-newsletter approach to support more robust community communication around grantmaking, program news, organizational thought leadership, learning tools, grantee community and field news, and more; develop e-newsletter framing and work with team on production, including writing, editing, and design oversight.
  • Work with the organization’s leadership team to draft op-eds, essays, articles, and public speeches, and/or to produce media products (podcasts, videos, etc..)
  • Develop, and work with team members, to implement distribution and audience engagement plans for special projects, news, and product and tool releases.

Financial and Project Systems Oversight

  • Work with the operations team on all communications and storytelling related consultant contracts, invoices, and budget maintenance.
  • Manage annual performance review process of Special Projects Coordinator and other potential communications staff if the team expands.
  • Oversee communications information and project management systems.
  • Develop systems to track and share evaluation of communications and storytelling programs.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s Degree in a Communications, Journalism or Media related field preferred. Extensive field experience considered in lieu of degree
  • Minimum 10 years in positions of increasing responsibility, leadership and management
  • Content production experience
  • Strong interpersonal skills, cultural competency, anti-racist practice, and professional experience working with diverse groups, particularly BIPOC women, transgender, nonbinary, queer, and/or disabled people.
  • Strategy planning experience including budget oversight
  • Brand strategy experience at either a Director or VP level (or equivalent)
  • A passion for and knowledge of narrative change and social justice
  • Previous experience working with and serving communities that have been underserved and underrepresented with a deep understanding of varying cultures, identities and the historical oppressions against them
  • Knowledge of and experience with those in the philanthropy community preferred
  • Excellent writing skills and editorial experience that touches on subjects and style related to the intersection of culture, entertainment, and social justice
  • Written and verbal fluency in English language
  • Very strong attention to detail
  • Sensitivity to individual and group dynamics
  • Team player committed to collaboration and the success of the Collaborative’s vision
  • Excellent knowledge and use of the internet, email, and applications including G-Suite, Dropbox and Microsoft Office

LOCATION / TRAVEL

The Pop Culture Collaborative is a small, but expanding, team that operates remotely (work from home or co-working space) from all around the country. While this role is also remote, it will require travel (20%) once pandemic restrictions are lifted.

COMPENSATION

This is a salaried position at an annual starting range of $115,000-$125,000 based on experience.  This role is for full-time employment that includes the Collaborative’s benefits package: paid vacation, personal, and sick leave;  standard health, dental, and vision; employer contributions to a 401k retirement account; parental/dependent leave; and a commuter transit benefit.

ABOUT THE POP CULTURE COLLABORATIVE

The Pop Culture Collaborative (“the Collaborative”) is a first-of-its-kind philanthropic resource and funder learning community working to transform the narrative landscape in America around people of color, immigrants and refugees, Muslims, and Indigenous peoples—especially those who are women, queer, transgender, and/or disabled—through partnerships between the social justice sector and the entertainment, advertising, and media industries.   

With the vision and backing of a bold set of philanthropic investors (“Managing Partners”) and other donors, in 2016 the Collaborative began grantmaking to advance this vital work – and accelerate the impact of artists, social justice advocates, culture change strategists, tech innovators, academics, and others to affect change through entertainment and narratives in mass media. In just five years, the Collaborative has scaffolded, resourced, and nurtured the pop culture for social change field from the ground up, and tested a powerhouse set of narrative change focused grantmaking strategies. 

For more about the Pop Culture Collaborative, visit www.popcollab.org.

 

READY TO APPLY?

Deesha Dyer from Hook & Fasten has been retained for this search. To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and 2 professional references to careers@hookandfasten.com with the subject line: PCC -VP of Communications and Storytelling. If you require alternate accommodations to apply, please inquire at careers@hookandfasten.com. All applications and inquiries are kept confidential.

The Pop Culture Collaborative is a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc. (RPA).  RPA is an equal opportunity employer. For more on The Pop Culture Collaborative, visit www.popcollab.org.

Hook & Fasten is a social impact consulting firm that builds transformational partnerships between communities and corporations around the globe.  For more on Hook & Fasten, please visit www.hookandfasten.com.

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