Communications Specialist

Help tell stories of generosity and impact in Eastern Iowa, build connections with key audiences, and support our staff’s communication capacity.

Location:

Dubuque, Iowa

Employment Type:

Full-time, on-site
Department:
Communications

Reports To:

Director of Communications
Benefits: 403(b), paid time off, health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, paid family leave, paid parking

Imagine a role in which your creativity directly inspires generosity and strengthens communities. In this role, the words you write, and the images you create are bridges that connect kindhearted community members and passionate nonprofit leaders to improve the lives of your neighbors.

This is the opportunity the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is offering.

As our communications specialist, you will be trusted to craft the authentic voice of an organization, shaping how people across Eastern Iowa understand our role in unleashing the power of community philanthropy to transform communities for the better. You will directly contribute to ambitious projects and programs that tackle some of the most pressing issues of the day. Your passion for creative storytelling will help improve education to feed families to make housing accessible and affordable and so much more.

You are a natural, intrepid storyteller who weaves narratives about generosity and impact that inform, engage and inspire. From writing articles to creating videos to posting on social media channels, you are savvy with a variety of communication tools and use them to build brand recognition and trust.

You’re also a self‑starter, someone who can take an idea and run with it. You accept feedback and direction, and at the same time, you are comfortable letting your creativity and expertise guide your work. You understand that great communication and marketing isn’t just about making things look good, but rather it’s about building relationships, motivating people to act, and making a positive difference.

Strategic Storytelling and Content Creation

• Own our social media presence
  . Develop and execute a dynamic social media strategy that showcases our impact, amplifies our brand voice, and engages people across platforms. You will create original content, manage our social media schedule, and use analytics to continuously refine our strategy.
• Be a brand ambassador and content creator. Craft compelling stories that resonate with people and present them via print and digital media in a way that strengthens our brand and reflects our authentic voice. Reports, newsletters, brochures and advertisements are just a few of the many communications pieces you will design in this role.
• Capture and share community impact. Through photography, videography and written storytelling, document the real people and real impact happening in small towns and cities across the Dubuque region. You will write press releases, draft stories for annual reports and newsletters, edit brief videos, and take pictures at events.
• Build internal communications capacity. As an in‑house communications and marketing expert, you will work with colleagues across departments to meet their communications needs and help the entire team communicate more effectively.
• Manage relationships with our community partners. Oversee our database of contacts (akoya
  
  GO), working across departments to ensure we are maintaining strong connections with donors, nonprofits and civic leaders.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or professional experience in marketing, communications, social media management, public relations or journalism
• Exceptional storytelling skills and the ability to develop clear, accessible and compelling narratives around complex issues
• Proven social media management experience with a portfolio that demonstrates strategic and creative thinking
• Graphic design proficiency (Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva or similar programs)
• Comfort with photography and videography (how to use a camera and basic photo/video editing skills)
• Brand sensibility and the ability to maintain a consistent voice and visual…