Director, Marketing and Communications (HKI

Director, Marketing and Communications (HKI)

Posted on November 02, 2020

Helen Keller International is a global health organization dedicated to eliminating preventable vision loss, malnutrition and diseases of poverty. Cofounded by Helen Keller – and guided by her fierce optimism and belief in human potential – the organization delivers life-changing health solutions to vulnerable families where the need is great but access to care is limited. In the US, Africa, Europe, and Asia, Helen Keller’s proven, science-based programs empower people to create opportunities in their own lives and build lasting change.

The Director, Marketing and Communications will bring strategic marketing and communications skills to help the organization continue to build a growing constituency of supporters (donors, subscribers and others), at a time when the organization has laid essential groundwork. Recently, Helen Keller Intl conducted research that led to a newly branded look and feel. We have sharpened our understanding of target audiences to focus on individuals giving unrestricted support, primarily in the United States.

The organization has also launched several advertising efforts in recent years and is ready to take the next steps. Thus, the Director will join at an exciting time in which s/he will help shape a team and strategy that places marketing at the forefront of the organization’s goals. The Director will work collaboratively with colleagues to craft, shape, and deliver compelling stories and examples of impact, and to create campaigns that engage informed citizens and inspire them to support Helen Keller Intl.

Reporting to the Vice President, External Relations, the Director will work closely with other department team leaders, developing strategies that help build engaged, philanthropic audiences. The Director will work nimbly within hierarchical and stakeholder relationships, convening colleagues across the organization to surface content; to create ads, videos, stories, and photos that inspire and activate new and existing donor communities; and to support field and program colleagues in championing Helen Keller’s mission to their target audiences.

The Director will supervise a team of professionals and work in an integrated fashion to align marketing campaigns with fundraising goals. The Director will also work closely with global colleagues at various levels across the organization and in country programs, including the US, acting as a partner to them as they enhance their communications and marketing skills.

Finally, the Director will liaise with an External Relations Committee of the Board, other Board members, the Executive Team, and global and country leadership to shape Helen Keller’s positioning regarding key public health information or news, to support colleagues in public-facing and key presentations, and to shape team members’ public voices on behalf of Helen Keller. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork, both hierarchically and laterally, are essential to making this structure thrive.

The Director, Marketing and Communications will lead the organization’s efforts to refine, motivate, and engage target audiences with the goal of building Helen Keller Intl’s community of enthusiasts, subscribers, and especially donors. The Director will shape and implement an action plan to build funnels of varying widths to attract potential audiences that learn, engage with Helen Keller, and support our mission with donations.

The Director will develop and deploy a rich toolkit that includes storytelling, earned media, social media channels, photography, videos, website content, presentations at conferences and convenings, search advertising, search engine optimization strategies, display advertising, and other methods to reach prospect audiences.

The Director will be both strategist and doer, serving as a creative thinker, helping to share and inspire others who are developing key messages, visual ideas, advertising, and stories. The Director will help shape organizational positioning, working across the organization and collaboratively…