Development & Communications Specialist

International Rescue Committee Denver, Colorado
development communications communications irc communications team community fundraising refugees media events materials education donors
January 28, 2023
International Rescue Committee
Denver, Colorado
FULL_TIME

Requisition ID: req35064


Job Title:
Development & Communications Specialist


Sector:
Communications


Employment Category:
Regular


Employment Type:
Full-Time


Open to Expatriates:
No



Location:
Denver, CO USA



Job Description


IRC Background:
Founded in 1933, the IRC is a leading nonsectarian, voluntary organization providing relief, protection and resettlement services for refugees and victims of oppression or violent conflict. One aspect of the IRC is to assist refugees resettling in the United States. The IRC opened a Denver office in 2016 to provide reception and placement services to newly arrived refugees. The office is slated to resettle more than 600 refugees in the coming federal fiscal year. Wraparound program services and holistic supports aim to realize positive impact in clients’ safety, health, education, economic wellbeing, and power. Some services are limited to refugees and other Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible populations, while others are open to a broader population of refugees, immigrants, and forcibly displaced people.


Job Overview: The Development & Communications Specialist serves as a member of the Development team focused on cultivating and stewarding individual donors and crafting broader external communications that aim to increase awareness, educate, and mobilize the community in support of IRC and the people it serves. They will lead fundraising campaigns and appeals that engage individual donors digitally and through events. They may support strategic efforts to solicit and secure in-kind donations from corporate, foundation, and community-based donors as needed. In consultation with the Communications team at IRC’s headquarters and IRC in Denver leadership, this position also acts as a media focal point and liaising with reporters, and educating and empowering clients who wish to participate in storytelling for advocacy, community education, grant reporting, and fundraising purposes. The Development & Communications Specialist will produce content for both the internet and printed materials, including managing IRC in Denver’s web site and social media, in addition to creating newsletters, program brochures, fundraising appeals, and collateral materials. This position will report to the Senior Development Manager.

Major Responsibilities:


Development


  • Manage a calendar of key development activities, including fundraising events, individual donor engagement events, newsletters, and campaigns.
  • Support regular digital fundraising and advocacy campaign efforts.

  • Implement strategies to cultivate and solicit prospective donors.

  • Establish regular communications to deepen donor engagement and bring donor impact to life.

  • Design and develop donor-facing communications, including those for Colorado Gives Day, year-end giving, and other fundraising appeals.
  • Maintain up-to-date donor records in Salesforce, including logging and tracking all donations and donor moves, and ensuring timely donation acknowledgement communications.

  • Support public events planning, marketing, and implementation for the IRC in Denver, including an annual fundraising event.
  • Provide general communications and administrative support to the Development team.
  • Initiate strategic in-kind donation asks from corporate, foundation, and community partners as requested.
  • Support administration of in-kind gifts distributed by IRC’s headquarters and coordinate as needed with colleagues across the IRC in Denver team.

Communications

  • Write, edit, and distribute materials, including program brochures, monthly newsletters, website updates, graphics, social media, and press releases.
  • Create, manage, and regularly update a storytelling portfolio, complete with client consent forms, compelling client stories, and photos to use for advocacy, education, grant reporting, and other external relations materials.

  • Create graphics and other digital assets, build emails, and draft social content.

  • Liaise with all external press and vet media requests in consultation with IRC headquarters and local office leadership.
  • Coach staff and clients to be interviewed by press in accordance with IRC protocols.

  • Accurately collect and track data and analytics from the IRC in Denver digital platforms and track and monitor media coverage.

Other


  • Support Development team in preparing presentations and reports.

  • Represent the IRC in Denver at events as requested.

  • Other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements:


Education:


  • Bachelor’s Degree in marketing or communications preferred. May be substituted by equivalent number of years of relevant work experience.

Work Experience:


  • Minimum 2 years of experience developing professional communications and outreach materials, event planning and/or community organizing required, preferably in the nonprofit sector.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

  • Familiarity with social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram) within a professional context.
  • Excellent computer skills (e.g., MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) required; proficiency in graphic design (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud) preferred.
  • Strong writing and editing skills.
  • Commitment to working collaboratively with others to promote a positive culture that reflects IRC’s core values of service, accountability, integrity, and equality.
  • Fluency in English, written and spoken, is required; fluency in one or more additional languages of the local refugee community is a plus.

  • Attention to detail and strong follow through.
  • Outstanding organizational and time management skills.
  • Ability to communicate effectively and work as a team member in a diverse, cross-cultural environment.
  • Strong interest in international and refugee issues or strong interest to learn.

Work Environment:


  • A combination of standard office environment and time in community-based locations to perform the above responsibilities in the service area, with the potential for some remote work.

  • Occasional domestic (non-local) travel may be required; up to 10%.

  • Occasional weekend and/or evening work required.

  • Staff are required to adhere to IRC’s COVID risk mitigation policies.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with IRC’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, IRC requires new hires to furnish proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to be considered for any in-office or hybrid positions. All IRC US offices require full vaccination to attend any in-office functions (e.g., meetings, trainings).


Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity: IRC is building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity. We strongly encourage candidates who demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.


Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [email protected] to request accommodation.


Compensation and Benefits: This is a full-time, regular position classified as non-exempt and eligible for overtime under state and federal law. Starting compensation is $21.97-$25.85 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, this total compensation package includes: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $120 per month with low to no deductible; dental insurance starting at $7 per month; vision insurance starting at $5 per month; FSA for healthcare, dependent care, and commuter costs; a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested employer matching; disability & life insurance; generous parental leave; and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles. The IRC in Denver actively promotes learning and growth for its team, through staff development accounts, access to talent development offerings, and opportunities to engage with IRC colleagues and represent the Denver office through special roles and assignments.


Qualified applicants are invited to apply online at http://www.rescue.org/careers

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