DIRECTOR OF IMPACT & STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

La Cocinas mission is to elevate Latine-centered knowledge that heals and transforms always in partnership with those most impacted by trauma and systemic inequity.

REPORTS TO: CEO & Founder

DEPARTMENT: Executive

FLSA STATUS: Full-time Exempt

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 12 2026

ABOUT LA COCINA

La Cocina is a nationally recognized nonprofit incubator and multilingual community mental health institute that leads with healing-centered care clinical excellence community organizing and social justice values. We are a teaching clinic where multilingual clinicians advocates and community-based organization (CBO) leaders grow alongside community partners. Through our co-design incubator La Cocina develops original culturally affirming interventions that respond directly to the lived realities of the families we serve.

Every program supervision structure and service offered at La Cocina is designed to meet urgent community needs and to prepare the next generation of community-based providers advocates and leaders to practice with cultural humility compassion and liberatory intent.

As La Cocina expands its national presencethrough innovation research field-building and narrative leadershipwe are investing in strategic infrastructure that elevates our impact strengthens donor partnerships and amplifies our organizational voice.

THE OPPORTUNITY

La Cocina is seeking an exceptional Director of Impact & Strategic Communications (DISC) to join the organizations Executive Office and serve as the CEO & Founders and Incoming Presidents strategic partner in communications evaluation oversight and development. This senior role is designed for a highly skilled professional who thrives at the intersection of narrative strategy impact storytelling data-informed evaluation and resource development.

Reporting to the CEO & Founder the DISC plays a pivotal role in shaping La Cocinas external voice translating evaluation findings into compelling impact narratives developing and writing grants stewarding donor relationships managing fundraising activities and ensuring organizational communications reflect La Cocinas values and mission with clarity and coherence.

The Director will also collaborate closely with La Cocinas incoming Presidentwho oversees operationsto ensure communications development and evaluation workflows are aligned with organizational systems priorities and growth trajectories.

This role oversees one specialist-level staff member and partners with external designers artists evaluators consultants and development contractors to produce high-quality communications impact reports proposals and public-facing products. The ideal candidate is strategic relational data-informed and deeply committed to social justice narrative transformation and culturally- affirming social and emotional healthcare in immigrant communities.

For the right candidate this is an extraordinary opportunity to help shape the narrative visibility and influence of a nationally recognized Latine innovation institutebuilding a communications impact and development ecosystem rooted in dignity rigor and healing justice.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum of 6 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications development/fundraising organizational learning evaluation management or related leadership roles within mission-driven nonprofit or social justiceoriented environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing media relations including preparing organizational leaders for interviews responding to media inquiries developing press materials and stewarding relationships with journalists outlets and public-facing partners.
• Proven ability to lead organizational communicationsincluding messaging strategy narrative development donor communications and high-stakes writing (e.g. reports grants speeches impact summaries).
• Strong experience with grant writing prospect research donor stewardship and development systems with demonstrated success securing philanthropic or institutional funding.
• Experience overseeing or coordinating equitable and developmental evaluation data or impact measurement processes including working with evaluators synthesizing findings and producing clear accessible reports.
• Exceptional writing storytelling editing and communication skills with the ability to adapt tone and register for diverse audiencesincluding families community partners funders policymakers and national networks.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams while exercising strategic judgment confidentiality and executive-level communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience managing staff and teams with the ability to mentor delegate and support high-quality performance across diverse roles.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple long- and short-term priorities in a fast-paced multilayered environment.
• Proficiency with digital communications tools donor and CRM systems website/content management platforms and integrated digital communications environments.
• Deep alignment with La Cocinas mission values and healing justice community-centered frameworks.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including occasional evenings or weekends based on organizational needs.
• Ability to travel between La Cocinas Denver and Northern Colorado offices.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bilingual fluency in Spanish and English strongly preferred with the ability to draft edit and translate high-quality written content in both languages for diverse audiences.
• 810 years of senior-level experience in strategic communications narrative strategy development/fundraising evaluation or impact management or related fields within mission-driven or community-centered organizations.
• Experience developing or managing evaluation frameworks outcomes dashboards or mixed-methods reporting including transforming quantitative and qualitative data into compelling accessible narratives.
• Expertise with data equity frameworks participatory community-based research or evaluation methods (e.g. CBPAR) and practices that prioritize dignity cultural humility and community co-ownership of data.
• Experience working in multilingual multicultural environments and with communities navigating systemic inequity and significant health disparities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead La Cocinas strategic communications portfolio ensuring all public-facing materialsincluding messaging publications digital content presentations campaigns and organizational storytellingreflect the organizations mission values and liberatory frameworks with clarity dignity and accuracy.
• Oversee organizational impact and evaluation workflows coordinating with internal teams and external evaluators to ensure ethical culturally grounded and community-centered data practices; synthesize findings into clear reports dashboards and communication tools that support learning fundraising and visibility.
• Identify write and manage grant proposals LOIs and funder communications ensuring clarity compelling storytelling data-informed reasoning and strategic alignment with La Cocinas priorities.
• Design and oversee innovative donor stewardship systems by managing the donor database/CRM overseeing donor communications creating stewardship pathways preparing donor updates and collaborating with the CEO to nurture long-term philanthropic relationships.
• Plan and execute fundraising events and campaigns coordinating logistics messaging materials and partner engagement to elevate visibility deepen relationships and support sustainability.
• Develop and steward La Cocinas organizational voice crafting uniform messaging frameworks key talking points and brand-aligned language for staff leadership program teams and partnerships across multiple platforms.
• Manage La Cocinas media presence including responding to media inquiries preparing leaders for interviews developing press kits and statements and cultivating relationships with journalists outlets and narrative partners.
• Oversee website content strategy and governance ensuring the site remains current compelling accessible and aligned with La Cocinas evolving narrative and programmatic ecosystem.
• Supervise La Cocinas Communications & Impact Design Specialist providing coaching mentorship guidance and clear priorities to ensure high-quality production of materials graphics collateral and digital assets.
• Partner closely with the incoming President to ensure communications evaluation reporting and development workflows are aligned with organizational operations data systems and strategic priorities.
• Collaborate across departments to generate content collect data surface community narratives and elevate program stories in a manner that honors the dignity agency and lived experiences of families and partners.
• Advance La Cocinas national voice and influence by supporting the development of publications presentations speeches and thought leadership that articulate the organizations insights frameworks and emerging contributions to the field.
• Strengthen internal learning and meaning-making systems ensuring data and stories flow between programs leadership development and communications in ways that support adaptive strategy and organizational coherence.
• Uphold the highest standards of cultural humility narrative integrity and community-centered practice ensuring that all messaging evaluation and fundraising activities honor the complexity and wisdom of our Latine immigrant and multilingual communities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This is a full-time position with the option to work remotely two days per week except when organizational needs require additional on-site availability.
• The Director of Impact & Strategic Communications may work primarily from either La Cocinas Northern Colorado or Denver office. Regardless of home base the role requires regular travelone to two times per weekbetween the two office locations to ensure alignment across teams and sustained support to the Executive Office.
• Occasional evening and weekend availability is required based on program development and organizational needs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to perform the essential functions of the role. While performing job duties the employee is regularly required to communicate effectively both in person and via digital platforms. The role may involve standing walking and using hands to handle or feel tools and equipment. The ability to occasionally lift office supplies up to 20 pounds is required.

CLASSIFICATION & BENEFITS

• This is a full-time exempt position eligible for benefits after 60 days of employment.
• Benefits include a 401(k) plan with employer match health/vision/dental insurance paid time off (PTO) FlexTime and three weeks of annual office closures in July and at year-end.
• May be eligible for relocation costs reimbursement.

SALARY RANGE: $95000 to $125000 ANNUALLY

Annual salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. La Cocina is committed to offering competitive compensation that supports the recruitment and retention of exceptional mission-aligned leaders.

HOW TO APPLY

• Submit cover letter and Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume to this portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and accepted until the position is filled.
• In your cover letter respond to this reflective prompt: This role is deeply relational and requires leadership grounded in cultural humility narrative integrity and social justice your cover letter please share how your personal or professional journey has prepared you to tell storiesand steward datain ways that honor the dignity and complexity of Latine immigrant or multilingual communities.
• Only complete applications (cover letter & CV/résumé) will be reviewed. No phone calls please.

La Cocina is an equal opportunity employer that centers diversity equity and inclusion in the workplace. We encourage applications from BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) persons immigrants women members of the LGBTQ community and other underrepresented and/or under-resourced groups. La Cocina does not discriminate on the basis of race color religion gender sexual orientation gender identity or expression age national origin disability marital status and/or veteran status.