Senior Manager, Nonprofit Communications

APA! BACKGROUND:
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austins most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization is a leader in the national No Kill movement and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues treats and adopts out 10000 homeless dogs and cats each year providing the safety net for Austins most at-risk shelter pets which helps Austin to be a No Kill city while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional community-based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive! APA!s national 2020 American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) - an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both. The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community-based services with a goal of providing personalized proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service.

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW:

Reporting to the Director of Marketing Communications the Senior Manager Nonprofit Communications is a core member of the APA! Advancement team. This role balances strategic planning with hands-on content creation across national regional and local levels. The Senior Manager is responsible for developing internal and external communications that align with APA!s cohesive brand voice managing the organizational media calendar and overseeing a multi-channel distribution strategy that includes internal communications website copy and donor-facing narratives. They will frame organizational impact through storytelling lead reputation management efforts and coordinate media relations to expand APA!s reach and mission.

Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers including assisting with onboarding training and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.

(The Employer reserves the right to revise the position title at its discretion to meet organizational and business needs. Such changes including the use of Officer in lieu of Manager do not alter the essential functions duties or terms and conditions of employment unless otherwise communicated.)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Lead proactive media pitching assist with crisis communications and manage brand reputation across all platforms.
• Create organizational communications ensuring a consistent content cadence across internal and external channels to prioritize deadlines and messaging.
• Work closely with members of the Advancement Programs and Operations teams to gather stories and translate complex program information into compelling narratives.
• Maintain content guidelines and brand voice; oversee the creation of assets including donor communications upon request website copy internal newsletters and impact reports.
• Oversee distribution across owned channels (website internal communications etc) in addition to earned media to increase reach and engagement.
• Manage a small team of paid staff interns and volunteers to meet departmental and mission-driven KPIs.
• Foster and model a volunteer-powered culture across the team by ensuring that every staff member is partnered with volunteers on every shift with the goal of empowering volunteers to lead and grow within the program.
• Serve as a facilitator and coach to staff and volunteers ensuring the work is shared not siloed and that volunteers are supported in completing daily tasks.
• Ensure active recruitment onboarding and engagement of volunteers using volunteer engagement tools and resources
• Support retention by matching volunteers to appropriate tasks offering guidance and providing regular check-ins and staff mentorship.
• Identify strong volunteers for deeper roles and seek out customer to volunteer conversion opportunities.
• Recognize volunteer contributions through consistent appreciation and shoutouts.
• Provide clear expectations hands-on training and in-the-moment coaching to set volunteers up for success.
• Job duties may include some or all of the above and other duties as assigned by manager

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Must demonstrate dependability accountability time management use of reasoning and good judgment skills
• Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
• Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee supervisor and other colleagues
• Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and manage volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
• Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
• Able to work evenings weekends and holidays as needed
• Able to work in a high-volume fast-paced high-stress environment

QUALIFICATIONS SKILLS & EXPECTATIONS:

• Bachelors degree in public relations communications marketing journalism or closely related field; or equivalent professional experience
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in multi-channel communications content strategy or professional writing; 2 years of proven experience managing and mentoring paid employees
• Proven success in developing comprehensive communications strategies and managing integrated digital campaigns.
• Advanced knowledge of CMS email marketing platforms and digital content production
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write press releases and pitches quickly and accurately
• Proven understanding of the fundamentals of storytelling; ability to independently research and fact check stories
• Skilled with media tracking platforms such as Muck Rack Meltwater Cison or others
• Knowledge on the latest updates features trends and best practices in public relations
• Detail-oriented with the ability to maintain a high level of quality assurance
• Solutions-oriented adaptable and positive attitude; fast turnaround times and a high production/output
• Ability to strategize how to achieve multiple goals through compelling content
• A strong understanding of how content management systems work and the ability to quickly and efficiently post articles online.
• Experience managing multiple complex projects people and resources in a fast-paced deadline-oriented dynamic environment
• Photography and video production/editing skills graphic design a plus
• Spanish speaking is preferred but not required.
• Committed to embodying APA!s Core Values: Innovation Respect Drive Resourcefulness and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble Hungry Smart
• Commitment to APA!s customer experience expectations
• Passion for working well with staff volunteers and customershelping all individuals feel successful appreciated and connected to APA!s mission
• Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers customers and team members
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules procedures and instructional materials
• Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively
• Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations
• Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality
• Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
• Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to work around animals (including diseased injured and/or potentially aggressive animals) loud noises chlorine or other chemicals and inclement weather
• Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels including cats who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm scabies intestinal parasites etc.
• Able to be on your feet for multiple hours of the day
• Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions
• Must be able to walk around shelter as needed - uneven ground keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers
• If reasonable accommodations are requested reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Standard office environment with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals
• Uses own transportation to travel and transport
• Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs
• Work is normally performed inside; some outside work is required
• Exposure to unpleasant odors and noises.
• Exposure to bites scratches and animal waste
• Possible exposure to contagious diseases
• Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste disinfectants and high levels of noise
• Potential for animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people

TIME COMMITMENT:

• This is a full-time Senior Manager exempt position with an average of 40 hours per week.
• Typical business hours are Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (somewhat flexible).
• Some overtime and weekend work may be required based on the news cycle and organizational needs.
• Able to work evenings weekends and holidays as needed
• Shift and schedule flexibility is required as weekly schedule is subject to change

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: This position reports directly to the Director of Marketing Communications.

LOCATION(S):

• APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin TX 78703
• APA! Shelter Pet Hospital - 4942 US HWY 290 Austin TX 78735
• Hybrid work from home 1/day week may be allotted after completion of probationary period
• May travel to offsite locations as needed

SALARY: $70000 (Salary range is dependent on experience and qualifications)

BENEFITS:

Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage subsidized and voluntary life insurance voluntary dental vision and short-term disability options all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan supplemental benefits flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life saving work.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT:

Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color LGBTQ people women transgender and gender non-conforming people and people with disabilities to apply.

Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race color religion sex national origin age disability veteran status marital status sexual orientation gender identity or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion respect and integrity community focus and innovation

APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation please contact Talent Acquisition at at least one week in advance of your interview.