Communications & Marketing Manager

About the role

Worcester County Food Bank works alongside people experiencing hunger, our network of Partner Agency food pantries and meal programs, and community and government partners to understand and address hunger together. We distribute healthy, culturally familiar food to our neighbors and help connect people with food and nutrition benefits that can provide greater stability over the long term. We also strengthen local solutions that improve people’s access to food and work to advance local, state, and national policies and systems that address the conditions that cause hunger. We’re working toward a future where everyone has reliable access to the food they need and want.

The Communications & Marketing Manager helps WCFB tell its story, build awareness of hunger and food access challenges and opportunities in our community, and engage the people and communities who make our work possible. This position leads day-to-day communications and marketing efforts across channels, develops and executes strategies collaboratively, and ensures that WCFB’s voice, messaging, and visual presence are consistent, compelling, and connected to our mission. The position works closely with colleagues across the organization, Partner Agencies, community partners, donors, advocates, and people experiencing hunger to develop content that helps people understand both the immediate impact of WCFB’s work and the larger systems and solutions needed to address hunger.

The ideal candidate will share our passion for making complex food system issues understandable, communicating the importance and urgency of advocacy, and showcasing the strength and impact of our food distribution operations and Partner Agency network. We strongly encourage people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and people with lived experience of hunger and/or poverty to apply. We believe our work is stronger when it reflects the communities we serve.

Responsibilities

• Guide WCFB’s communications and marketing tactics, ensuring communications support organizational priorities, advance the mission, and maintain a consistent voice and message across channels; collaborate on creating and updating the strategy regularly.
• Help shape a culture of storytelling, identifying and developing compelling stories about WCFB’s impact, Partner Agencies, community partners, donors, advocates, and people experiencing hunger; ensure stories are gathered and shared with dignity, authenticity, and respect.
• Be the primary content creator of and proactive manager for WCFB’s communications channels, including the website, newsletter, blog, social media, email marketing, direct mail, Impact Report, and other print and digital communications.
• Develop and manage content calendars and campaigns, working closely with the Director of Communications and Development and colleagues across the organization to identify priorities, coordinate content, and meet deadlines.
• Shape WCFB’s community engagement strategy, supervise a staff member to build relationships, identify opportunities to increase WCFB’s visibility, represent the organization at community and corporate events, tabling opportunities, and recruit and engage volunteers.
• Support fundraising and development communications, creating compelling communications that demonstrate impact, engage donors, and inspire support.
• Support communications efforts directed at specific audiences like Partner Agencies, legislators, food industry colleagues, etc in collaboration with those WCFB leaders that oversee those efforts.
• Oversee advertising and digital engagement efforts, ensuring paid and digital communications are strategic, cost-effective, and aligned with organizational goals.
• Guide website strategy and planning, ensuring content is current, accessible, engaging, and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Coordinate multimedia storytelling, including video and photography, and manage relationships with contract designers, photographers, videographers, printers, and other creative vendors.
• Monitor communications performance and trends, regularly reporting on key metrics and applying audience insights, emerging trends, and best practices to strengthen WCFB’s communications.
• Represent WCFB in the community through events, meetings, conferences, and other external engagements as needed.
• Collaborate across the organization to ensure communications accurately reflect WCFB’s work and advance its commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Manage communications resources thoughtfully, balancing quality, creativity, organizational priorities, team professional development, and return on investment.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in communications and marketing, preferably within a nonprofit organization.
• Excellent writing and editing skills across a variety of channels, including social media, blogs, email, direct mail, etc.
• Ability to translate complex concepts, programs, and issues into easily accessible content for a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing communications strategies across multiple channels.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong storytelling skills and an ability to identify the human stories that bring an organization’s mission and impact to life while simultaneously providing dignity to the storyteller.
• Creativity, sound judgment, and a strong attention to detail.
• Experience working in a variety of communications and digital platforms (e.g. Constant Contact, WordPress, Canva, social media management platforms).
• Experience managing relationships with designers, photographers, videographers, printers, and other creative vendors.
• Commitment to WCFB’s mission and an understanding of hunger, food access, and advocacy.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to integrating these principles throughout WCFB’s communications strategies and storytelling.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends occasionally as needed.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience supporting a nonprofit organization’s fundraising and development efforts.
• Experience with nonprofit advocacy or issue-based communications.
• Experience with producing and using video for storytelling and communications.
• Initiative, flexibility, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and priorities.

Other Details

This position reports to the Director of Communications and Development. It’s a full-time, in-office position based in Shrewsbury, MA, with a Monday–Friday schedule from 8:00am to 4:30pm, in addition to occasional evening and weekend hours for special events. The position is eventually expected to oversee 1–3 staff members as well as work with a contract graphic designer. Please note that the final candidate will be able to discuss any immediate needs for flexibility with the hiring manager as part of the interview or offer process. In addition, we are currently developing updated protocols that may allow for greater flexibility in the future.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $70,000–$75,000 and the status is exempt.

Benefits

• Retirement plan with employer match
• 80% employer-paid health insurance
• Employer-funded health savings account for those enrolled in the health plan
• Dental coverage
• 13 paid holidays
• Generous paid time off

WCFB provides essential services to the community during emergencies. This position is considered essential and may be required to work or remain available during emergencies or other disruptions to normal operations.