Posting Date: February 13, 2019
Deadline: Applications will be given full
consideration if received by noon on March 11,
2019. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
Open Arms Perinatal Services provides transformational community-based support for families through pregnancy, birth and early parenting, to nurture strong foundations that last a lifetime. Open Arms is adding a new member to our staff team – a Communications Manager – to help the organization more effectively share our stories as we grow. The Communications Manager will develop, manage and implement a comprehensive communications plan and calendar for the entire organization. Our goal is to inform and engage our donors, funders, community partners and potential clients, and to promote the impact of our important work.
The new Communications Manager will be an exceptionally skilled writer and communicator
who brings creativity and vision to their work, as well as strong organizational skills and attention to detail. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working independently as well as part of a collaborative and highly relational team. This is a unique opportunity for someone with a well-developed equity lens who believes in the mission of Open Arms and is passionate about addressing systemic racism and oppression. This is a full time position; the Communications Manager may choose to work remotely 1-2 days a week, in coordination with the schedules of the rest of the staff team.
ABOUT OPEN ARMS
What is a Doula?
Doulas are trained community health workers who provide physical, emotional, and informational support to pregnant people before, during and after childbirth. As trusted members of the communities they serve, the birth and outreach doulas offered by Open Arms have a unique ability to reach and work with communities affected by inequity.
Our Mission
Open Arms provides community-based support during pregnancy, birth, and early parenting to nurture strong foundations that last a lifetime.
Our Vision
Thriving children.
Healthy families.
Powerful communities.
Our Values
• Respect: Holding complexity for people and cultures
• Family: Relationships are at the heart of what we do
• Justice: Boldly disrupting oppression
Open Arms was founded in 1997 by a small group of women from the community who
envisioned a future where no one would have to give birth without support. They imagined
a world that cherishes birthing women, their babies, families, and communities. Today, that vision translates into a powerful community-based organization supporting low-income pregnant people, as they establish strong and healthy foundations for their babies and families. Despite the vast wealth and resources of the United States, 90% of the world’s wealthiest countries surpass the US on measures of maternal and child health and well-being.
These poor health outcomes disproportionately affect American babies born into poverty, whose mothers too often suffer from stress, social isolation, domestic violence, food insecurity and unstable housing in addition to insufficient health and parenting resources. In King County today, Native and African American infants are twice as likely to die within the first 28 days of life than white infants. Open Arms’ doulas work to address and mitigate these risk factors, so that mothers and babies receive the best possible start and avoid poor outcomes that can have negative consequences possibly lasting a lifetime.
Over 89% of Open Arms clients identify as people of color, and 55% are refugees or
immigrants, and we are highly-regarded for providing culturally relevant and appropriate
support. Multiculturalism, respect, and racial equity permeate all that we do. We work in
true partnership with the communities we serve, listening to their hopes and dreams for pregnant people, babies and new parents, and providing resources to help transform those dreams into reality. Our award-winning program is not hospital-directed or based. Our trusted, community-centered approach always prioritizes the unique cultural, linguistic, and emotional needs of each client, without a conflict of interest, and free of charge.
Open Arms offers three community-based programs: Birth Doula Services, Outreach
Doulas, and Breastfeeding Peer Counseling. Some programs start from the third trimester of pregnancy and go up until the child’s second birthday. Our services have measurable impact: Open Arms has demonstrated lower rates of unplanned C-sections, preterm labor, and low birth weight for doula clients relative to local rates in King County. Nearly 100% of Open Arms clients began breastfeeding at birth, and over 95% were still breastfeeding at 6 months.
Open Arms currently has staff of 20, who together with a pool of contracted doulas serve over 300 pregnant people and their families annually. We have an annual operating budget of over $3.5M which is overseen by an active board of 17 trustees. Our funding partnerships with Social Venture Partners, Pacific Hospital PDA, Perigee Foundation, and Thrive Washington demonstrate that Open Arms has earned the support and respect of the local philanthropic community, and the organization is growing rapidly. For more information about Open Arms’ programs and impact, visit our website at openarmsps.org.
THE ROLE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
The Communications Manager will be responsible for overseeing all electronic, print and social media communications that are shared with Open Arms’ donors, funders, community partners, and potential clients. This is a newly-created position at Open Arms, so the person in this role will have the opportunity to help shape the systems, policies, and processes that the organization will use for communications going forward. The Communications Manager will work closely with the Development team, as well as other staff, and will be supervised by the Development Director.
Specific responsibilities of the Communications Manager will include:
• Create and manage the annual communications calendar for the entire organization
• Oversee the design and creation of all organizational marketing materials (at times in collaboration with other content creators)
• In partnership with the Development team, help create the content and coordinate the
design of fundraising materials such as the newsletter, annual report and the annual appeal
• Supervise and oversee the work of contractors and vendors relevant to communications (e.g. photographers, videographer, printer, etc.)
• Manage the content and timing of social media posts and messaging
• Seek opportunities for media coverage and manage the logistics for all press inquiries, including drafting and sending press releases
• Write and post updates to the website
• Ensure that written materials are translated into other languages as needed
IDEAL CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
The new Communications Manager will be inspired by Open Arms’ mission of providing
prenatal, birth and postnatal support for families in our community, and passionate
about the urgent need to address racial and economic health disparities. They will
be a skilled communicator and compelling storyteller who is both creative and attentive
to details and deadlines. This job requires a self-starter who is able to work independently,
but also someone who is collaborative and works well as part of a highly relational team. Because addressing issues of social justice and racial equity and dismantling
oppressive systems are the foundation of our work, it is extremely important that
the new Communications Manager is comfortable engaging around these topics,
is self-reflective, and is willing to challenge themselves to continually grow and learn.
The Communications Manager should have previous work experience in communications,
marketing, or development, ideally for a nonprofit. Specific skills and experience that are most critical for this job include:
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, and the ability to be a skilled editor in English
• Experience managing complex projects that involve multiple contributors, deadlines, and audiences
• Experience understanding and presenting data metrics
• Technological savvy – proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and multiple social media platforms, as well as donor data bases (Little Green Light is used). Experience with basic graphic design software (i.e. Illustrator or Photoshop), WordPress, and Constant Contact is also a plus.
• Experience and comfort with making straightforward website content updates
(coding is not required)
• Experience and comfort with managing vendors and contractors, as well as media inquiries
• Background in or understanding of maternal and child health and early learning issues is very helpful
• Comfort working collaboratively with colleagues and clients from diverse backgrounds
• Able to thrive in a busy shared-office setting where clients and children are frequently visiting.
• Background check is required before hire.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
This is a full-time (40 hours per week) exempt position; occasional evening or weekend meetings may be required. The expected salary range is $50,000 to $55,000, depending on qualifications and experience. The Communications Manager may choose to work remotely 1-2 days a week, in coordination with the schedules of the rest of the staff team.
WHAT EMPLOYMENT OFFERS:
BENEFITS
Paid health, vision, and disability insurance, generous paid time off and paid holidays, sick days, and additional paid time off over the winter holidays. Option to contribute to a 401k, flexible spending and dependent care expenses account, and supplemental insurance.
FLEXIBLE AND FAMILY-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT
Because of our mission and the services we provide, Open Arms is proud and committed to being a family-friendly workplace. We offer flexible work schedules with remote work being part of the usual weekly schedule for almost all staff. We also offer generous PTO for self and family care. Children of any age are welcome in our office, and many staff bring their children to work on a regular or as-needed basis. We have an onsite lactation lounge and encourage breastfeeding in the workplace.
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
Open Arms is an affirming, positive, diverse work environment. Open Arms provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. We strongly encourage applications from people of color and other historically underrepresented and marginalized groups.
HOW TO APPLY
TO APPLY CLICK THIS APPLICATION LINK:
https://cloversearchworks.recruiterbox.com/jobs/fk0jvb3
Online applications via application link only; please no email or paper submissions. You will be asked to upload a resume and a cover letter. In your cover letter, please describe as specifically as you can why you are interested in joining the Open Arms team, and how your skills and experience are a fit with the goals of this position and the mission and values of this community.
Applications received by noon on Monday March 11, 2019 will be given full consideration.
All applications will be held confidentially and acknowledged via an email receipt. Consideration will be given to applications as soon as they are received. We encourage early applications; interviewing will begin the first week of March.
