Senior Director, External Communications

Senior Director, External Communications

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago partners with mission-driven people and organizations across Cook and Lake counties to witness a message of mercy and hope to a world in need by improving lives, nourishing spirits; strengthening and empowering people, families, and communities; and committing to being present to our times through the eyes of faith.

We seek an experienced, creative, and highly collaborative Senior Director of External Communications (SD-EC) who will help us tell our story across critical stakeholder groups in a fresh, dynamic, and compelling way. The SD-EC will be an integral member of our Institutional Advancement team, charged with expanding and deepening our relationships with our most critical external supporters and stakeholders, as well as helping us to find our future donors, corporate and foundation partners, and friends.

If you are a purpose-driven communicator, this role offers a rare opportunity to do work that truly matters-making real impact for a meaningful cause, while accelerating your professional growth in powerful and rewarding ways.

The Team:

The Institutional Advancement Team reports to Catholic Charities' Chief Executive Officer and acts as a critical partner to the CEO and other CCAC leaders.

The SD-EC reports to the Vice President, Institutional Advancement - Operations. They will be responsible for driving CCAC's communications strategy, outreach architecture, and key messaging to share the compelling, inspiring work of CCAC and amplify its purpose and message of hope rooted in Catholic social teaching.

Key responsibilities include:

• Working with key stakeholders, including the CEO, to develop and lead a comprehensive external communications strategy that aligns with Catholic Charities' mission, vision, and strategic priorities and reflects the organization's Catholic identity. Collaborate closely to define and refine messaging architecture. Guide the organization's voice to elevate its presence locally, regionally, and nationally.
• Leading development of CCAC's annual and quarterly communications maps, identifying key themes and preparing supporting materials, and ensuring effective timing of communications across audiences.
• Building out CCAC's verbal, written and visual design content using a small internal team and top-tier bench of contract writers, designers, and project managers who will help keep communication fresh, dynamic, nimble, and fully aligned with CCAC's visual identity guidelines and key messaging.
• Preparing CCAC's top leaders to be effective communicators with cascading key messages for sharing with their internal teams and external constituents, with particular emphasis on and attention toward donors, prospective donors, and engaged public audiences.
• Maintaining relationships with communications partners at the Archdiocese and other key partners to assure that all external communications messaging - both proactive and reactive - aligns and synchronizes, as needed.

Partnering closely with:

• CEO to identify key themes, language, and vehicles for communicating at local, regional and, as appropriate, national levels to articulate and amplify CCAC's purpose, goals and impact to funders, donors, parishes, board members, mission engagement partners, service peers and partners, and the broader CCUSA network.
• Institutional Advancement team to produce best-in-class donor messaging to support $40-50 million in annual fundraising and the current Vision 2030 Campaign.
• Leaders across CCAC to support messaging and enacting Charities' broader communications strategy in support of all of our most critical stakeholder relationships and aligned with the CEO's priorities.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

Master's Degree

Minimum Experience:

3-5 years

Preferred Experience:

6-8 years

Additional Required experience

• Excellent writer and editor with an ability to communicate complex information effectively to external audiences through compelling storytelling that draws on Catholic faith language and themes and to amplify and build our organization's and leaders' voices.
• Demonstrated experience in setting and implementing effective communications strategies in complex organizations
• Experience prepping leaders and preparing public remarks and published pieces for distribution
• A leader with unquestioned integrity, ethics and values; someone who can be trusted without reservation with exemplary judgement
• The ability to work across functionally with leaders and colleagues to ensure messaging reflects one unified voice
• Brings a personal passion and commitment to CCAC's purpose and a deep appreciation and understanding of the organization's Catholic identity, mission, vision, and impact.

Physical Requirements

X Kneel and move from sitting, bending, kneeling or standing multiple times a day.

X Push and pull objects up to 25 pounds

X Climb up and down up to 4 flights of stairs at a time.

X Lift up to 25 pounds.

Other Requirements

X Background check, including any program specific requirements.

Drug Testing

Driver's License and reliable transportation

Agency-specified automobile insurance

Compensation: $120,000-$145,000 / year