Job Title: Associate Director of Strategic Communications- Creative & Operations
Job Homebase: Portland 33rd - Headquarters
Site requirement: Hybrid
Reports To: Director of Strategic Communications
Application Guidelines:
Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, please apply or share interest promptly.
A cover letter is required for consideration.
This position is currently hybrid.
Out-of-state selected candidates will be required to relocate to the Oregon/SW Washington area before their date of hire and within 60 days of signing an offer letter.
We recognize that people gain skills and experience in many different ways. If you’re excited about this role and believe you could succeed in it, we encourage you to apply — even if you do not meet every qualification listed. We especially welcome applications from people with lived experience related to hunger, poverty, and systemic inequities.
Internal OFB use only:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g8l6-SajuQvPWEyOc1hmywaVUM8RJxYHLnKOwKxRbzs/edit?usp=sharing
Who We Are:
Oregon Food Bank (OFB) believes that no one should be hungry. Our mission is to eliminate hunger and its root causes. We believe that food and health are basic human rights for all. We know that hunger is not just an individual experience; it is also a community-wide symptom of systemic barriers to employment, education, housing and health care such as systemic racism, sexism, and cissexism. That’s why we work systemically to achieve our mission to end hunger: we foster community connections to help people access nutritious food, and we build community power and strengthen networks of support and the safety net to eliminate the root causes of hunger for good.
We build community power to dismantle systems and policies that drive hunger and poverty.
Oregon Food Bank is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we strongly encourage applications from candidates who can increase the diversity of our organization and strengthen our capacity to eliminate hunger. We believe strongly in the power of lived experience — and we actively seek individuals who have experienced hunger and its root causes to join our team. Our organization is stronger because of the leadership of people who have faced food insecurity in their own lives and/or hail from historically under-represented communities. Learn more about our commitment at oregonfoodbank.org/equity.
Who You Are:
You care deeply about community, about people experiencing hunger and hold them in the center of all that you do. You are committed to apply equity as a process and an outcome of your work to disrupt systemic social patterns that promote hunger such as racism, sexism, and cissexism. You have a strong affinity with OFB’s 10 Year Vision and are profoundly excited to achieve this vision for and with our community.
Position Summary:
As the Associate Director of Strategic Communications Creative and Operations, you provide leadership across the department’s creative strategy and operational systems. You guide the vision, structure and execution of storytelling and brand initiatives while strengthening project management and workflow processes.
You directly supervise the Senior Video Producer, Graphic Designer, Multimedia Producer and Operations and Project Manager. You set priorities, support team performance and oversee workflow, budgeting and cross department collaboration to ensure high quality communications work that advances organizational goals.
Primary Responsibilities (Essential Functions):
Lead CROP (Creative and Operations) team within Strategic Communications including staff, interns and vendors
Supervise Senior Video Producer, Graphic Designer, Multimedia Producer and Operations and Project Manager, setting clear expectations, roles, priorities and goals and ensuring follow through on timelines and quality standards
Coach and develop staff to strengthen management, communication and problem solving skills and support professional growth
Ensure alignment of team priorities with organizational strategy and Strategic Communications goals
Lead and oversee written storytelling strategy, ensuring compelling narratives that center community voice and advance equity
Oversee video production led by the Senior Video Producer from concept through final delivery
Provide direction and feedback on graphic design, visual identity and creative concepts to ensure clarity, quality and brand alignment
Review, approve and copy edit all CROP team projects to ensure consistency, accuracy and alignment with organizational priorities
Assess creative capacity including staffing, tools and workflow and recommend improvements
Oversee department operations and project management systems supervising the Operations and Project Manager
Serve as primary strategic relationship holder with Community Philanthropy, managing communication requests, clarifying scope and ensuring timely, high quality deliverables
Lead annual work planning and budget development in partnership with the Director of Strategic Communications, the Associate Director of External Communications and Operations and Project manager
Audit, update and implement department operating strategy, systems and guiding principles
Participate fully in the org-wide Management Team and Associate Directors group to help develop leadership skills, team capacity and an equity-centered work culture
Make strategic decisions regarding project prioritization, resource allocation, and workflow optimization across the department
Identify, share, engage in, and collaboratively adjust and make necessary changes to this description of duties according to the inevitable evolution of the role over time.
Organizational-level responsibilities of exempt employees include:
To be an ambassador and a leader for OFB’s vision and mission, a cross-departmental collaborator, and an active contributor to building a movement to end hunger for good by addressing the root causes of hunger: systemic oppressions such as racism, xenophobia, sexism, and cisexism.
In consultation and coordination with the supervisor, actively contribute to:
cross-departmental efforts
work culture activities and programming
advisory and consultative groups such as the compensation committee, affinity groups, Equity Ambassadors, Equity Think Tank meetings, among others
plan and engage in professional development activities that strengthen your capacity for your specific role as well as your capacity to contribute and advance organizational goals, OFB’s vision and mission.
Skills and Experience Required:
Bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications, Media Studies, Arts, Business Administration or related field
Minimum of 10 years’ experience building and leading diverse, mission-driven teams, including direct supervision of at least four staff concurrently. Experience preferred in nonprofit organizations, creative agencies, government entities, community-based organizations, advocacy initiatives, or political campaigns.
At least (7) years of experience in equity-centered written storytelling, brand stewardship and multimedia production that advance narrative change efforts
At least (5) years of experience coaching and supporting managers and staff in equity-centered environments
Deep passion for eliminating hunger and its root causes.
Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, especially Indesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Premiere
Track record of successful cross-department project management and collaboration in diverse, multi-faceted organizations — ideally within communications, marketing, development or advocacy settings
Strong facilitation, team-building, and verbal and written communication skills
Affinity for building and maintaining relationships with community members, direct reports, co-workers and fellow leaders — with an ability to deftly navigate complex personalities and organizational structures
Ability to take initiative to lead in a creative, responsive and fast-paced culture.
Organizational level skills and experience required for exempt employees include:
Disposition and willingness to maximize multiple perspectives to innovate, problem solve and seek creative solutions.
Experience in modeling intercultural competence and demonstrated commitment to equity and social justice.
Demonstrated ability to think strategically, collaborate, take initiative, and to maintain confidentiality.
Project coordination and organization skills; ability to manage multiple projects with attention to detail; ability to handle interruptions, and produce timely, accurate work.
Ability to both work independently and as part of a team; comfortable working in an office environment and offsite.
Ability to thrive in a diverse, creative, responsive, mission-driven, and fast-paced work culture.
Experience of successful multicultural immersion working and/or living within OFB's Equity Constituencies: BIPoC, Immigrants & Refugees, Single Mothers, Trans and Gender-Non-Conforming folx.
Multicultural Immersion defined as: Actively integrated in one or more communities, interacting with individuals and groups, and seeking to understand the diversities within and between communities by being there and engaging in daily life activities.
Preferred Qualifications:
Lived experience of food insecurity and/or the systemic inequities and oppression that drive hunger and poverty
Understanding of and interest in the intersection of social service delivery, grassroots policy advocacy, and racial and economic justice
Written and/or oral proficiency in any of the following languages: Arabic, Chuukese, Simplified or Traditional Chinese, French, Nepali, Russian, Samoan, S’Gaw Karen, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
Awareness of current events and news in anti-hunger efforts, federal food assistance programs (SNAP, WIC, etc.) or general social service initiatives
Familiarity with the political and policy landscape in the Pacific Northwest
Organizational level preferred qualifications of exempt employees include:
Multilingual skills at a minimum professional level of proficiency or greater in English and any additional language/s, defined as being able to speak the languages with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical and professional topics.
Multicultural skills of adaptation and integration are strongly preferred.
Adaptation is defined as the capacity to communicate and interact with people of multiple cultures, backgrounds, and styles by incorporating and adapting to the world view and perspectives of others.
Integration is defined as being able to “code-switch” or move in and out of one's worldview and help others understand different cultures, backgrounds, and styles to promote diversity and inclusion.
Commitment to continued professional development to strengthen capacity to work through an equity lens for equity and racial justice.
Strong capacity to consider multiple perspectives, to pivot to respond to emerging needs and lead through organizational changes.
Years of successful multicultural immersion either working with and/or living within one or more of OFB’s Equity Constituencies at the time of hire. An additional step for at least 10 years above minimum required of successful multicultural immersion working with and/or living within one or more of OFB’s Equity Constituencies at the time of hire.
Multicultural Immersion defined as: Actively integrated in one or more communities, interacting with individuals and groups, and seeking to understand the diversities within and between communities by being there and engaging in daily life activities.
The Fine Print:
Work environment:
Work is performed in an office environment while sitting in meetings or at a computer screen for extended periods inside and outside of Oregon Food Bank and will use computers and phones extensively.
May work outside of general working hours of 8:00 – 5:00 p.m., such as evenings and weekends, and occasional travel out of town may occur.
Work may require to lift, move and carry objects from 20 to 40 pounds, such as boxes containing office and other supplies. Crouching, bending, kneeling and reaching when filing. Accommodations may be available upon request.
Background Check:
This position doesn’t require a criminal background check.
Inclement Weather, Service Disruptions and Disaster Response expectations:
OFB is part of the regional disaster response network and, as part of our commitment to our community, we all are expected to report to work as soon as it’s safe to do so and to respond to the disaster, emergency, inclement weather or extended service disruption as needed and as possible. Work and paid designations are described in OFB’s Inclement Weather Guidelines. At all times staff is supported to prioritize their safety and those of their dependants, families and loved ones while in communication and coordination with supervisors.
1. Exempt classification refers to employees who earn a salary rather than an hourly rate for the work they do instead of the number of hours they take to complete the task. Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime pay or minimum wage. They; 1) Supervise two or more full-time employees or four part-time employees regularly; 2) Are responsible for managing at least part of a business; 3) Play an important role in the job status of other employees, including hiring and delegating tasks; or 1) Perform office or non-manual work directly related to the business operations or management of an organization and its customers; and 2) Exercise independent judgment and discretion over important business decisions.
