CORPORATION FOR BUSINESS, WORK AND LEARNING



COMMONWEALTH CORPORATION

2 Oliver Street, 5th Floor

Boston, MA 02109

|Position Title: |Communications Director |

|Reports To: |President and CEO |

|Grade: |5 – Director / Sr. Technical |

|Salary Range: | $85,000-95,000 |

Position Description

The Commonwealth Corporation, a public-private corporation focused on workforce development, youth development, economic development, and the future of education and workforce training, seeks applications for the position of Communications Director.

Who We Are:

Commonwealth Corporation is a quasi-public workforce development agency that strengthens the skills of Massachusetts youth and adults by investing in innovative partnerships with industry, education and workforce organizations. Our primary goals are:

• To build regional industry training partnerships that prepare youth and unemployed workers for jobs in demand that lead to higher rates of employment;

• To upgrade the skills of underemployed workers to meet specific employer skill demands leading to job retention, upgrades and wage gains; and

• To increase the share of youth engaged in education and employment pathways preparing them for post-secondary education and careers.

Commonwealth Corporation works with hundreds of Massachusetts companies, thousands of new and experienced workers, and thousands of youth and young adults each year.

Among other activities, we:

• Administer the Workforce Training Fund, a trust that awards $20 million in grants to companies annually;

• Administer YouthWorks, Massachusetts’ subsidized youth employment program;

• Coordinate education and workforce activities for the state’s juvenile justice system;

• Implement and sell Signal Success, our soft skills and employability curriculum;

• Operate Governor Charlie Baker’s Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning, a new, high profile effort to extend education and training to many more people in Massachusetts.

Commonwealth Corporation currently funds its work through primarily through government and philanthropic grants and contracts. In 2011, Commonwealth Corporation created the Commonwealth Corporation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization to raise funds in support of our programmatic activities.

Reporting to the President and CEO and working closely with the Corporation’s senior leadership team, the Communications Director will be the lead staff member responsible for building Commonwealth Corporation’s brand, visibility, and messaging further. S/he will be responsible for the smooth operation of the Communications department and will supervise a Communications Coordinator and an external graphic design consultant.

The Communications Director will have a comprehensive portfolio, including: (1) media relations; (2) overseeing the production of reports and publications; (3) marketing Commonwealth Corporation’s signature programs and initiatives; (4) event design and execution; (5) website and social media management; (6) maintaining and expanding the Corporation’s database of stakeholder contacts; and (7) assisting the CEO with executive writing, internal communications, and public positioning.

Key Responsibilities:

Media Relations

• Leverage existing relationships with reporters in the local, regional and national press to pitch stories about Commonwealth Corporation’s programs, initiatives, research, and impact

• Engage columnists, bloggers, and other thought leaders around the Corporation’s programs and research

• Coordinate with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and Governor’s office on media outreach and strategy

• Manage general inquiries on Commonwealth Corporation’s programs and initiatives to external stakeholders.

Reports and Publications

• Work in collaboration with program staff to produce reports that Commonwealth Corporation is required to issue under state law, and for key programs such as the Workforce Training Fund, YouthWorks, and the Governor’s Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning

• Identify opportunities for content development, including capturing youth and adult program participant stories, other stakeholder quotes, photography and videos

• Work closely on special projects with department staff and outside consultants as needed. Provide coordination and oversight to Communications-related consultants such as writers, editors, graphic designers and printers, as needed.

Marketing

• Maintain and update collateral related to Commonwealth Corporation’s core programs and initiatives in coordination with program teams

• Manage marketing assets to ensure that all internal stakeholders have access to materials

• Create content development and asset management processes and guidelines for the organization

Event Design

• Work with program staff to design and execute events of various kinds, such as events geared toward practitioners in various industries, events highlighting key initiatives of Commonwealth Corporation and its partners in state government, and thought leadership events

Social Media

• With the Communications Coordinator, write/design all content for Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook

• Build Commonwealth Corporation’s network of followers on social media, especially LinkedIn

• Design new content and ensure a constant supply of fresh, high-quality, in-brand content

Website

• Manage websites maintained by Commonwealth Corporation (Commonwealth Corporation’s main website, Workforce Training Fund, Signal Success, and Exclusive Tees)

• With the Communications Coordinator, update content on a regular basis; ensure accuracy of all website content

• Coordinate with staff on program teams who are charged with maintaining website content

Executive Communications

• Assist the CEO in drafting op-eds and blogs for LinkedIn and local, regional, and national media outlets

• Help the CEO maintain a steady flow of communications to vital constituencies, including internal staff, the Corporation’s Board of Directors, and workforce, business, and education stakeholder groups

• Research and pursue opportunities for the CEO and senior staff to speak about Commonwealth Corporation (i.e., at conferences, workforce/business association events, or commencements)

Database Management

• Update and maintain contact database as relevant for Communications (Salesforce and email marketing)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Ability to draft quality documents under pressure of a deadline and accommodate a variety of writing and editing style needs such as business reports, grant proposals, promotional materials, research/academic briefs and others.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, diplomacy. Ability to keep information confidential.

• Strong organization and Project Management skills

• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and meet deadlines. Detail-oriented, problem-solving aptitude.

• Proficiency with current Communications technology, including but not limited to website maintenance (WordPress) and content management (Hootsuite), social networking (Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook), digital photography and videography.

• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, InDesign, Wordpress, Salesforce, and Microsoft Office Suite

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required

• At least 5 years of experience in organizational communications, including direct experience with all or most of the job dimensions discussed above.

• Excellent writing and editing skills;

• Fluency with all social media outlets; especially LinkedIn and Twitter;

• Proficiency in Windows-based software. Preference for additional knowledge of other computer applications, including Mac and InDesign, WordPress, and Adobe software.

• General knowledge of workforce, youth, or economic development, or a willingness to learn about these areas.

• Dependability and strong interpersonal skills; self-starter.

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to:

Email: HrApplicant@

Mail: Commonwealth Corporation

2 Oliver Street, 5th Flooor

Boston, MA 02109

Attn: Human Resources

Commonwealth Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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