Chief Communications Officer

Who We Are

Our Children’s Trust (OCT) was founded in 2010 on the idea that courts are vital to democracy and empowered to protect our children and the planet. Without a stable climate system, every natural resource we rely upon to exercise our basic human rights—life, liberty, home, happiness—is under threat. Our work will be achieved when there is universal recognition of children’s climate rights by courts around the world and children’s fundamental rights to life on this planet are protected. www.ourchildrenstrust.org.

What the Chief Communications Officer Does

The Chief Communications Officer develops and executes strategic communications campaigns to advance our mission and further our reach. Specifically, the Chief Communications Officer creates and manages the organization’s overall and case-specific communications including media, event and marketing strategy. The Chief Communications Officer works closely with the Chief Development Officer to communicate with OCT supporters and cultivate existing and new constituent engagement.

The position is a salary, exempt, and benefit eligible with an annual salary range is $144,000-$162,000. Benefits include 100% employer paid medical and dental for employee, long and short-term disability, life insurance, SIMPLE IRA plan, generous vacation, sick and holiday leave including restorative leave after 6 years.

This position is eligible for remote or hybrid. Work is primarily performed Monday through Friday during regular business hours; however, evening and weekend hours may be necessary dependent upon case activity, deadlines, and workload. Some travel may be required at the cost of Our Children’s Trust.

Key Responsibilities

• Executive Leadership. Serve as a collaborative member of the executive leadership team under the direction of the Co-Executive Directors.
• Team Management. Lead an in-house team of four to six employees to carry out OCT’s communication, education, and engagement (CEE) work. Manage outside contractors and vendors as needed to advance the work of the CEE team.
• Organization and workflow. Establish clear protocols for collaboration and priority setting including crisis communications response.
• Strategic planning. Develop strategic communications plans to maintain and expand reach and support integrated legal and development strategies.
• Brand development. Provide strategic leadership in the development and expansion of OCT’s brand and assets.
• Messaging development. Oversee the development and distribution of clear, consistent, and compelling messaging, storytelling, and talking points employing writing, graphic design, photography and videos.
• Media strategy. Direct effort to increase strategic earned media coverage in print, television, radio, podcast, and online and work with development team to convert regional, national and global media attention to grow base of support. Engage with key creatives including authors, directors/producers, publishing houses, and film studios to vet and prioritize our relationship with the creation of books and feature films about our work.
• Rapid response & crisis communications. Lead efforts to respond quickly to breaking news, court decisions, and trending topics related to our work and inserting our perspective into the conversation.
• Campaign strategy. Develop and execute campaigns to recruit participants, attract donors, raise awareness and generate excitement and engagement.
• Audience engagement. Define, understand, and cultivate important audiences. Listen and learn from audiences, manage and grow lists of key audiences, analyzing data to drive decision-making. Oversee community outreach and engagement to build support in priority regions and audience segments, including OCT’s donor base.
• Tools and tactics. Determine what digital strategies and tactics are needed to connect with important audiences and build OCT’s brand.
• Strategic partnership and events. Oversee strategic partnerships, speaking engagements, and events that bolster OCT’s leading role in children’s rights and climate advocacy, and expand support for the organization.
• Education as advocacy. Oversee development and distribution of learning tools and educational materials for priority audiences.
• Trauma Informed Communications and Engagement. Advance all strategic communications and engagement with a trauma informed care lens.

Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree AND 10 years of related experience in public relations, community relations, or related occupation with direct responsibility for publications, media relations, and communications planning and implementation OR an equivalent combination of education and experience
• 3 years in a leadership and supervisory role.

Competencies

• Deep understanding of and/or passion for children’s rights, human rights, climate change, the law and OCT’s unique mission.
• Management experience with ability to establish priorities that will fully utilize the staff’s time and the department’s resources with a management style that is accessible, flexible, decisive, and supportive with the ability to provide clear direction and delegate where appropriate.
• Experience working in or closely with a development team in the non-profit space, or with brand marketing teams in the for-profit space.
• A commitment to diversity; a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability, and socioeconomic circumstance.
• Demonstrated experience with strategic communications planning.

EEO Statement

At Our Children’s Trust, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Our Children’s Trust believes that diversity and inclusion is critical to our success and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they have every one of the qualifications as described in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of our qualifications described. If you are unsure of whether you meet the qualifications of this position, or how this would be determined, please feel free to contact us to discuss your application.