Communications Specialist

Central City Concern (CCC) is an innovative nonprofit agency providing comprehensive services to single adults and families impacted by homelessness, poverty, and addictions in the Portland metro area. We hire skilled and passionate people to meet our mission to end homelessness through innovative outcome-based strategies that support personal and community transformation.
The Communications Specialist is a Public Affairs (PA) team member. This position will work closely with staff across the organization, community partners, and contractors. This tech-savvy person will routinely work with subject matter experts on various topics, including health, affordable housing, employment, public policy, and racial equity, to create social media, written and visual content for internal and external audiences.
RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and write content about CCC programs and initiatives, including employee and client stories, emails, blog posts, PPT presentations, newsletters, flyers, fact sheets, and white papers. and other general communications.
• Review and copy edit communications, including organizational and program communications, to ensure consistency, readability, and alignment with company style.
• Collaborate with PA colleagues to formulate comprehensive project communications plans.
• Collaborate with PA colleagues to develop, create, and post content for CCC social media channels and email marketing campaigns.
• Update the CCC website with factual information and visual content when launching various initiatives. Work with the website contractor on extensive modifications to the website.
• Develop and create basic marketing and educational collateral with graphic design software, such as flyers, signage, brochures, and invitations. Work with contract graphic designers on larger design projects.
• Support multimedia projects involving photography, 2D and 3D graphics, and video production.
• Maintain and organize digital assets in a searchable database, including images, video, and other forms of media.
• Apply standard project management techniques to projects, including developing project schedules, meeting deadlines, communicating with team members, and resolving issues to keep projects on course.
• Adhere to all state and federal privacy regulations, including HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, and CCC policies and agreements regarding confidentiality, privacy, and security. Support compliance with all privacy and security requirements under community partners' and outside providers' patient confidentiality agreements, including privacy and security requirements for EMR access. This includes immediately reporting to the CCC Compliance Department any breach of protected health information or personal identification information of any person receiving CCC services by CCC or an outside provider, as well as to your supervisor or their designee.
• Attend all mandatory CCC training promptly.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to consider the impacts and outcomes for underserved communities during decision-making.
• Ability to consider impacts of oppression, structural racism, and individual bias on client outcomes.
• Ability to work in an environment where people may be hostile, abusive, or experiencing personal crises.
• Ability to effectively interact with co-workers and clients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, religious views, political affiliations, cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, and sexual orientations, and treat individuals with respect and dignity.
• Ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Attention to detail, commitment to quality, and a passion for clear and effective communications.
• Excellent verbal communication skills and ability to articulate ideas, problem solve, and bring a team to resolution.
• Strong time management, problem-solving, issue resolution, and collaboration skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, SharePoint, PowerPoint, Excel, and WordPress.
• Proficient in graphic design software such as Canva or Adobe Creative Suite.
• Proficient in photography editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or similar.
• Proficient in social media scheduling tools like Sprout Social or Hoot Suite.
• Proficient on social media platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
• Proficient in email marketing software such as Campaign Monitor or Mail Chimp
• Experience with video editing software is a plus.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, political science, public affairs, or related field, or the equivalent combination of education, training, or work experience.
• Minimum three years of combination experience with the following: Progressively responsible professional communications and project management experience, including the ability to prioritize, organize, and plan for effective development and delivery of communications projects. graphic design for collateral marketing materials. Applicants must submit three design examples (ie. Brochure, flyer, website graphics, signage, invitations, etc.)
• Experience in a medical or health services environment is preferred.
• Experience with trauma-informed communications is preferred. The Public Affairs team must often communicate about sensitive topics, including homelessness and substance use disorder.
• Strong AP knowledge and demonstrated skill in copy editing.
• Motivation to advance the organization's mission.
• Physical ability to bend, stoop, kneel, squat, twist, reach, pull, and lift heavy objects. Able to climb stairs several times a day.
• Ability to adhere to Central City Concern's drug-free workplace, which encourages a safe, healthy, and productive work environment and strictly complies with the Drug-Free Work Place Act of 1988. An employee shall not, in the workplace, unlawfully manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess, or use a controlled substance or alcohol in the workplace.
• Must pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check.
• Must adhere to the agency's non-discrimination policies.
• Ability to effectively interact with co-workers and clients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, religious views, political affiliations, cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, and sexual orientations, and treat individuals with respect and dignity

BENEFITS:
Central City Concern offers an incredible benefits package to our employees!

• Generous paid time off plan beginning at 4 weeks per year at the time of hire. Accrual increases with longevity.
• Amazing 403(b) Retirement Savings plan with an employer match of 4.25% in your 1styear, 6% in the 2nd year, and 8% in your 3rd year!
• 11 paid Holidays PLUS 2 Personal Holidays to be used at the employee's discretion.
• Comprehensive Medical, Vision, and Dental insurance coverage.
• Employer Paid Life, Short-Term Disability, AND Long-Term Disability Insurance!
• Sabbatical Program is offers extended time off in years 7, 14, and 21.

This description is intended to provide a snapshot of the work performed. It is not designed to contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required for the position.
Central City Concern is a second-chance employer and complies with applicable laws regarding considering criminal background for employment purposes. Government regulations, contractual requirements, or the duties of this particular job may require CCC to conduct a background check and take appropriate action to address prior criminal convictions.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)