A little about us… Kidango (kidango.org) is an early learning nonprofit committed to setting every child on a path to thrive in kindergarten and in life. We believe that all children can reach their full potential if they and their families have access to the right opportunities and resources. As the largest child care provider in the San Francisco Bay Area, we provide thousands of children, especially those from low-income families, with safe, healthy, nurturing environments and relationships. Through our policy work, we aim to take our expertise beyond the children and families that we serve, and drive change in early childhood education at the local, state and federal levels. Our goal is to make sure all children have the social, emotional, and academic skills they need to learn, grow and realize their potential.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in marketing communications or a related field.
• 2-5 years work experience supervising others preferred.
• Experience and deep understanding of consumer user experience and interactions.
• Proven success in incorporating storytelling into marketing and communications strategies and campaigns.
• Experience with working with media, press, and crisis communications.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Creative problem-solving skills with ability to think analytically and strategically.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Familiarity with regulatory matters in marketing communications.
• Ability to work collaboratively with benefactors across functions.
• Knowledge of new channels, methods, and platforms for optimizing internal and external communications.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to multitask and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Able to work a flexible schedule, including some evenings and weekends.
• Travel up to 20%.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must pass a health screening and TB test
• Must pass background fingerprint clearance
• Valid Driver License
• Must be 18 years or older
• The ability to lift up to 30lbs may be needed during some job duties
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Public & Internal Relations Manager plays a critical role in overseeing and managing both external public relations activities and internal communication strategies within the organization. This multifaceted position requires exceptional communication skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate complex issues both internally and externally. The incumbent will be responsible for cultivating positive relationships with the public, benefactors, and employees, ensuring alignment with the organization’s goals and values.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

• User Experience
• Conduct research and gather relevant information from families, staff, and other key beneficiaries to inform communication strategies, messaging, and decision-making processes.
• Create internal communications protocols, processes, and initiatives to improve organizational collaboration, information gathering, and foster employee morale.
• Establish processes for gathering user feedback, incorporating family and staff perspectives, and addressing user experience issues to continuously improve organizational operations and services.
• Facilitate regular cross-departmental meetings to review user feedback, share insights, and collaborate on solutions for enhancing the user experience for families and staff.
• Streamline the process of refining phone and email scripts by systematically gathering feedback, simplifying language, and personalizing communication to ensure clarity and effectiveness in conveying key messages and guiding interactions with customers.
• Collaborate with professional learning teams to develop a process to coordinate the creation of training materials tailored to identified needs, such as instructional manuals, e-learning modules, and videos. Ensure that training materials are engaging and accessible.Public and Internal Relations
• Leverage existing media relationships and cultivate new contacts within business and industry media, influencers, and beyond to arrange story placement on a local and national level.
• Manage and coordinate press releases, press conferences, media relations, crisis communications, etc.
• Ensure timely and accurate sharing of center-related news and happenings.
• Develop a comprehensive crisis communication plan outlining roles, responsibilities, and procedures for managing communication during a crisis, including protocols for internal and external communication channels.
• Establish clear escalation procedures for notifying senior leadership and relevant benefactors about emerging crises and activating the crisis communication plan.
• Conduct regular training and drills to familiarize staff with their roles and responsibilities during a crisis, including media spokesperson training for designated representatives.
• Establish relationships with media outlets and influencers to facilitate rapid dissemination of accurate information during a crisis and minimize the spread of misinformation.
• Implement a system for gathering feedback from internal and external benefactors following a crisis to assess the effectiveness of communication efforts and identify areas for improvement.
• Continuously review and update the crisis communication plan to incorporate lessons learned from past incidents and ensure readiness to respond to evolving threats and challenges.Coordinating Story and Content Gathering
• Collaborate with centers and departments to collect compelling stories and content that highlight the organization’s impact, achievements, and initiatives.
• Maintain regular communication with centers to gather updates, events, and relevant information for dissemination to families and staff.
• Develop clear guidelines outlining the types of stories that align with organizational goals and messaging. This may include stories of success, resilience, impact, or personal experiences related to the organization’s initiatives.
• Schedule and conduct interviews with families and staff.
• Set up dedicated channels or platforms for staff and families to submit their stories, such as online forms, email addresses, or designated staff members responsible for collecting stories.
• Coordinate with Marketing and Communications Manager to incorporate staff and family stories into various marketing and communication channels, such as newsletters, social media posts, website content, and promotional materials, to amplify their impact and reach.
• Track the impact of storytelling initiatives by monitoring metrics such as engagement, website traffic, and audience sentiment. Use this data to assess the effectiveness of different storytelling strategies and inform future efforts.