Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Department: Organization-wide (embedded across Philanthropy, Programs, and Outreach)
ABOUT UNITED WAY GREATER TRIANGLE
United Way Greater Triangle (UWGT) connects people and resources to community-driven solutions that create lasting impact. We convene partners across sectors, invest in effective programs, and amplify the work of nonprofits that strengthen families and communities across Durham, Johnston, Orange, and Wake counties.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Director, Communications makes UWGT’s 3x impact credible, compelling, and easy to remember for every audience. The goal is for our North Star to be a proven story the region can see and act on, not just a claim we make. This role owns marketing and communications (MarComms) end to end: strategy, distribution, the editorial calendar, content, and measurement across social, email, and web.
You’ll own the organization’s MarComms OKRs. That means publishing the annual Regional Impact Report, embedding the Amplification Story in every major donor and corporate conversation, and holding brand consistency and reach across every channel. You’ll build a distribution strategy that gets our story in front of the right people, and a data practice that shows what’s working. Success depends on staying embedded across the organization. You’ll be present at programs, events, donor visits, and community gatherings to source timely, on-brand content and weave it into one coherent narrative.
A role built to grow. This is a foundational leadership role at a pivotal moment for UWGT. As we carry out our 2026–2031 strategic framework, the Director will shape how MarComms grows: its tools, its partners, and its place in how the organization tells its story. You’ll have direct access to the CEO, a real voice in strategy, and the room to build something that lasts.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
MarComms Strategy, Distribution & Measurement
- Own the MarComms OKRs and report quarterly progress to the CEO against each key result. Set baselines in the first 90 days and confirm annual targets during Year 1 strategic planning.
- Develop and operationalize a distribution strategy that maps each audience (nonprofit partners, corporate partners, individual donors, volunteers, and the broader public) to the right channels, cadence, and calls to action across owned, earned, and partner channels.
- Build partner amplification tools, such as shareable content kits, templated posts, and ready-to-use Impact Report excerpts, so corporate and nonprofit partners carry the UWGT story through their own networks.
- Grow and segment email lists to improve relevance and deliverability. Use A/B testing to refine subject lines, content, and send times.
- Maintain a MarComms dashboard tracking:
- Email open, click-through, and unsubscribe rates
- Conversion rates (newsletter-to-donation, event registration, volunteer sign-up)
- List growth
- Social reach and engagement
- Website traffic
- Regional Impact Report views and downloads
- Use that data to shift content and channel investment toward what performs.
Regional Impact Report & the Amplification Story
- Lead production of the annual Regional Impact Report, published on schedule each year. It should cover investment totals, impact indicators across the economic mobility continuum, and the 3x return calculation, using data from Finance, Action Labs, Outreach, and Philanthropy.
- Own distribution of the Report and track its reach through unique views and downloads.
- Partner with Philanthropy so the Amplification Story, including the with/without UWGT comparison, appears in 100% of major donor proposals and corporate partnership decks by the end of Year 1. Track this quarterly.
- Extend the Amplification Story into all public-facing materials: web, social, newsletters, event remarks, and partner toolkits.
Editorial Strategy & Calendar Ownership
- Own and run an integrated, multi-month editorial calendar across social, email, and website/blog, with defined audiences, themes, and publish dates for every team.
- Serve as the organization’s single go/no-go gatekeeper for published content, with a clear RACI and consistent lead times for drafting, review, approval, and publishing.
- Track content by pillar (Convene, Invest, Amplify) to keep coverage balanced across channels.
Storytelling & Content Production
- Weave major milestones into one coherent narrative, tailored for each audience. These include funding opportunities and partners, the Regional Impact Report, and the State of the Triangle convening.
- Partner with the Philanthropy team to source and produce donor, volunteer, corporate, and program stories.
- Produce content across formats from a single source (social, blog, web, and newsletter), including quick-turn social graphics in Canva or similar with a consistent, on-brand look.
- Manage the organization’s social media presence and keep the website current, including program updates, event listings, and staff and board changes.
- Write for both human readers and search/AI-driven discovery. Use AI tools to speed drafting, and fact-check and edit every draft before it publishes.
- Manage a dedicated media production budget, and hire and direct freelance photographers, videographers, and production vendors.
- Coordinate event photography and video, from staff or volunteer coverage at standard events to professional production for high-visibility moments.
- Produce two monthly database newsletters, one for the general audience and one for nonprofit outreach, on a staggered cadence.
Brand Voice & Cross-Team Support
- Make sure all outward-facing communications reflect UWGT’s core messaging and strategic framework, and flag tone or messaging shifts to leadership.
- Run an annual brand consistency audit across all channels and close the gaps it identifies.
- Develop staff and board training materials on messaging, tone, and values, including coaching staff and board members to tell the UWGT story in their own words.
- Provide communications support for board and committee materials and event promotion as needed.
- Attend relevant staff, program, and donor events to source content in real time.
YEAR 1 SUCCESS PROJECT: UWGT MEDIA LIBRARY
In the first year, you’ll build a comprehensive UWGT media library: an organized, searchable collection of stories, videos, and photos that shows our impact and work across all four counties and all three impact focus areas. You’ll have dedicated production funding to bring in professional photo and video support. Success looks like:
- A central, tagged library, organized by pillar, county, focus area, and audience, that any staff member can pull from for proposals, decks, social, and the Regional Impact Report
- A steady pipeline of impact stories from nonprofit partners, participants, donors, corporate partners, and volunteers, with a repeatable intake process
- A core set of short-form videos and a current, high-quality photo collection covering programs, events, and community partners
- A consent and release process for every person featured, plus usage guidelines for staff and partners
MARCOMMS OKRS AT A GLANCE
The Director owns the following MarComms key results. Specific targets will be confirmed during Year 1 strategic planning.
KR1 | REGIONAL IMPACT REPORT
• Annual Regional Impact Report published on schedule — Annual
• Report distribution reach (unique views / downloads) — Annual
KR2 | 3X STORY DISTRIBUTION
• % of major donor proposals featuring the Amplification Story — Quarterly
• % of corporate partnership decks featuring the 3x comparison — Quarterly
KR3 | BRAND & CONTENT CONSISTENCY
• Brand consistency audit score across all channels — Annual
• Total content reach across email, social, and web — Quarterly
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- Demonstrable, high-level experience in communications, marketing, content, or journalism, with proven ability to produce content across email, blog, social, and web.
- A writing sample or portfolio with your application, plus a specific track record of using data to guide content and distribution decisions (open rates, click-through rates, A/B results, conversion rates).
- Experience building or running a distribution or channel strategy that measurably grew reach, engagement, or conversions.
- Demonstrated ability to create day-to-day graphics for social media posts.
- Strong project management skills, with a proven ability to own a calendar, hit deadlines, and manage multiple concurrent content streams with minimal oversight.
- Comfort working both independently and across departments with varied stakeholders: leadership, program staff, donors, and volunteers.
- Working knowledge of email/newsletter platforms, social media scheduling tools, analytics tools, and basic website CMS. Comfortable using AI tools to speed drafting while keeping fact-checking and editing rigorous.
- Reliable transportation and willingness to travel locally across the Triangle for programs, events, and donor visits.
Preferred
- Highly valued: exceptional storytelling, on the page and in person. You can interview a community member and find the heart of their story. You’re comfortable telling UWGT’s story live, whether that’s event remarks, donor meetings, or presentations. You can help others do the same.
- Proficiency in multimedia production, including photography and short-form video, and experience building or managing a digital asset or media library.
- Experience managing a production budget and directing outside vendors, videographers, or photographers.
- Nonprofit-sector exposure (paid or volunteer) is a plus but not required. We’re prioritizing a fast-learning, strong marketer over deep sector tenure.
- Familiarity with SEO/GEO fundamentals and graphic design tools (Canva, Adobe Express, or similar).
- Employer-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance for employees, with assistance toward family coverage
- 403(b) retirement plan
- Generous paid time off
- And more
To apply, please email your resume, cover letter, a portfolio of your demonstrated work experience, and salary expectation to Jobs@unitedwaytriangle.org. The application window will close on October 30th at 5pm.