Summary: The Director of Communications strategically manages a variety of promotional and communications tools for the congregation and maintains consistency of the church’s brand.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Develop and implement annual and long-term communications calendaring and planning for church programs, worship, and special events.
• Create and manage weekly communication (DU Weekly), maintaining the mailing lists in Constant Contact.
• Create graphic and digital designs with consistent branding that conveys the church’s story and our progressive mission and values.
  • Create content for all communication platforms – print and digital
  • Create content for all-church events, classes, and programs
  • Create Orders of Service for special services e.g. Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday, ordinations and installations, Pageant Sunday, etc.
• Manage the church’s social media presence.
• Manage church website and outside service providers.
• Support stewardship communication and design deliverables (pledge cards and letters, testimonials).
• Advise ministers, staff, and volunteers in maintaining a consistent brand across the activities of the church.
• Collaborate with the ministers to identify and cultivate opportunities for the church’s staff and members to be seen and known in public settings.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The Director of Communications must be detail-oriented, organized, and provide superb follow-through. Strong interpersonal, analytical, technological, and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to multi-task and use time productively, will serve the candidate well. The candidate must have a mastery of the various communications tools available and relevant to the position. The candidate must be able to confidently and kindly communicate major communications goals and plans to a variety of constituents within the staff, volunteers, and public. The candidate must be able to set appropriate boundaries and deadlines for church communications, gracefully holding others accountable to the requirements of effective communication in the organization.

The Director of Communications must be open and willing to engage with visitors, members, and friends of the church and able to interact with a variety of individuals and audiences graciously, with appropriate decorum and discretion. They must be able to articulate basic history and beliefs of Unitarian Universalism, with specific references to the history and values of this congregation.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Applicants must be able to pass a criminal background check in order work for this organization.

Education/Experience: Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of four years of nonprofit communications experience and/or public relations/design experience.

Language Ability: Ability to read and interpret instructions. Ability to respond to inquiries or complaints from constituents; ability to write in a manner to conform to prescribed style and format using standard business English spelling and grammar.

Math Ability: Ability to work with mathematical concepts and apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions and deal with both abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have a strong knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Publisher), Constant Contact, social media tools (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), and database software. Experience with ACS/Realm database a very strong plus. Must possess skills in design and publishing.

Certificates and Licenses: No certifications needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position may supervise volunteer staff. Volunteer management experience is strongly desired.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment during the M-F phase is usually low; if work is occasionally scheduled on Sunday morning during the usual worship hours of the church, the noise level in the office may be moderate at times (before and after services).

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include: close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit while using a computer; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Health Insurance – the Church covers the full cost of the employee’s premium. Payroll deduction for the cost of coverage of eligible family members can be arranged.
• Optional dental and vision insurance
• Employer-paid group life, AD&D, and short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Flex-Spending Account (FSA)
• Employer contributions to retirement benefit account after 1 year of employment
• Paid time off (25 days), paid holidays (11 days)

Full job description available at https://www.dallasuu.org/job-posting-director-of-communications/.

Please send a cover letter, resume, and references to resumes@dallasuu.org.