Upstream - Director of Strategic Communications
Remote
Full Time
Manager/Supervisor
POSITION: Director of Strategic Communications
POSITION TYPE: Director level, reports to CEO
LOCATION: Remote, must be located within the U.S.
COMPENSATION: This is a remote position with a salary range of $90,000 -$110,000 depending on experience. Benefits include, but are not limited to: 403b plan with 5% employer match after 1 year of employment, flexible time off, plus 17 paid holidays technology and co-working space stipend, health stipend, and supplemental insurance.
UPSTREAM’S MISSION: We drive change toward a robust and enduring reuse economy.
UPSTREAM’S VISION: We live in a regenerative world where the planet is treated as indisposable and communities thrive.
Job Description
The Director of Strategic Communications is a key leadership role at Upstream. This position requires a dynamic, strategic thinker with strong management skills, a deep desire to dive into the reuse movement, and the ability to drive and support transformational change through communication. The ideal candidate will be adaptable, innovative, and committed to Upstream's vision of a world where people and the planet are treated as indisposable, and communities thrive without waste.
Roles & Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Execution
Qualifications and Core Competencies
Superior Leadership and Team Management Ability: Proven experience (5+ years) leading, motivating, and managing cross-functional teams. This person should be a highly experienced and collaborative team leader with the ability to guide, direct, mentor, and build capacity. They should possess skills and experience giving real-time feedback with a growth mindset and helping their supervisees course-correct and grow. They need proficiency in budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation.
Expertise in public relations, journalism, and storytelling. Experience setting up editorial or newsroom teams, including editorial calendar design, contributor management, content governance, and media amplification.
A love of people and relationship-building. A key part of this role is cultivating and nurturing relationships with key industry influencers and media contacts.
Strong Strategic Planning and Execution Skills: Ability to develop and implement long-term communications strategies aligned with organizational goals.
Experience leading brand or movement positioning work, including creating toolkits and narrative training for internal and external stakeholders.
Dynamism and strategic intelligence. Strong analytical skills to evaluate complex issues and develop data-driven solutions. We are looking for someone who is sharp in absorbing new information, evaluating that information strategically, and swiftly translating it to decision-making and action.
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution: Strong negotiation skills and the ability to resolve conflicts effectively.
Adaptability to change. We want our teammate to be highly adaptable and embrace change as a positive.
Proficiency in technology, particularly in using team communications platforms and communications software.
Desirable but not essential:
● Experience in B2B or policy communications
● Experience working within the reuse movement, including familiarity with current trends, key challenges, current and emerging players, complexities in adoption, and best practices.
To Apply:
The priority application deadline is September 25 at 5:00pm Eastern Time. The application will be open until the role is filled.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Upstream is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions at Upstream are based exclusively on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national, social, or ethnic origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation and all other statuses as protected by the laws and regulations of the United States and/or the state of Maine.
This search is being led by NRG Consulting Group. Reach out to Jaclyn Jones at [email protected] with questions.
POSITION TYPE: Director level, reports to CEO
LOCATION: Remote, must be located within the U.S.
COMPENSATION: This is a remote position with a salary range of $90,000 -$110,000 depending on experience. Benefits include, but are not limited to: 403b plan with 5% employer match after 1 year of employment, flexible time off, plus 17 paid holidays technology and co-working space stipend, health stipend, and supplemental insurance.
UPSTREAM’S MISSION: We drive change toward a robust and enduring reuse economy.
UPSTREAM’S VISION: We live in a regenerative world where the planet is treated as indisposable and communities thrive.
Job Description
The Director of Strategic Communications is a key leadership role at Upstream. This position requires a dynamic, strategic thinker with strong management skills, a deep desire to dive into the reuse movement, and the ability to drive and support transformational change through communication. The ideal candidate will be adaptable, innovative, and committed to Upstream's vision of a world where people and the planet are treated as indisposable, and communities thrive without waste.
Roles & Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Execution
- Create the narrative architecture & positioning for the reuse movement. This includes developing the overarching narrative framework (“meta-narrative”) to position reuse as the inevitable, superior solution to the status quo. The reuse movement must come from a place of power and drive the conversation, rather than being on the defensive. Establish reuse as an economic and social movement, not just an environmental practice. Then create messaging hierarchies that work across all stakeholder groups (consumers, policymakers, investors, industry).
- Create and implement a comprehensive strategic communications plan, including:
- Build and lead a dynamic reuse newsroom, establishing editorial guidelines, sourcing structures and amplification channels to drive daily, weekly and campaign storytelling for the movement.
- Securing and leveraging ambassadors or influencers to amplify the movement.
- Partner with others across the ecosystem on communications to accelerate the shift to reuse.
- Work closely with the CEO to align and map the Communication department’s goals and outcomes to the organizational goals and outcomes.
- Revitalize Upstream’s own narrative. Build, clarify, and maintain the organization's unique role and identity in the movement and ensure consistent messaging.
- Serve as a strategic advisor to staff leadership on communication matters.
- As part of the Upstream Leadership Team, contribute to making the organizational decisions that support the organization’s success in achieving its mission.
- Create the Communication department’s communications Work Plan each year, and be responsible for the Work Plan’s execution.
- Immediately assume management responsibilities for the Communications team, including the existing Communications Manager and two contractors specializing in web and social media functions.
- Build and develop team capacity through strategic hiring, mentorship, and professional development initiatives to meet the growing demands of the department's work portfolio.
- Develop a measurement framework to demonstrate and report on Upstream’s Communications outcomes and impact. Report on communication effectiveness and impact, and act upon that data accordingly.
- Create and execute a new web sitemap for Upstream’s website based on the new narrative architecture of Upstream and the movement.
- Facilitate effective internal communication to keep team members informed and engaged.
- Build team capacity and conduct hiring for the department.
- Manage Communications department staff, contractors, and interns. This includes providing supervision, guidance, direction, and mentorship.
- Foster a collaborative and innovative environment.
- Set clear performance goals and provide regular feedback to team members.
- Manage the communications budget and resources efficiently.
- Mentor and develop communication capabilities across the organization.
- Develop and implement strategies for engaging with key stakeholders, including donors, partners, volunteers, and the public.
- Enhanced Donor Relations and Fundraising Success. Lead on creating storytelling opportunities to better engage funders. Upstream also needs to more effectively communicate its mission, impact opportunity, and unique approach. This will strengthen donor confidence and support fundraising efforts. Clear, consistent messaging about program outcomes and strategic milestones will improve grant applications and major gift conversations.
- Build and manage essential external partnerships with the communications community, influencers, media, sector leaders, and others to strengthen Upstream's knowledge, network, and influence.
- Identify and leverage industry trends and emerging communication channels and technologies.
- Organize and manage events, campaigns, and other activities to promote the organization's mission.
- Support the CEO in her role as spokesperson for the organization in media and public engagements.
- Develop and implement crisis communication plans to manage and mitigate risks.
- Serve as the lead for all communication efforts during a crisis, ensuring timely and accurate dissemination of information.
Qualifications and Core Competencies
Superior Leadership and Team Management Ability: Proven experience (5+ years) leading, motivating, and managing cross-functional teams. This person should be a highly experienced and collaborative team leader with the ability to guide, direct, mentor, and build capacity. They should possess skills and experience giving real-time feedback with a growth mindset and helping their supervisees course-correct and grow. They need proficiency in budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation.
Expertise in public relations, journalism, and storytelling. Experience setting up editorial or newsroom teams, including editorial calendar design, contributor management, content governance, and media amplification.
A love of people and relationship-building. A key part of this role is cultivating and nurturing relationships with key industry influencers and media contacts.
Strong Strategic Planning and Execution Skills: Ability to develop and implement long-term communications strategies aligned with organizational goals.
Experience leading brand or movement positioning work, including creating toolkits and narrative training for internal and external stakeholders.
Dynamism and strategic intelligence. Strong analytical skills to evaluate complex issues and develop data-driven solutions. We are looking for someone who is sharp in absorbing new information, evaluating that information strategically, and swiftly translating it to decision-making and action.
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution: Strong negotiation skills and the ability to resolve conflicts effectively.
Adaptability to change. We want our teammate to be highly adaptable and embrace change as a positive.
Proficiency in technology, particularly in using team communications platforms and communications software.
Desirable but not essential:
● Experience in B2B or policy communications
● Experience working within the reuse movement, including familiarity with current trends, key challenges, current and emerging players, complexities in adoption, and best practices.
To Apply:
The priority application deadline is September 25 at 5:00pm Eastern Time. The application will be open until the role is filled.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Upstream is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions at Upstream are based exclusively on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national, social, or ethnic origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation and all other statuses as protected by the laws and regulations of the United States and/or the state of Maine.
This search is being led by NRG Consulting Group. Reach out to Jaclyn Jones at [email protected] with questions.
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