To apply for the Director of Marketing and Communications position, please send cover letter and resume to careers@farmfoundation.org with the position title and your name in the subject line.

Farm Foundation is a 92-year-old organization with the energy and spirit of a startup. Our team, made up of board members, staff and volunteers, is driven with passion to fulfill our mission of building trust and understanding at the intersection of agriculture and society. We are in a significant period of growth to have greater impact, and that is why we are seeking a dynamic and passionate Director of Marketing and Communications. In particular, we are seeking candidates with a wide range of experience in multimedia, website, social media, press, podcasts, and presentation creation and management. Our ideal candidate will possess a passion for communicating our mission of building trust and understanding at the intersections of agriculture and society.

The Farm Foundation Director of Marketing and Communications will develop and execute the Farm Foundation’s marketing and communications plan, especially for Farm Foundation’s events, programs, and projects. While our work environment is hybrid, the Director will be expected to commute regularly to our Innovation and Education Campus/Headquarters in Libertyville, Illinois.

This position reports to the President and CEO and supervises the Marketing Design Coordinator.

Specific responsibilities include:

Leadership and Strategy Development (20%)

Develop and implement an annual communication and marketing plan, based on the goals and objectives defined in the strategic plan from the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

· Direct and coordinate all communications work for the Foundation and its specific projects and programs for consistency and effectiveness.

· Develop new and innovative ways to communicate the work of Farm Foundation to key internal and external stakeholders which include engaging storytelling

· Maximize the impact of Foundation programs with appropriate communications products to target audiences. This includes working with other Foundation staff and project partners to identify communication opportunities.

· Contributes to the overall success of the Foundation’s mission with forward thinking, innovative ideas.

· Manage any agencies/vendors, contractors or staff working on marketing and communications for Farm Foundation.

· Represent Farm Foundation through all communication and, marketing initiatives and message management should the need arise

· Responsible for the research and creation of the Marketing and Communications annual budget and for expenditure oversight

· Develop Farm Foundation Board reports and when requested, present at board meetings.

Content Production (60%)

Social Media Content

· Produce, monitor and measure the impact of regular social media content across multiple platforms that support the ongoing programming of Farm Foundation.

· Develop social media content that supports, informs, and promotes the multi-generational, multi-stakeholder project and program portfolio of Farm Foundation

· Develop content for specific audiences such as our next generation program participants, board members, or the general public.

· Connect and create social media content that connects emerging issues and important cyclical events in food and agriculture to the work of Farm Foundation.

Website/Blog Content

· Coordinate content for blog posts from contributing contractors and stakeholders

· Maintain Farm Foundation website, ensuring that projects and program work is current and relevant.

· Use social media to drive traffic to the Farm Foundation website

New/Additional Content

· Work with the team to develop and manage new content, as needed, such as infographics, podcasts, YouTube content and more.

· Develop materials, such as PowerPoint decks and scripts, on behalf of the President/CEO and Vice Presidents.

Fundraising Materials

· With the development staff, create and coordinate development of materials for fundraising efforts, including sponsorship packets for events.

· Use social media to promote Farm Foundation giving and membership opportunities.

Public Relations

· Write and disseminate press releases; develop/maintain relationships with relevant media outlets. Facilitate opportunities to promote the Farm Foundation brand through interviews, speaking appearances, podcasts, television appearances and social media engagement.

Teamwork (20%)

· Contributes to the overall success of the Foundation’s mission with forward thinking, innovative ideas.

· Develop, track and analyze key communication metrics to help demonstrate communication/brand impact.

· Represent Farm Foundation through all communications and marketing initiatives.

· Contribute to a cohesive and healthy work environment that builds teamwork while challenging everyone to maximize their skills and abilities.

Compensation

Compensation range is $90,000 – $110,000 commensurate with experience.

Core Competencies

· Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in content development and social media

· Bachelor’s degree in a related field (journalism, communications, marketing etc.) or equivalent experience required

· Progressive leadership and supervisory experience required

· Strong written and verbal communication skills

· Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills

· Strong drive and initiative to deliver excellence

· Strong emotional intelligence and ability to work effectively with team members, vendors and stakeholders

· Ability to meet deadlines, set budgets, and manage multiple on-going projects

· Experience generating regular content using a diverse array of communication tools, including social media, print, radio, podcasts, and websites.

· Nonprofit and/or foundation experience is highly desirable

· Experience / knowledge in the fields of the food system, agriculture, and rural regions is desirable

· Strong experience working with the Microsoft Office Suite, Loop, SharePoint, and intermediate to advanced skills in PowerPoint

· Experience using Hootsuite, Canva, Constant Contact, Meltwater, Adobe Creative Suite and WordPress is strongly desired

 

Please send cover letter and resume to careers@farmfoundation.org with the position title and your name in the subject line.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.