Vice President of Insights and Communications

Organization Overview

For 27 years, Public Allies has been a pioneer in developing and deploying high-impact leaders (aka Allies) from marginalized communities, they've shaped culture, changed policy, and transformed communities across the country. As an original AmeriCorps program, our apprenticeships have helped thousands of young adults,discover, develop, and leverage their leadership potential, and learn how to apply creative problem-solving skills to systemic challenges. Combating social injustice is core to who we are. To do so, Public Allies activates a national network of local leaders to dismantle systemic racism and ensure the future is designed by and for everyone. Our signature AmeriCorps program operates in 24 cities across the country. Annually, 600 young adults graduate from the program, with over 75% continuing careers in community and public service. There are more than 8,000 alumni of the program across the country.

Position Overview

Insights and Communications is a new department within Public Allies responsible for the overall learning and sharing of insights from the decades-long implementation of our core apprenticeship program to improve organizational effectiveness and accelerate the advancement of our mission overall. The group will serve both internal and external audiences, as it builds out an innovation and organizational learning infrastructure and oversees all strategic communications for Public Allies. Ultimately, beyond strengthening the effectiveness and sustainability of our current programmatic efforts, this group will help with the generation and public distribution of insights to advance our mission.

The head of the group is an executive-level role reporting to the COO and working in close coordination with the CEO. This is a crucial position that requires a senior and experienced leader with proven skills in branding, storytelling, organizational learning, insights generation, and strategic thinking.  The incumbent must also have a track record and demonstrated facility of leading and communicating on issues related to racial and social justice. Joining our team during an exciting time of evolution, the VP will have the opportunity to thoughtfully and directly guide the build out of Public Allies’ insights and communications efforts, eventually overseeing a team of researchers, analysts, and communication specialists.

Core Responsibilities

Communications and Network Engagement

• Oversee all communications efforts to advance Public Allies’ brand as a strong voice and trusted platform, boldly advocating for equity in the remaking of the country and helping to rewrite the narrative of what leadership in America looks like.
• Develop and execute high-impact, creative ideas designed to guide long-term organizational positioning and messaging.
• Build infrastructure and mechanisms to support improved regular internal communications and engagement, feedback loops, and communications across the Public Allies network as part of larger change management and strategy implementation
• Manage a small communications and engagement team (both staff and consultants) to execute communication and engagement strategy across all platforms, internally and externally.
• Build on branding platform to develop marketing strategy, collateral and templates (fundraising decks, one-page overviews, recruitment pitch materials, stories of impact etc.) and other storytelling, tools, resources, and content responsive to the needs of internal and external audiences.
• Work in close partnership with the Development team to support improved regular communications and brand recognition among existing and potential funders.
• Drive efforts to ensure voices of, and storytelling by, those traditionally marginalized are elevated in Public Allies’ communications and the national dialogue more broadly.

Insights and Innovation

• • Develop a learning agenda that surfaces the most distinct insights from Public Allies’ work that most add value to the network and broader field/sector knowledge
  • Deepen the culture of organizational and network learning, continuous improvement, and accountability, including building staff capacity and establishing processes for regular sharing, reflection on performance measures and lessons learned. Support the synthesis of that learning to produce key tools, resources, and insights for broader distribution.
  • Work closely with the Executive Leadership Team to amplify the impact of Public Allies’ programs through insights, storytelling, and communications.
  • Establish and oversee a research function within Public Allies to coordinate and manage, directly or indirectly, all research and evaluation efforts throughout the organization.
  • Explore strategic partnerships with distinguished research institutions with whom Public Allies can collaborate to design and publish actionable studies that accelerate the development and greater inclusion of talent of color and/or communities of color, more broadly.
  • Work with CEO and COO to establish organization-wide innovation priorities and help build an innovation culture within Public Allies. 
  • Oversee development of a simple knowledge management system for our innovation metrics and insights

  Qualifications

  The Vice President of Insights and Communications will have a proven record of leadership and measurable accomplishment,  including demonstrated success in building lasting relationships, elevating organizational learning, driving strategic communications, and a passion for the mission of Public Allies. The ideal candidate will possess the following abilities, attributes and experiences:

  • Committed to racial and economic justice and can speak concretely and passionately about why you do this work.
  • Committed to lead through a values-based framework aligned with Public Allies.
  • Sophisticated leadership skills and presence developed through at least 8-10 years of progressive management experience, preferably in a mission-driven organization that is scaling regionally and/or nationally.
  • A record of success building new or evolving communications teams and departments to meet the needs of a dynamic organization, including demonstrated ability to adapt to changing 
  • contexts and, when needed, take on more tactical activities as well as strategic leadership responsibilities.
  • Significant experience with developing storytelling, research, and thought leadership initiatives.
  • A relationship builder and team player committed to both internal and external collaboration and engagement and comfortable in a feedback-driven culture.
  • Excellent writing, editing, content development and presentation skills.
  • Action-oriented, adaptable, and innovative leader with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
  • Ability to point to specific examples of having developed and operationalized organizational learning, measurement frameworks, and/or innovation strategies that have deepened impact and taken an organization to the next stage of growth and excellence. Knowledge of and experience with lean startup, design thinking, and/or RBA processes/methodologies a plus.
  • Demonstrated success navigating fast-paced, rapidly changing environments; experience creating strategies, processes, and infrastructure that can maintain consistency while being innovative and flexible. Able to thrive within a dynamic, fast-moving and highly interactive organization.

  While this description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, it is not necessarily exhaustive of all responsibilities, duties, efforts, requirements or expectations of this position. Management reserves the right to revise or amend this description to include or remove tasks as circumstances change and the needs of PA so dictate.

  Public Allies is a national organization and as such, the VP for Insights and Communications, may be based anywhere in the continental US. However, our preference would be a major metropolitan area, such as New York City, The Bay Area, and Los Angeles. 

   

  We offer a competitive salary, benefits and the chance to join an innovative and dedicated team passionate about our mission. To apply, please send a resume and cover letter indicating your reasons for interest in the position.

   

   Public Allies, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion
  in the workplace.