Communications Manager

Hester Street is seeking a Development and Communications professional with 4-6 years of experience in grant-writing, communications and fundraising, to join a growing, high-performance team that holds social justice as a core value, and support community-driven planning, design and development projects in New York City, nationwide and internationally.

The Hester Street office is currently functioning on a remote-hybrid model.

About Hester Street

Hester Street is an urban planning, design and development nonprofit working to ensure that neighborhoods are shaped by the people who live in them. We offer technical and capacity building assistance to community-based organizations, private firms and government agencies on land use processes, neighborhood planning and design, and public and private community development projects. We strive for more vibrant, equitable, sustainable and resilient neighborhoods.

We work on a wide variety of projects— including neighborhood planning, community resiliency, economic development, public health and community facility development. We focus on low-income communities and communities of color – people and places that have been historically and systematically left out of the decision-making. Local knowledge, needs and priorities guide our work, and innovative and inclusive community engagement is a critical thread throughout all our projects.

About the Position

We are looking for a full-time Development and Communications Manager to support Hester Street’s efforts to fund and tell the story of our work. The position is ideal for someone who brings excellent writing skills, critical thought, problem-solving abilities and the mechanics of fundraising to the fight for social justice.

We seek a high-energy individual with a talent for collaboration who can follow the details of a neighborhood planning project, synthesize relevant take-aways and formulate stories tailored to specific audiences and goals, develop communications tools and strategies across multiple platforms, and support our fundraising efforts among public, private and individual donors.

This role requires the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines. Experience communicating about neighborhood, environmental and/or social justice issues is preferred. Experience in the fields of urban planning, architecture, community organizing and/or community development is preferred, though not required. The Development and Communications Manager collaborates closely with a small Development and Communications team, the Co-Executive Directors, Director of Finance + Operations and project teams.

Development job responsibilities (80%), include the following:

• Write and edit for multiple formats: grant proposals and reports, funder emails, website, social media, Hester Street publications and more
• Manage proposal and report deadlines – coordinate assembly and submissions
• Work with project staff to develop proposals, reports and communications tools
• Lead new donor research and support donor cultivation
• Support production of fundraising events
• Help tell the story of our projects and programs from their details to systems change
• Manage and support growth of Hester Street’s contact list
• Monitor media coverage of Hester Street and related projects
• Manage website posts
• Support and publicize staff speaking engagements.

Communications job responsibilities (20%), include the following:

• Creatively employ a range of communication tools – including email newsletters, social media, website, video and others – in support of Hester Street’s goals
• Write components of grant and consulting proposals
• Ensure that project deliverables for external audiences are high-quality, relevant and consistent
• Manage and generate content, including for website, newsletters, social media, press and presentations

QUALIFICATIONS

We are seeking an excellent writer, fundraiser and client relationship manager, who works well in a fast-paced environment and has project management skills. Applicants must be highly organized and detail oriented. Experience working with low-income communities, immigrant and other communities of color and/or community-based organizations is preferred. Fluency in a language other than English is a big plus, though not required. Top candidates will have:

• Experience writing in multiple formats and tailoring communications to multiple audiences, including current and prospective donors, foundations, government

• Experience writing in various development and communications formats, such as grant proposals, presentations, marketing materials, eblasts, website, social media, and others

• Ability to write for multiple audiences, community-based organizations, private firms and those in the community planning and development fields

• Experience managing the mechanics of fundraising and communications through deadlines and donor cycles

• Experience tracking progress toward development and communications goals

• Excellent organization skills and proven ability to meet deadlines.

Graphic design skills and experience with Adobe InDesign are a plus, though not required.

SALARY

The salary range for this position is $85,000-$90,000 and depends on prior experience. In addition, Hester Street offers a very generous and comprehensive benefits package which includes: 100% employer-paid health insurance; retirement benefits; generous paid time off – holidays, sick days and vacation time; wellness benefits, commuter benefits, and a wealth of on-going, top-of-the-line professional development opportunities among others.

TO APPLY

Please upload a cover letter, résumé, portfolio (optional).

Hester Street is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse workforce that reflects the populations with whom we partner and serve. Our organization is women-led, and our staff is majority people of color. We seek to build an inclusive organization grounded in respect for differences and encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, disability or veteran status.

Hester Street is a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization incorporated as Hester Street Collaborative.