The Urban Institute
Director of Communications, Workrise (Office of Communications) (Marketing)
About Urban Institute:
At the Urban Institute, we believe in the power of evidence to improve lives and strengthen communities. As a nonprofit focusing on social and economic policy, our researchers and policy entrepreneurs open minds, shape decisions, and identify transformative solutions to the most pressing issues of our time.
Our Mission
To open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions through economic and social policy research.
Our Values
Collaboration, Equity, Inclusivity, Independence, and Integrity
For more information on the Urban Institute, please visit https://www.urban.org.
The Opportunity:
Central to Urban's mission is fostering a truly inclusive community that ensures ongoing relevance to a changing world. As Urban ramps up ambitious programmatic areas focusing on mobility, we are expanding our strategic communications capacity with new leadership roles on our Communications team.
The director of communications, WorkRise, will lead visibility, impact, and engagement campaigns in support of its mission: to create a more equitable and resilient labor market that expands opportunity and strengthens economic mobility for low-wage workers. See full posting below.
Director of Communications, WorkRise
WorkRise, a research-to-action network on jobs, workers, and mobility hosted by the Urban Institute, is seeking a director of communications to lead visibility and engagement strategies in support of its mission: to create a more equitable and resilient labor market that expands opportunity and strengthens economic mobility for low-wage workers.
The director of communications will be a thought partner to WorkRise and Communications leadership, developing its overarching communications strategy and leading high-impact, integrated visibility and engagement campaigns that position WorkRise as a trusted resource for the data, evidence, and tools that leaders need to shape a more equitable, resilient labor market. The director of communications will engage with, cultivate, and grow diverse audiences of employers, worker advocates, practitioners, policymakers, scholars, and philanthropists, ensuring that WorkRise's offerings are packaged and delivered in ways that maximize opportunities to impact policy and practice.
What You'll Do:
Reporting to the senior director of strategic communications, with a dotted line to WorkRise's executive director, the communications director will 1) oversee WorkRise's overarching communications strategy, weaving together messaging, brand and audience engagement, and digital content strategies into a cohesive plan to advance program goals and objectives, 2) collaborate with Urban's in-house brand and audience engagement team on integrated campaigns that disseminate WorkRise's research and insights to diverse target audiences across channels, with an emphasis on growing new audiences and exploring untapped channels and tactics, 3) partner with teams of communications staff specializing in digital communications, email engagement, advertising, media strategy, events, writing and editing, and visual communications, in campaign design and execution, and 4) conceptualize and direct projects with WorkRise's external communications partners and consultants.
Note: WorkRise's communications strategy is currently staffed by Urban's in-house communications team and external firms. There is potential for the WorkRise communications director to bring on additional communications staff to support its visibility and engagement efforts.
WorkRise Communications Strategy
Leadership and Management
Who You Are:
Essential Skills
Technical Skills
Preferred Knowledge
What You'll Experience:
No matter your role with Urban, you will contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference for people and communities across the country. And whether you call the Washington, DC area or elsewhere home, you can expect to be part of a welcoming and hybrid workplace. We are committed to cultivating a community and working in a manner defined by collaboration, equity, inclusivity, independence, and integrity.
Urban's greatest asset is our people.
Urban is committed to supporting our staff's physical, emotional, and financial well-being through a robust benefits package for yourself, eligible dependents, and domestic partners. It includes generous paid time off, including nine federal holidays, medical (including prescription), dental and vision insurance, and transit benefits. Urban is unique in that we offer 403(b) retirement plan participation immediately after you're hired and a generous employer contribution after five months of service and 1,000 hours, with immediate vesting. You'll also have access to a health advocate, personal finance coaching, an Employee Assistance Program, and educational assistance for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
As a federal contractor, Urban will comply with Executive Order (EO) 14042 that requires federal contractors, subcontractors, and their respective employees to comply with Covid-19 vaccinations. All Urban Institute employees must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and comply with masking and distancing requirements, regardless of responsibilities or work location. New hires must also be fully vaccinated before starting work. Employees may request exemption from vaccination against COVID-19 based on either a medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief that prevents them from being vaccinated. Where such an exemption is approved, Urban will discuss with each employee potential accommodation.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned. This posting is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Urban management reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.
The Urban Institute is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender or gender identity, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, veteran status, pregnancy or family responsibilities, matriculation, disability, political affiliation, or any other protected status under applicable law.
We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you have a physical and/or mental disability and are interested in applying for employment and need special accommodations to use our website to apply for a position, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@urban.org. Reasonable accommodation requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.