Associate Director, Advancement Communications

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Sierra Club

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Remote

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15 days ago

Job Title: Associate Director, Advancement Communications
Department: Office of Advancement
Location: Remote/Flexible
Reports To: Senior Director, Advancement Communications
Supervises: n/a

Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of togetherness. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel inequity, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, humanity, and democracy. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it.

Sierra Club is comprised of staff across the country and a network of volunteer leaders and local chapters that support our grassroots engagement. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with two labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Scope: The Associate Director, Advancement Communications will be responsible for developing communications and stewardship strategies and tactics for equity-centered fundraising campaigns with a specific focus on major donors and mid-level giving. The communications strategies support the organization's ambitious fundraising goals through donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Reporting to the Senior Director of Advancement Communications, this role will work closely with the Program Department, Communications Department, and the Major Gifts Team to craft effective donor-facing messages and engaging stories. Materials may include, but are not limited to, annual reports, impact reports, videos, email newsletters, fact sheets, case statements, and more. This role will support the Senior Director of Advancement with processes, planning, and strategy.


Job activities include but are not limited to:

Donor Communications and Stewardship (65%):

  • Proven track record leading the development of high-level donor communications for major and mid-level donors, including cases for support, capital campaigns, donor pitches, event materials, and email campaigns.
  • Develop and plan stewardship campaigns and messaging for print and digital fundraising content for mid-level donors ($1,000-$24,999) and major donors ($25,000+).
  • Skilled analytics experience; audience segmentation, engagement metrics, A/B testing, and tracking revenue for all materials and events. Ability to identify donor trends, areas of growth, and upgrades and plan continual iteration for the highest impact.
  • Advanced writing and editing skills with the ability to convey complex messages with varying levels of detail and technical depth appropriate for diverse audiences.
  • Experience creating, implementing, and optimizing email programs to meet fundraising goals in Marketing Cloud or other email platforms.
  • Expert-level writing and design skills to create compelling and visually appealing presentations in Google slides or PowerPoint.
  • Work in partnership with our branding team and Advancement teams to ensure materials adhere to our organization's design and writing style guide that provides a consistent look and feel to our materials across channels.
  • Experience planning and strategizing effective in-person donor events and virtual webinars; tasks may include scheduling and creating a run of show, scripts, speeches, and materials.
  • Some experience managing creative agency relationships and freelancers, including writing a scope of work (SOWs), tracking deliverables, and managing budget and expenses.

Project Management (35%):

  • Expert-level experience developing strategic creative briefs, project planning, MOCHAs, and tracking measures of success.
  • Experience organizing digital assets and using project management technology tools to improve efficiency.
  • Proactively establish and maintain effective working relationships with all departments and external partners using best practices for meetings and agendas.
  • Active participation in cross-departmental meetings as a representative for the Advancement Communications Team.

The successful candidate must demonstrate the following skills, experience and competencies:

  • Exceptional writing and editing skills with proven ability to translate complex concepts into succinct, clear, accessible language for multiple audiences; you understand the power of the written word and can create evocative and memorable stories.
  • Equity Analysis and Practice. You are aware of your group identities and how they have shaped your life and experiences at work. You have an analysis of how racism and other forms of oppression in society impact relationships, systems, and culture. You bring experience and skills for working effectively with colleagues across group identities and position/role.
  • Strong project management skills with attention to detail and demonstrated ability to set priorities and complete tasks promptly.
  • Skilled at managing all phases of the creative development process, from kick-off, research, planning, and final execution.
  • Team player with the ability to work with cross-functional, virtual, and diverse teams to develop plans and drive results.
  • Highly proficient using Google suite, specifically slides, docs, and other apps.

The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the following skills, experience and competencies:

  • Excellent interpersonal skills with the confidence to interact effectively with all levels of management, staff, and external partners.
  • Experience interviewing people from all backgrounds with an understanding of diversity, equity, and/or environmental justice.
  • Light design experience in Adobe creative or Canva.
  • Working knowledge of Salesforce or Raiser's Edge.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $83,000-$90,000, for a Region 1 position, non-negotiable.

This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit and is subject to the terms and conditions of the contract between Sierra Club and Progressive Workers Union or Sierra Employee Alliance, depending on location.

The Sierra Club offers a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage and a retirement savings 401(k) plan.

This is a category 4 exempt, represented position.

Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Sierra Club employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

Sierra Club values the expertise and talents of foreign nationals. Sierra Club sponsors both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas when certain criteria are met, based on immigration laws and organizational needs. Such sponsorship is at the discretion of the Department Head and Sierra Club Human Resources in consultation with the employee's manager. The Sierra Club cannot guarantee the approval of a visa petition. The Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.

To Apply

This position does not have an undergraduate education requirement. If you choose to include your education history, please remove your schools from your resume. You may leave your degree (e.g., "B.A. Philosophy"), but please remove any undergraduate and graduate school names.

This anonymous process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments and mitigating bias in the decision-making process.

Lastly, we are intentionally not asking for a cover letter, so please do not send one in with your application.


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