Deputy Vice President, Global Communications

This position can be based in Washington, DC, London, The Hague or Kenya

Staff in the office work a hybrid schedule with 2 days/week in the office

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is looking for a dynamic and energetic communications and marketing professional. The ideal candidate will be an experienced agency and/or in-house veteran with a thorough understanding of the ever-changing media landscape and the ability to provide strategic counsel to successfully align and rally internal and external partners around appropriate and effective brand marketing and communications strategy. He/she should be a creative storyteller at heart, know how to craft a media-worthy narrative and bring a robust rolodex of influential media, influencer and brand partner contacts to bear.

Role and Responsibilities

· In partnership with the Vice President, determine departmental priorities based on the institutional strategy and corresponding global communications strategy

· Develop and execute a global communications and marketing strategy in partnership with communications leads in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Middle East; this includes earned media, strategic partnerships, influencer marketing, media/content partnerships and events

· Lead the strategy, development and execution of thought leadership efforts within the organization; lead the team in supporting key executives with media interviews, reporter meetings and key external events

· Steer the communications team in handling breaking news/crisis communications events, managing media inquiries, identifying and creating media opportunities, and consistently securing favorable stories in the press

· Provide day-to-day oversight and strategic counsel for proactive and reactive earned media activities across the organization including coordination with in-country communications team members across the globe

· Provide strategic counsel on managing IFAW’s brand and reputation

· Serve as strategic counsel and collaborate on a consistent basis with discipline leads across Digital Marketing, Content and Brand to build integrated communications campaigns

· Drive continuous process improvement to discover efficiencies and make recommendations within the communications department and during cross-collaboration with other departments.

· Assure that all communications programs and related staffing levels and budgets are appropriate to accomplish stated goals and the long-term vision of IFAW and its leadership.

· Connect and align marketing and communications efforts across internal stakeholder groups including country and program directors, development and online marketing

· Mentor global communications and marketing staff around the globe to produce best-in-class work that aligns with the global strategy

· Lead and continuously evolve information-sharing efforts for the Communications Department

· Develop and monitor goals and key performance indicators for department and individual team members

Qualifications and Education Requirements

· Bachelor's Degree in business, marketing, communications or related field preferred

· 8-plus years of experience, preferably in agency setting

· An ability to learn, dissect and distill highly-complex subject matter

· Experience working with global stakeholders and coordinating global communications on a remote basis

· Extensive communications experience in overseeing PR/Marketing programs that generate positive media coverage, and come in on time and on budget

· Understanding of how to position and control sensitive information when interfacing with internal and external audiences

· Experience providing public relations counsel to senior leaders and managing executive communications

· Experience and understanding of how to use online and social media to enable storytelling

· Have a broad network of contacts in the media and digital industry

· Collaborative approach to managing and mentoring a team

· Energy, initiative and “roll your sleeves up” attitude

· First-class organization, teamwork and communication skills

· Excellent presentation skills

· Ability to manage pressure, meet deadlines and monitor and evaluate results

· Global travel required

At IFAW, we aim to create and foster a workforce that reflects and contributes to the diverse, global community in which we work to improve the lives of both animals and people. We are dedicated to fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion so we actively encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds.