PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The Marketing & Communications Manager (MCM) serves as a strategic partner to nonprofit leaders, helping them strengthen their funding and communications foundations. This role integrates client relationship management with communications project leadership, ensuring that nonprofit partners receive high-quality, donor-focused messaging and creative outputs that advance their missions.
The MCM collaborates with writers, designers, editors, and strategists to design and deliver communications strategies that attract and retain donors, elevate client visibility, and reinforce impact narratives. Acting as both account manager and communications project lead, the MCM ensures seamless execution of creative deliverables, manages communications talent, and drives continuous improvement in service delivery and processes.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The MCM has key responsibilities in the following areas:
Client Relationship and Service Excellence
- Build and maintain trust-based relationships with nonprofit clients, serving as their primary communications partner. Consult with ADMs and clients to initiate, plan, and implement communications products and services aligned with fundraising and impact goals.
- Lead creative teams in executing assigned communications projects, owning accountability for internal submission and revision processes, work plans, and timelines.
- Develop a deep understanding of each client's communications strengths, weaknesses, and operating context to ensure deliverables are client-centric, creative, and effective.
- Ensure client satisfaction through seamless delivery of agreed-upon communications outputs, timely responses, and thoughtful engagement.
- Proactively identify at-risk clients and collaborate with internal teams to reinforce service value and strengthen partnerships.
- Solicit and integrate client feedback to enhance Smarter Good's communications service model
Communications Design and Delivery
- Support business and product development by drafting communications service agreements, refining products and services, and benchmarking best practices
- Collaborate with writers, designers, editors, and ADMs to build effective communications strategies and donor-focused proposals
- Guide creative direction by consulting on project briefs/Job Orders (JOs), flagging gaps, and ensuring clarity of scope
- Review and edit copy/design drafts, facilitate brainstorming sessions, and lead creative teams in presenting and defending strategies during client calls
- Manage communications talent by participating in recruitment, onboarding, and line management, providing feedback and professional development support
- Improve communications processes by stewarding systems, tools, and technology, and leading knowledge management, project planning, and team huddles
Capability and Capacity Development Support
- Provide structured guidance and professional development support to communications and service team members
- Support tracking of client engagement and retention trends, contributing insights that inform communications and business development strategies
- Integrate communications insights into training, fostering team awareness of donor engagement, retention, and upsell strategies
- Enhance internal processes and knowledge management by contributing to team-wide expertise-building
- Facilitate regular team meetings to problem-solve, share best practices, and support training and development
- Lead or collaborate on special communications projects as assigned
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 5+ years of experience in marketing, communications, or agency roles, with a strong preference for candidates who have worked within or for the nonprofit sector
- At least 2 years of experience leading creative teams (writers, designers, and strategists) and managing direct reports or freelancers
- Proven track record of developing persuasive, audience-centric messaging and campaigns that successfully drive specific actions (e.g., conversions, investments, or long-term partnerships)
- Experience managing multiple client accounts or high-level stakeholders simultaneously, ideally in a consulting or agency environment
- Advanced writing and editing skills with the ability to provide constructive feedback on copy and design to ensure brand alignment
- A consultative mindsetthe ability to act as a peer and partner to nonprofit leaders
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights
- Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving challenges
- Experience partnering cross-functionally multiple department
- Comfort working independently in a dynamic environment with shifting priorities
- Commitment to equity, psychological safety, and values-driven decision-making
- Strong command of written and spoken English (US)
- Interested in and committed to being part of positive change in the world, with an eagerness to learn and develop new skills
