Director, Communications

Director, Communications

The Independent Community Bankers of America® is the nation’s voice for community banks. As a national trade association, we have one mission: to create and promote an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA powers the potential of the nation’s community banks through effective advocacy, education, and innovation. We are consistently ranked a top advocacy organization in Washington, DC, and offer our employees competitive benefits, compensation, and work-life balance. Join our team of experts to support ICBA’s mission and provide national representation, professional development, and innovative products and services to thousands of community bank members throughout the country.

Summary

The Director, Communications develops and implements communications strategy and executive messaging that serves the organization’s mission of creating and promoting an environment where community banks flourish.

The incumbent is an organized self-starter, with exemplary writing and project management skills. The individual will have responsibility for executing a proactive media relations strategy with a focus on advocacy while elevating ICBA’s thought leaders through speeches, public events.

The Director, Communications has responsibility for ICBA remarks at ICBA events and outside speaking engagements while creating and managing presentations associated with key industry and advocacy events.

The ideal candidate can infuse personality and energy into scripting and presentations that will move key audiences to take action and see the full value of ICBA and community banks. The incumbent is also measurement-driven and leverages data and analytics to support media strategy and content generation needs across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Manages scripting and presentations for ICBA events and outside speaker requests.
• Develops media relations strategies, including building relationships with key reporters both nationally and within the industry.
• Crafts media pitches to ensure ICBA leaders and staff are generating media opportunities to meet ICBA’s mission.
• Routes and responds to incoming media inquiries and helps coordinate interviews with appropriate ICBA staff experts. Conducts preparation sessions with staff experts in advance of media interviews.
• Utilizes Cision and other technology to optimize media relations function by creating targeted lists, sending press releases, and tracking effectiveness.
• Writes and edits communications materials including but not limited to press releases, PowerPoints, op-eds, media pitches, bios, boilerplates, scripts, and blogs, along with news stories for ICBA newsletters and publications.
• Creates and manages policy talking points and ensure they are being utilized by appropriate members of the ICBA team.
• Supports in drafting and proofing ICBA NewsWatch Today.
• Maintains ICBA press resources (ICBA newsroom, About ICBA/Community Bank Facts, clips and bios webpages, intranet) and all ICBA-associated boilerplates for accuracy, relevancy, and consistency.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, communications, or a related field.
• 8+ years in a communications function focused on policy/advocacy.
• Strong speechwriting and copyediting skills are required.
• Proven track record in developing and executing integrated advocacy and communications strategies with measurable outcomes.
• Considerable experience developing a variety of internal and external communications materials.
• Experience writing for publications (on or offline).
• Strong communications and relationship building skills with the ability to think proactively to best engage and cultivate relationships with members of the media.
• Demonstrated experience working with, and providing counsel to, high level decision makers and their teams, and building influence plans.
• Able to juggle priorities/superior time-management skills.
• Works well independently and as a member of a team.
• Proficient with Cision or other media monitoring tools, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and applying the Associated Press Stylebook.

Learn more here