Senior Manager, Nonprofit Communications

APA! BACKGROUND:
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization is a leader in the national No Kill movement and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at-risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a No Kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non-traditional, community-based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) - an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both. The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community-based services, with a goal of providing personalized, proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service.

BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: 

Reporting to the Director of Marketing Communications, the Senior Manager, Nonprofit Communications is a core member of the APA! Advancement team. This role balances strategic planning with hands-on content creation across national, regional, and local levels. The Senior Manager is responsible for developing internal and external communications that align with APA!’s cohesive brand voice, managing the organizational media calendar, and overseeing a multi-channel distribution strategy that includes internal communications, website copy, and donor-facing narratives. They will frame organizational impact through storytelling, lead reputation management efforts, and coordinate media relations to expand APA!'s reach and mission.

Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day-to-day workflow.

(The Employer reserves the right to revise the position title at its discretion to meet organizational and business needs. Such changes, including the use of Officer in lieu of Manager, do not alter the essential functions, duties, or terms and conditions of employment unless otherwise communicated.)

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Lead proactive media pitching, assist with crisis communications, and manage brand reputation across all platforms.
• Create organizational communications, ensuring a consistent content cadence across internal and external channels to prioritize deadlines and messaging.
• Work closely with members of the Advancement, Programs, and Operations teams to gather stories and translate complex program information into compelling narratives.
• Maintain content guidelines and brand voice; oversee the creation of assets including donor communications upon request, website copy, internal newsletters, and impact reports.
• Oversee distribution across owned channels (website, internal communications, etc) in addition to earned media to increase reach and engagement.
• Manage a small team of paid staff, interns, and volunteers to meet departmental and mission-driven KPIs.
• Foster and model a volunteer-powered culture across the team by ensuring that every staff member is partnered with volunteers on every shift, with the goal of empowering volunteers to lead and grow within the program.
• Serve as a facilitator and coach to staff and volunteers, ensuring the work is shared, not siloed, and that volunteers are supported in completing daily tasks.
• Ensure active recruitment, onboarding, and engagement of volunteers using volunteer engagement tools and resources
• Support retention by matching volunteers to appropriate tasks, offering guidance, and providing regular check-ins and staff mentorship.
• Identify strong volunteers for deeper roles and seek out customer to volunteer conversion opportunities.
• Recognize volunteer contributions through consistent appreciation and shoutouts.
• Provide clear expectations, hands-on training, and in-the-moment coaching to set volunteers up for success.
• Job duties may include some or all of the above, and other duties as assigned by manager

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Must demonstrate dependability, accountability, time management, use of reasoning, and good judgment skills
• Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
• Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee, supervisor, and other colleagues
• Partner with Volunteer Managers to learn about the volunteer programs and manage volunteers interested in your department on an ongoing basis
• Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
• Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
• Able to work in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-stress environment

QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, & EXPECTATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, marketing, journalism or closely related field; or equivalent professional experience
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in multi-channel communications, content strategy, or professional writing; 2 years of proven experience managing and mentoring paid employees 
• Proven success in developing comprehensive communications strategies and managing integrated digital campaigns.
• Advanced knowledge of CMS, email marketing platforms, and digital content production
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write press releases and pitches quickly and accurately
• Proven understanding of the fundamentals of storytelling; ability to independently research and fact check stories 
• Skilled with media tracking platforms such as Muck Rack, Meltwater, Cison or others
• Knowledge on the latest updates, features, trends and best practices in public relations
• Detail-oriented with the ability to maintain a high level of quality assurance 
• Solutions-oriented, adaptable and positive attitude; fast turnaround times and a high production/output  
• Ability to strategize how to achieve multiple goals through compelling content
• A strong understanding of how content management systems work and the ability to quickly and efficiently post articles online.
• Experience managing multiple complex projects, people and resources in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented, dynamic environment
• Photography and video production/editing skills, graphic design a plus 
• Spanish speaking is preferred but not required.
• Committed to embodying APA!’s Core Values: Innovation, Respect, Drive, Resourcefulness, and Inclusion and cultural values: Humble, Hungry, Smart
• Commitment to APA!'s customer experience expectations
• Passion for working well with staff, volunteers, and customers—helping all individuals feel successful, appreciated, and connected to APA!’s mission
• Strong commitment to volunteer engagement and support; dedicated to working well with volunteers across all roles
• Comfortable working cross-functionally and serving as a liaison between volunteers, customers, and team members
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; able to interpret rules, procedures, and instructional materials
• Self-starter with strong time management; able to work independently and collaboratively
• Excellent interpersonal skills; maintains a calm and professional presence in all situations
• Strong attention to detail and high standards for quality
• Adaptable to change and able to perform related duties as needed
• Dedicated to delivering an exceptional and inclusive customer experience

PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to work around animals (including diseased, injured, and/or potentially aggressive animals), loud noises, chlorine or other chemicals, and inclement weather
• Must be able to comfortably interact with cats/dogs of various health levels, including cats who may carry zoonotic diseases such as ringworm, scabies, intestinal parasites, etc.
• Able to be on your feet for multiple hours of the day
• Must be able to focus in a loud and busy environment despite distractions
• Must be able to walk around shelter as needed - uneven ground, keeping a safe distance from dogs and handlers
• If reasonable accommodations are requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

• Standard office environment, with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals
• Uses own transportation to travel and transport
• Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs
• Work is normally performed inside; some outside work is required
• Exposure to unpleasant odors and noises.
• Exposure to bites, scratches and animal waste
• Possible exposure to contagious diseases
• Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste, disinfectants, and high levels of noise
• Potential for animal bites and scratches and diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people

TIME COMMITMENT: 

• This is a full-time, Senior Manager exempt position with an average of 40 hours per week. 
• Typical business hours are Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (somewhat flexible). 
• Some overtime and weekend work may be required based on the news cycle and organizational needs.
• Able to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed
• Shift and schedule flexibility is required, as weekly schedule is subject to change

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS: This position reports directly to the Director of Marketing Communications.

LOCATION(S): 

• APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703
• APA! Shelter Pet Hospital - 4942 US HWY 290, Austin, TX 78735
• Hybrid work from home 1/day week may be allotted after completion of probationary period
• May travel to offsite locations as needed

SALARY: $70,000 (Salary range is dependent on experience and qualifications)

BENEFITS:

Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees, including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage, subsidized and voluntary life insurance, voluntary dental, vision and short-term disability options, all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans, up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan, supplemental benefits, flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment, with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment.  Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!’s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life saving work.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT:

Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color, LGBTQ people, women, transgender and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities to apply.

Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion, respect and integrity, community focus, and innovation

APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation, please contact Talent Acquisition at job@austinpetsalive.org  at least one week in advance of your interview.