Communications Lead

CLASSIFICATION: Exempt 

HOURS AND WORK SCHEDULE: Full-Time. Hours are typically Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM. Occasional evening and weekend hours. 

REPORTS TO: CEO 

SALARY RANGE: $65,000 to $74,750. Compensation will be based on experience and education. 

SUPERVISES: None 

BENEFITS: Ready for School, Ready for Life (Ready Ready) is a Family Forward Certified Workplace by North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF) and meets the standards outlined by the Family Forward NC initiative by offering policies and practices that support the health and well-being of North Carolina’s children and families. The benefits package includes health, dental, vision, group life insurance, a 401(k) contribution, paid parental leave, a generous holiday schedule, paid time off, a remote work stipend, and a flexible work schedule. A computer, monitor, docking station, keyboard, mouse, webcam, and printer will be provided. Ready Ready values professional development and offers opportunities for staff to strengthen and further develop their individual skill set. 

ABOUT READY FOR SCHOOL, READY FOR LIFE 

Ready Ready is committed to building a connected, innovative system of care that ensures every child in Guilford County is set up for lifelong learning and success. As a backbone organization, Ready Ready is not a direct service provider, but instead provides strategic and programmatic support to more than 300 community-based organizations, including educators, healthcare providers and social service agencies, serving our youngest children and their families—from prenatal through age 8. 

Ready Ready was born in 2007 from a community effort focused on reducing poverty in Guilford County. In 2018, The Duke Endowment and Blue Meridian Partners joined this effort to promote economic and social mobility. Together, we are creating a long-term, comprehensive, evidence-based approach for systemic change that builds the capacity of community partners and fundamentally improves the lives of children in Guilford County. 

Today, Ready Ready is entering a pivotal and exciting new chapter. Under new leadership, we are moving with renewed focus, innovation, and passion for the future of Guilford County and the state. We are building on strong momentum, expanding our reach, and deepening our impact. With clarity of vision and commitment, we are strengthening the collective system that connects families to the right services at the right time, using data to inform decisions, and measuring outcomes to ensure lasting impact. 

We are excited to expand our team with mission-driven individuals who want to take this work to the next level and contribute to meaningful change for families and young children across Guilford County. 

WHAT WE DO 

With an entrepreneurial spirit, forward-looking vision and a $4M budget, Ready Ready works to ensure that all Guilford County children enter school with the skills, supports and opportunities they need to thrive in life. For parents, families and caregivers, we streamline the process for accessing support services so that their children have the foundation to start school strong and developmentally on track.    

Specifically, we support partner organizations and public agencies providing direct service with the following:  

• Expansion and integration of evidence-informed and evidence-based programs.  

• Design and execution of an integrated data system. 

• Design and execution of a family-friendly navigation system. 

• Implementation of capacity building practices among service providers. 

• Rigorous evaluation of implementation and impact.  

Ready Ready enhances this direct service through its collective impact backbone (intermediary) role in guiding vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, establishing shared measurement practices, building public will, advancing policy, and mobilizing funding. 

Please note that while we are deeply committed to supporting young children and their families, our work does not involve direct interaction with children with the exception of a few roles. Instead, we focus on equipping our partners with the tools and resources they need to make a lasting impact in the community. That includes state agencies, medical home providers, education systems, and community-based organizations. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Communications Lead works closely with the contracted communications firm to execute Ready Ready’s communications strategies, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment across internal and external messaging. This role collaborates with internal teams and external partners to elevate the organization’s work and visibility through digital media, written content, and public-facing campaigns. It will include management of social media and communication platforms. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

Strategy & Collaboration 

• Partner with the contracted communications firm to implement Ready Ready’s communications strategies and campaigns. 

• Collaborate with internal teams to translate program updates and successes into compelling stories for public audiences. 

• Support media relations, including drafting press materials and coordinating media outreach when appropriate. 

Content Creation & Platform Management 

• Develop, edit, and distribute clear, consistent messaging across internal and external channels. 

• Manage and grow Ready Ready’s digital presence, including social media platforms, website content, and e-newsletters (e.g., MailChimp). 

• Create and curate written content such as blog posts, press releases, talking points, and promotional materials. 

• Ensure brand consistency in all organizational communications and materials. 

Monitoring & Engagement 

• Monitor analytics and engagement across digital platforms to inform content strategy and optimize communications. 

• Provide communications support for events, campaigns, and community engagement activities. 

General 

• Document, synthetize, and analyze job-related data to use for learning and improvement, to track progress, and to report to funders and other stakeholders.  

• Provide regular reports on progress to Ready Ready leadership team and liaise across other partners/consultants.  

• Perform other duties as assigned by the CEO and/or supervisor.   

QUALIFICATIONS 

This is an outstanding opportunity to play a critical role in building a system of care for Guilford County’s youngest children and their families. Therefore, first and foremost, the Communications Lead must be committed to the mission of Ready Ready. Additionally, the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate: 

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, marketing, journalism, or a related field; or equivalent experience. 

• 3–5 years of professional experience in communications, preferably in a nonprofit, public sector, or mission-driven organization. 

• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage content across digital platforms (social media, websites, e-newsletters, etc.). 

• Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills with the ability to tailor messaging to diverse audiences. 

• Experience with communications tools and platforms (e.g., MailChimp, Canva, WordPress, social media management tools). 

• Basic understanding of media relations, including drafting press materials and engaging with journalists or outlets. 

• Ability to analyze communications metrics and translate insights into strategy adjustments. 

• Strong project management and organizational skills; able to juggle multiple priorities and deadlines. 

• Collaborative and flexible mindset; comfortable working with both internal teams and external partners/consultants. 

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines. 

• Flexibility and the ability to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed. 

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills. 

• Knowledge of the early childhood, education, and/or healthcare systems.  

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and comfort with digital collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Zoom, shared drives). 

• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and Ready Ready’s mission of improving outcomes for children and families. 

Desired 

• Experience with photography, videography, or basic video editing.