Communications Coordinator

About the Barr Foundation

The Barr Foundation’s mission is to invest in human, natural, and creative potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts. As stewards, Barr nurtures and enhances vital community assets. As catalysts, the Foundation cultivates and advances the breakthrough ideas that will shape our collective future. Barr focuses on achieving impact as a constructive partner, willing to exercise leadership. Based in Boston, Barr focuses regionally, and selectively engages nationally, working in partnership with nonprofits, foundations, the public sector, and civic and business leaders to elevate the arts and creative expression, advance solutions for climate change, and connect all students to success in high school and beyond. Founded in 1997, Barr has grown to become one of the largest private foundations in New England with assets in excess of $3 billion and a 2021 grantmaking budget of nearly $120 million. 

A set of core values, defined by Barr’s founding trustees, expresses our beliefs about what constitutes effective philanthropy and guides how the Barr Foundation carries out its philanthropic mission. Barr is committed to strive for impact, act with humility, invest in leaders, take the long view, center racial equity, embrace risk, and demonstrate curiosity. These core values shape our workplace culture, where we engage in learning opportunities on diversity, equity, and inclusion; seek to analyze and adapt our policies, practices, and grantmaking to better reflect our values; and strive to be a place where everyone is valued and included. Additionally, while each program is guided by distinct priorities and goals, Barr embraces a common set of approaches in all aspects of its work, namely flexibility and nimbleness, a broad range of tools (including communications), knowledge and learning, openness and transparency, and active collaboration. For more information on the Barr Foundation and to get a sense of our voice and tone, please visit barrfoundation.org and @BarrFdn on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About the Communications Team 
At Barr, we believe strategic communications can advance our mission and effectiveness beyond what is possible by grantmaking alone. Strategic communications can help us build awareness about our issue areas and partners’ work; influence the way people think or feel about an issue; and drive people to take action. 

 

 

Our Communications Team articulates and drives an over-arching communications strategy for the Foundation. We work closely with senior and program staff, trustees, and select grantees and other external partners to integrate communications in targeted and strategic ways that further Barr’s goals and our partners’ efforts. This includes providing timely counsel and support on messaging, storytelling, media and public relations, and thought leadership. We also manage the Foundation’s digital strategy and tools, including a website, blog, electronic newsletter, and social media. 

The Communications Coordinator will join a highly collaborative and nimble team, which includes a Communications Director, Communications Officer, and Communications Manager. The Coordinator will grow the Communications Team at an exciting time of growth and evolution for Barr overall. In 2021, the Foundation increased its grantmaking by 25% with the majority of the additive resources directed to our deepened commitment to racial equity. There is an appetite to tell more stories about this racial equity work as well as spotlight the impact of Barr’s grantee partners in the arts, education, and climate fields. 

About the Position

Reporting to the Communications Officer, the Communications Coordinator will work with members of the Communications Team as well as colleagues across the Foundation to integrate the thinking, tools, and tactics of strategic communications into their work. The ideal candidate is a creative thinker and capable doer. This role is for an early career professional who is motivated to join colleagues dedicated to using their talents to improve the world. The Communications Coordinator will play a vital role managing and implementing select communications activities and services at the Foundation. This includes: generating creative, multimedia content to amplify the work of the Foundation and its partners; executing on elements of the Foundation’s digital communications strategy; contributing to inclusive, mission-oriented narrative campaigns; and providing administrative support for the Communications Office. In addition, the Communications Coordinator will participate in Foundation-wide learning sessions about the arts, education, and climate fields as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

Primary Areas of Responsibility 

Create Multimedia Content for Mission-Driven Communications and Storytelling 

·      Assist staff in translating their ideas, experiences, and writings into visually engaging, accessible formats, including PowerPoint presentations, social media posts, short videos, blog posts, event invitations, and email blasts. 

·      Conceptualize, design or script, and produce creative content about Barr-supported work in the arts, high school redesign, climate change mitigation, and climate resiliency in order to raise awareness and move audiences to action. 

·      Help the Communications Team identify and execute on opportunities for more visual storytelling. 

Support the Administration of the Communications Office 

·      Coordinate relationships with communications consultants and vendors, including generating contracts, processing invoices, and scheduling meetings. 

·      Manage the Foundation’s editorial calendar, including coordinating the publication of blog posts, reports, videos, social media posts, and thought leadership articles. 

·      Help ensure brand compliance with graphics, documents, presentations, and other materials bearing the Barr brand. 

·      Routinely refresh imagery and other content on the Barr Foundation website as well as publish new content. 

·      Help take notes during meetings with program teams and organize follow-up tasks. 

Execute Elements of the Foundation’s Digital Communications Strategy 

·      Contribute to the advancement of Barr’s digital platforms, including supporting a website redesign project planned for 2022.

·      Help strategize and launch a Barr Foundation Instagram account. 

·      Coordinate with grantee organizations to collect or commission new photography of supported work in order to grow Barr’s image library. 

·      Grow Barr’s social media following and connect with new audiences through organic activity and paid campaigns with the direction of Barr’s Communications Manager.  

·      Help the Communications Team discern what’s working with Barr’s digital communications and advise on evolving practices by reviewing analytics and top-performing content.

·      Work in collaboration with the Communications Officer, the Communications Manager and our website vendor to create new visual, dynamic features that can help transition us away from text-heavy website pages. 

 Desired Qualities, Experiences, and Competencies

·      2-4 years of relevant professional experience at a nonprofit, media publication, communications agency, corporation, or in government.  

·      A storyteller who is passionate about advancing mission-driven organizations. 

·      Experience working with video, website content management systems, e-blast services, social media, graphic design programs, and Microsoft Office Suite.

·      Competency in media arts production, communication studies, marketing communications, film/video production, journalism, advertising, or a related field.

·      A commitment to advancing racial equity and inclusion in your work and in our workplace.

·      The ability to work independently to manage multiple projects simultaneously. 

·      A creative thinker who can contribute to creative projects and also infuse creativity in other processes and conversations across the Foundation. 

·      Self-reflective, humble, and a sense of humor. 

·      High level of emotional intelligence and ability to work with a diverse group of people. 

 Barr is an equal opportunity employer, with a commitment to building and fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We welcome candidates who would both contribute to and value working in such an environment.

Compensation

Salary is commensurate with experience and we anticipate a starting salary range between $55,000 to $65,000. The Barr Foundation offers an attractive benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurance. Benefits also include 15 vacation days to start and a generous parental leave. 

Barr is a Compact Signer for the 100% Talent Compact, which is administered by the Boston Women’s Workforce Council, a unique public-private partnership between the Boston Mayor’s Office and Greater Boston employers dedicated to eliminating the gender and racial wage gap. We are proud to be part of this first-in-the-nation approach to reaching pay equity for women and people of color across our region.

How to Apply 

Please visit: https://bit.ly/BarrCommCoord to apply for this position. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with applications encouraged by Friday, July 23, 2021. All inquiries may be directed in confidence to Denise Gillespie, Director of Human Resources, via email at: barrjobs@barrfoundation.org.

Remote Working During COVID-19

This position is based in our Boston office. At this time, the Barr Foundation staff are working remotely due to COVID-19 and out of concern for the health and safety of our employees and guests. This position would begin as a remote work arrangement with a reopening of the office planned for fall 2021. Following the office reopening, the position would allow for a flexible remote working arrangement with a hybrid of office and remote work.