Advocacy and Internal Communications Manager

Agency Overview: At Connections for the Homeless, we serve and catalyze our community to end homelessness, one person at a time. In support of our mission, we operate using the following Core Values to guide our interactions between participants, colleagues, and our community: equity and inclusion, community, resilience, transparency, and generosity of spirit.

Summary of Position: Reporting to the Director of Communications and working very closely with the Director of Advocacy, the Advocacy and Internal Communications Manager generates and publishes content that is in alignment with the larger communications strategy of the agency in direct support of the growing advocacy program, Joining Forces for Affordable Housing (Joining Forces), and the increased need for stronger and more coordinated internal communications.

Impactful advocacy requires strong communications that effectively reach multiple audiences, including elected officials, activated advocates, potential advocates and community partners. Joining Forces is growing rapidly, launching new campaigns, and expanding into new communities like Lake County. This position will give shape to the still developing key messages and voice of Joining Forces. It will generate content that educates multiple audiences while building momentum and calling people to action to change housing policy and practice.

Strong agencies are built on engaged, well informed and well supported staff. This manager will coalesce agency communications across departments, creating a consistent flow of engaging internal content that is useful, clear and connects employees to the deep impact they are making in the lives of participants and also the community at large.

Supervisory Expectations: At this time, this role does not supervise any other roles.

Schedule and Work Environment: Connections for the Homeless is committed to a hybrid work environment as each unique position allows. This position will work primarily out of the Lake Street Church location, located at 1458 W. Chicago Avenue in Evanston, IL but is expected to travel to Lake County regularly. This is a full-time role with a Monday through Friday daytime schedule. Evening and weekend work will be required to support community meetings, agency events and public hearings.

Specific Duties

Content production

• Develop advocacy content for use in all communications channels by pulling information, stories and ideas from fellow staff, program participants, Joining Forces members as well as other advocacy groups, and members of the community at large.
• Working closely with the Human Resources department generate content that; facilitates the flow of information to staff throughout the agency, fosters understanding of the impact and importance of all positions and roles, encourages strong employee engagement and promotes a positive agency culture.
• Support the deployment of digital membership tools for advocacy and internal communication tools for the agency by providing content that is aligned with communication strategies and is clear, consistent, accessible and reflective of Connections’ core values.
• Working with internal and external stakeholders, produce or oversee the production of photo, video and audio content as well as Spanish language content as needed and warranted.

Communications Management

• Create, manage and activate separate communication calendars for the advocacy program and internal stakeholders that are responsive and flexible while maintaining alignment with broader agency communication strategies.
• Serve as primary manager and publisher of advocacy program’s website and agency’s intranet.
• Produce and manage digital content for advocacy program’s social media profile to advance specific initiatives as well as member recruitment and community education goals.
• Monitor and assess the effectiveness of advocacy/internal communications and make recommendations for improvement based on feedback and data analysis.

General Advocacy and Development Responsibilities

• Support overall creation and implementation of annual advocacy strategy and development plans.
• Attend and support advocacy-related community events, including workshops, engagement sessions, and public hearings.
• Attend and support the development department at agency events.
• Perform other duties and complete special projects as assigned.
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct for Connections for the Homeless and demonstrate agency core values in all interactions with program participants and staff.

The following qualifications are requirements for the position:

• Valid Illinois Driver’s License and ability to get oneself to Lake County and across Cook County independently as needed.
• HS Diploma/GED.
• Excellent writing, speaking, and interpersonal skills.
• Able to work independently and with diverse populations.
• Excellent technical and computer skills, including MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) and Adobe.
• Flexible Schedule available for evening and weekend work.

The following qualifications are highly desirable for the position:

• Ability to speak and write in Spanish fluently.
• 3-5 years professional experience, preferably working at a non-profit in a writing-intensive position on a development or communications team.
• Exceptional communication skills, including strong writing and copy editing with strong attention to detail.
• Proficient in using digital/social media and monitoring and management tools.
• Experience using Constant Contact or similar email platforms.
• Exposure to advocacy platforms like Just Cause, UJoin, ActionNetwork, ActBlue.

For nearly 40 years, Connections for the Homeless has served and catalyzed our community to end homelessness, one person at a time. Each year we provide eviction prevention, shelter, and housing services to 4,000 people from across north suburban Cook County. Beyond providing direct services we also operate a robust advocacy and community organizing program to address the root causes of homelessness. The COVID pandemic accelerated our growth in the depth and breadth of services we offer and the organizational infrastructure to sustain this highly impactful organization. Connections is a radically reshaped organization deeply committed to demonstrating our core values in all relationships with participants, colleagues, donors, partners, and volunteers.

Join our dedicated team at Connections for the Homeless, where we blend a commitment to making a difference with a competitive rewards package. Our full-time employees enjoy a range of benefits, consciously crafted through an equitable lens, to support their well-being and professional growth.

At Connections for the Homeless, we recognize that supporting our employees is essential in achieving our mission. We are ready to invest in you as you make a difference in our community. We can't wait for you to join us!