Senior Manager, Development and External Affairs Communications

******The Stott Group has been exclusively retained for this search by Upstream USA.  Please apply directly by sending your resume and cover letter to :  [email protected]  and note the Job Title in the Subject line.

Please visit The Stott Group career site at : https://thestottgroup.com/careers/  for more information.

Career Stage: Manager

Organizational Summary

Upstream USA is a fast-growing, national nonprofit working to expand opportunity by reducing unplanned pregnancy across the U.S. We envision a future where patient-centered contraceptive care is an integral part of primary care in all settings, for all people. In this future, patients are screened for their contraceptive needs; are offered patient-centered contraceptive counseling, free from bias and coercion, provided by knowledgeable providers and support staff following evidence-based guidelines; and can receive any contraceptive method of their choosing, during the same visit if they want, without logistical barriers.

Upstream promotes health equity by partnering with health centers to provide training and technical assistance to increase access to contraception, and address disparities and biases in contraceptive care. Surveys of patients getting care at Upstream-trained health centers consistently show that patients feel listened to, heard, and are able to access the contraceptive method of their choice. Our work empowers patients to decide if and when they want to become pregnant, a critical step towards improving maternal health, as well as positive outcomes for parents, children, and their families.

Upstream is growing rapidly and is well positioned for national scale and impact. After launching our program in Delaware in 2014, we have since partnered with health centers in Washington state, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Texas, Mississippi and Missouri. By 2023, Upstream will have partnered with health centers that serve over one million women of reproductive age annually across these states and more. Our work has been independently evaluated and has led to significant changes, including a 25% reduction in births from unplanned pregnancies in Delaware in just three years. 

Upstream is funded primarily through philanthropic individuals and foundations, and does not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies. Upstream’s budget has grown from $1.7 million just four years ago to approximately $40 million in 2022. Upstream’s work has also garnered attention from many leading publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, Vox, Forbes, and Marie Claire.

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Development and External Affairs Communications will play a key role in supporting the Development & External Affairs team during a time of organizational growth and at the start of a significant, multi-year fundraising effort. Reporting to the Director, Strategic Services, the Senior Manager, Development and External Affairs Communications  will create and deliver mission-based content for use by the Development & External Affairs team. This will include developing a calendar of strategic programming and impact materials, such as an organization case for support, donor and stakeholder cultivation and stewardship resources, investor and stakeholder reports, and support on customized proposals in collaboration with Principal Gift and Philanthropy teams. The position will work closely, cross-departmentally, and with leadership of the Development & External Affairs team to ensure the availability of accurate, compelling, and curated content that tells the story of the mission, strategy, and impact of Upstream’s work.

The ideal candidate will bring exceptional written communication skills and serve as a project manager and internal and external communicator in support of Upstream’s efforts to engage these high-impact investors with our mission and goals. The candidate should have proven ability to translate an organization’s strategic vision and impact to various audiences, from sophisticated and traditional reporting to emotion-evoking narrative development. This is a stimulating and rewarding role for someone who loves to work collaboratively and is a high-performing independent contributor passionate for working in service of organization-wide impact. Upstream celebrates and fosters an inclusive work environment and encourages people of all identities, perspectives, and backgrounds to apply.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Partners with the VP of Development & External Affairs and other team leaders to develop and lead the strategy, processes, and tools for the creation of philanthropy content that supports investor and stakeholder relations, donor stewardship, and cultivation needed by Relationship Managers to elevate fundraising goals.
• Serves as writer and editor for Development & External Affairs communication assets working collaboratively with cross-functional teams. This includes strategic content about Upstream’s progress towards goals and story-based content about the impact of our work for the broader public.
• Builds knowledge and content on key programs and issues related to Upstream and the organization’s progress and impact, including strategic direction, evaluation and learning, return on investment and system and individual stories of impact.
• Leads the production of mission-based, customized, and evergreen donor-facing materials, including but not limited to fundraising decks and proposals, gift request proposals, customized stewardship reports, and cultivation reports that help Philanthropy Officers advance investor engagement objectives.
• Manage and fulfill design needs for donor-facing materials, including providing slide design skills directly as well as sourcing and managing design vendors as needed for more complicated design work.
• Responsible for coordinating content updates; editing and review of materials; ensuring integration of organizational messaging and accuracy of data; and training for relationship managers.
• Supports the VP of Development & External Affairs and Senior Director of Investor Engagement with executive communications as needed, including drafting materials, program briefs, talking points, and remarks for speaking engagements.

Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 7+ years of experience writing, editing, producing content and materials, preferably with experience supporting fundraisers, and/or donor stewardship functions
• Demonstrated ability to work and cultivate relationships across a variety of stakeholders, communities, and levels to ensure mission alignment
• Exceptional written and verbal communication with capability of distilling complex content for sophisticated audiences into a variety of formats (talking points, presentation decks, grant reports/proposals, correspondence, etc.)
• Exceptional project management ability with skills in managing up and sideways on multiple competing and evolving priorities
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize information to capture a specific tone for varying audiences (i.e., varying levels and types of investors, or types of external stakeholders)
• Demonstrated ability to operate with a high degree of urgency, self-motivation, focus on goals and commitment to high-quality work
• Keen attention to detail and ability to exercise discretion
• Commitment to Upstream’s mission and to mission-driven work
• Ability to effectively deliver and receive both positive and constructive feedback
• Proficiency with Salesforce, Google and Microsoft Suites
• Experience in graphic design and content design is preferred, and/or experience in partnering with graphic/design contractors
• Sense of humor
• Upstream USA’s COVID-19 Vaccine Policy requires employees to have completed a COVID-19 vaccine primary series unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees must provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or, if applicable, request a medical or religious exemption.
• All Upstreamers must also be able to attend work-related in-person meetings and functions as needed.
• In our hybrid work environments, there is a basic expectation that our Upstreamers will ensure that their work from home setups will have reliable access to phone and Internet to ensure connectivity to their teams.
• At Upstream we gather for moments that matter for training, teaming and connection. Our teams come together for occasional in person meetings and organizational retreats. As part of our hybrid work practices, this travel expectation will be applicable for all Upstreamers, even those based remotely.

Travel Requirements

This role will require up to 10-25% of business travel (dependent on whether applicant is in Boston, MA). All Upstreamers can expect a minimum of 8 days of business travel per year to attend two annual organizational retreats. Members of the Development and External Affairs team will also be expected to be in person in Boston for 2 days each quarter.

Upstream Benefits

Upstream USA offers a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long and short-term disability, 401K with a match, generous vacation, personal, sick and holiday time off, parental leave, professional development and a fitness and cell phone allowance for all full-time employees and part time employees who work a minimum of 24 hours per week.

Hiring Range

The hiring range for this role is $89,420 to $126,000. Final offers for this position will be based upon several factors including the scope of the role, market compensation analysis, position requirements, candidate’s experience level and capabilities, specific candidate geographic location, internal pay equity considerations and will be made within the parameters of Upstream USA's compensation framework and philosophy.

Hiring Process

Candidates who advance in our preliminary review process will have an opportunity to discuss the position, their employment background and lived experience with a member of our talent acquisition team by telephone. Those who advance to subsequent steps in our interview process may participate in up to three rounds of meetings by Zoom or in person and in a thought exercise/case study assignment. Each round could consist of multiple meetings with various Upstreamers.

Upstream Careers

At Upstream, we embrace diversity. We nurture it and we thrive on it because it benefits our organization, our partners, and our community. Our goal is to attract, develop and retain exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. Upstream is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, genetic information, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. Learn more about working at Upstream, our values, and our commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Upstream USA participates in E-Verify.

Upstream Headquarters

2 Oliver Street, Suite 402, Boston, MA 02109 www.upstream.org

No phone calls please.

Be advised that we do not ever conduct hiring interviews via text or email. Please protect yourself by learning more about our hiring practices and common red flags to look out for.