April 2024

TITLE:Manager, Public Relations

RESPONSIBLE TO:Senior Director, Public Relations

DIVISION/DEPT:Marketing & Communications

SUPERVISES:N/A

FLSA STATUS:Exempt

BASIC FUNCTION:

If you are passionate about a mission that helps people in communities across North America thrive through The Power of Work®, then this is the right opportunity for you. Join the Goodwill Industries International (GII)’s communications, public relations and media relations team. We support more than 150 individual Goodwill organizations and manage campaigns that raise the visibility and understanding of the Goodwill brand, mission and business lines. The person in this position will work in coordination with the Senior Director of Public Relations & External Affairs, and the Senior Manager, Public Relations.

The candidate will be expected to:

Monitor and execute Goodwill public relations campaigns and initiatives and support public relations and external communications efforts of local Goodwill organizations.

Coordinate interactions with members of the media when directed by the Senior Director of Public Relations in coordination with the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and in conjunction with the Senior Manager, Public Relations.

Provide logistical and some administrative support for the public relations team.

Support events as needed.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:

Research, PR Campaign Development and Execution and Material Creation

• Serve as primary contact in conjunction with the Senior Manager, Public Relations, when the Senior Director of Public Relations is unavailable. Work with the CMO, Senior Director of Public Relations, and S enior Manager, Public Relations, on interactions with reporters and media outlets.

• Conduct research on Goodwill-related issues and identify relevant reporters and media outlets and create and update media lists.

• Develop and execute strategic external communications, public relations strategies and media pitches for Goodwill initiatives, awards programs, events, calendar observances and campaigns.

• Develop and place stories about Goodwill in print, radio, television and online in national media outlets in conjunction with the Public Relations Manager and with approval from the Senior Director of Public Relations.

• Write and edit news releases, letters to the editor, op-eds, social media messages, blog postings, messaging, opinion pieces, backgrounders for interviews and other public relations collateral materials for use by the news media and local Goodwill organizations as part of comprehensive toolkits. Materials include both national materials for use by GII and template materials for use by local Goodwill organizations’ communications teams.

• Assess opportunities for communications industry awards. Manage and write awards applications for submission.

• Contribute items to internal GII newsletters.

• Develop public relations materials for Brandfolder, a marketing collateral library.

• Develop and deliver presentations at conferences and virtual MarCom member events, including The Goodwill Public Relations and Marketing Affinity Group (PRAMTAG) and Marketing webinars.

• Support the Events Team with certain conference communications.

• Write stories for GII’s public website, when needed.

• Manage content on the Goodwill public-facing website newsroom. This includes posting news releases and national media placements, in addition to managing the public relations section of Goodwill Exchange, our internal website and message board.

Analysis, Tracking and Measurement

• Develop and maintain GII’s monitoring systems including MuckRack, Google Alerts and other means.

• Track and measure Goodwill marketing and communications campaigns and initiatives. Draft media and communications measurement reports for review.

• Analyze and monitor Goodwill international, national and local news coverage on a daily basis to identify viable media opportunities to promote Goodwill. Recommend any necessary adjustments to specific outreach efforts and public relations strategies when needed.

• Measure GII’s media outreach efforts. Research and share daily news stories with GII team members and write periodic news cycle reports.

Support Local Goodwill Public Relations Needs

• Provide counsel to the 154 individual Goodwill organizations on public relations, crisis communications and other communications tactics as needed in conjunction with the public relations team.

• Handle research, inquiries and other requests from local Goodwill organizations and help develop tools that support their local PR efforts.

• Attend weekly Public Relations office hours to provide advice and information to members.

• Other duties as assigned.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal: Daily contact with GII team members to coordinate projects and support activities, including the strategic partnership team, resource development team, marketing and communications team, donated goods retail team, the events team, and mission innovation and strategy teams.

Local Goodwill Organizations: Frequent contact with representatives of Goodwill member organizations including, presidents and CEOs, and staff who support program operations and external communications.

External: Regular contact with donors, funders, partners, news media, general public, influencers and bloggers, vendors, board members, and nonprofit and advocacy organizations.

Government Officials: Occasional contact with various branches of government and international agencies.

SKILLS NEEDED:

Technical Skills

o Strong oral and written communication skills required.

o Knowledge of public relations and communications principles, and media protocol.

o Strong process, project management and improvement skills.

o Comprehensive understanding of communications concepts, including understanding an organizational goal, targeting specific audiences, building communications plans, measurement and crafting the right messages.

o Excellent written communication skills (grammar, spelling, punctuation and proofreading) for both internal and external audiences as well as news writing skills.

o Understanding of social media platforms and tools.

o Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (SharePoint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook and Visio).

o Working knowledge of budget principles and an understanding of tracking and managing budgets.

o Willingness and ability to learn new systems and applications, including video and audio editing software.

Personal Skills

o Ability to work successfully and professionally with diverse groups of members, including board members, Presidents and CEOs, GII team members and local Goodwill organizations.

o Ability to relate well to others, both individually and in group settings. Committed to using and growing people and emotional intelligence skills.

o Excellent verbal communication, presentation and public speaking skills.

o Critical thinking skills.

o Ability to plan and coordinate efficiently.

o Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, specifically with external audiences in order to increase Goodwill’s national exposure.

o Ability to provide interview and media training.

o Ability to translate concepts into action.

o Excellent interpersonal, public relations and customer service skills.

o Ability to exercise independent judgment and work independently.

o Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion.

OUR VALUES

We believe everyone deserves an opportunity to thrive. Goodwill’s mission grounds us and happens through each one of us. This aspiration applies to each GII team member as much as to the people we serve. GII’s organizational values guide all that we do; how we do our work and make decisions, and how we interact with each other, Goodwill members and all stakeholders.

Our mission happens through me (Passion)

We have a fire for our mission. We bring our energy, creativity and passion to all that we do. By contributing the best of what is within each of us, we inspire the same in our peers, and multiply Goodwill’s impact

Drive to make a difference (Impact)

We believe that our work must lead to a measurable difference in the lives of the people Goodwill serves. We are committed to performance excellence in all that we do. Our strategy focuses our work to achieve that impact, and we say no to things that do not align.

You before me (Respect)

We treat all people with dignity, kindness, appreciation and respect. We are curious without judgment, and we actively listen to ensure mutual understanding. We give everyone a caring and safe place to share their opinions, their talents, and their questions. We build trust through direct, clear and transparent communication. We are open and humble.

Thriving begins at home (Well-being)

We respect the contributions and the needs of our individual team members equally, and we understand that each one of us needs different things at different times to thrive both in and out of the workplace. We strive to make genuine and continuous investments in one another and ourselves. As such, we adopt healthy, holistic approaches to our work. We proactively care for one another and ourselves by speaking up for what we need and supporting one another in achieving it.

Out of many, One Goodwill (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion)

We embrace all people and perspectives as we advance Goodwill’s mission to help people reach their full potential through the power of work. We acknowledge historical inequities still exist and are intentional in breaking barriers. We are committed to being part of the solutions, leaning into courageous conversations, and providing inclusive spaces and equal opportunities for real change in all of our endeavors. Our diversified reflection shall shine as one Goodwill.

Be bold, learn and grow (Agility)

We are open, creative, innovative, agile and willing to take risks. We operate with a sense of urgency, without rushing for the sake of speed. While we do our best to make good decisions, we embrace failure for the learning it affords and adapt quickly to move ahead. We are one unified team that succeeds and stumbles, and learns and grows together with humility and grace.