Worcester County Food Bank (WCFB) believes that food is a fundamental right of all people and that hunger is an issue of social justice. WCFB’s mission is to engage, educate, and lead Worcester County in creating a hunger-free community. As the leading food security organization in Worcester County, WCFB coordinates the collection and distribution of quality donations of fresh, frozen, and non-perishable food to people in all 60 communities of Worcester County through a network of food pantries and meals programs, advocates for programs that increase access to healthy food and policy solutions that address the root causes of food insecurity.

Job Summary

The Director of Communications and Development will develop, implement and manage a multi-faceted marketing and development program. The position provides strategic leadership, as well as day-to-day support for all aspects of WCFB’s communications and development program, including collaborating with WCFB’s CEO to plan and strategize, ensuring WCFB is educating and myth-busting about hunger in Worcester County, working to establish and maintain a thriving financial base for WCFB to do its work from. This position will work with the agency partners, donors and other stakeholders to ensure that WCFB continues to be seen as a leader and innovator in ending hunger in Worcester County and Massachusetts. This is a full-time senior leadership position reporting to the Chief Executive Officer.

This role inherits a small, committed team and carries the exciting responsibility of helping to shape and grow WCFB’s communications and development capacity in collaboration with the CEO and COO. WCFB is about to enter a strategic planning and visioning process. The Director will play a defining role in building the department structure that will carry the organization’s next chapter. 

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop a comprehensive marketing and communications program      that builds on WCFB’s current messaging and establishes and upholds      policies consistent with WCFB’s mission. 
• Work closely with the CEO and COO to develop and      coordinate annual communications and fundraising priorities and plan for      WCFB.
• Lead the development and monitoring of communications      and development departmental budgets, revenue projections, and KPIs. 
• Guide and mentor      members of the communications and development team, establishing annual      goals, ensuring collaboration, and fostering high performance. 
• Guide and mentor member of the entire team to      understand and utilize the agreed upon brand strategy of WCFB.
• Serve as a member of      the senior leadership team, providing insight on community engagement,      donor relations, brand strategy, advocacy, and organizational culture.
• Partner with the CEO, COO and Board to support WCFB’s      Strategic Visioning and Planning process. Translate that vision into a      multi-year plan for growing the communications and development team,      including recommendations on hiring priorities, role design, and resource allocation.      

Communications & Brand Management 

• Develop and implement a multi-faceted communications      strategy that advances WCFB’s mission and strengthens understanding of      hunger in Worcester County. 
• Oversee brand      identity, messaging, and storytelling across all platforms (website,      social media, e-newsletters, video, print publications, annual report). 
• Oversee the creation      of clear, compelling issue briefs, educational materials, and mission focused      content for diverse audiences. 
• Manage relationships with media outlets; proactively      pitch stories and respond to inquiries. May serve as spokesperson when      needed. 
• Support CEO, COO and      any other public-facing WCFB employee with talking points and on-brand      messaging for specific projects and ongoing internal media training.
• Ensure high quality,      consistent, and timely internal and external communications.

Development, Fundraising & Donor Relations

• Build and lead a robust and diversified development program, including major gifts, annual giving, direct mail, online donations, grants, planned giving, corporate partnerships, and events. 
• Build strong donor and funder relationships, conducting face-to-face visits and cultivating long-term philanthropic engagement. 
• Oversee all aspects of donor stewardship, gift acknowledgments, donor recognition, and the use of the donor database. 
• Oversee and manage direct mail vendor relationships and contract. 
• Oversee, manage and be responsible for fundraising CRM software program – DonorPerfect in use at WCFB. 
• Supervise annual direct response campaigns; ensure the integration of mail, email, and digital fundraising strategies. 
• Provide leadership on grant strategy; partner with development staff to identify opportunities, ensure high quality applications, and maintain timely reporting.
• Write and submit grant proposals in accordance with strategic funding priorities as identified by the CEO. 
• Provide timely grant reporting in compliance with grant guidelines. 

Team Leadership & Department Oversight

• Currently supervise two Development Associates and a      part-time communications contractor, with authority and expectation to      partner with CEO and COO to grow and structure the department      strategically over time. The Director will play a central role in      assessing current capacity, identifying gaps, and making recommendations      on future hiring, role design and team culture. 
• Hire, develop and supervise employees within the      department; manage performance and work duties. 
• Establish clear goals and expectations; conduct      performance evaluations; guide staff development. 
• Foster a culture of donor stewardship, collaboration,      learning, and shared responsibility for philanthropy across WCFB.

Partnership & Community Engagement

• When appropriate and      in collaboration with other WCFB Leadership team members, serve as an      ambassador of WCFB in the community; present at events, lead tours, and      represent WCFB to partners and funders.
• Collaborate with Partner Agencies, community groups,      corporations, institutions, and Feeding America to advance shared goals. 
• Support the planning and execution of annual events and      community engagement initiatives.

Required

• 7–10 years of progressively responsible      experience in communications, development, public affairs, or related      fields, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven      experience with fund development, including major gifts, annual giving,      and donor stewardship. 
• Demonstrated      experience engaging culturally, economically, and racially diverse      communities.
• Strong writing, editing, public      speaking, and storytelling skills.
• Experience      managing staff, budgets, and complex projects.
• Ability to travel regionally and work      occasional evenings for events and board meetings. 
• Strong desire to learn and grow within an organization      in transition. 

Preferred

• Knowledge of state and federal food      security practices that impact our mission and vision to create a hunger      free Worcester County. 
• Bilingual      in a second language, Spanish preferred.
• Experience      with DonorPerfect or comparable donor management databases strongly      preferred. 
• Expertise in digital communications,      data analytics, and content strategy strongly preferred.

Benefits

WCFB provides comprehensive and competitive benefits including paid time off, health and dental insurance, life, short-term and long-term disability insurance, health savings account, and 403(b) retirement savings plan with an employer match. 

WCFB is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.