Job description

Victims for Justice (VFJ) is hiring a Communication & Development Specialist to support the organization’s mission, vision and values by creating content that tells VFJ’s story and raises awareness around victim advocacy, rights, and other areas of work at VFJ. A cover letter and resume are required to apply for the position.

This Anchorage-based position will require an ability to practice and inspire empowerment, build strong relationships, use sound judgment, have a strong desire to learn and share, and a deep and personal commitment to equity and justice as daily and life-long values. This position will have proven experience working with multi-cultural populations and a readiness and passion for building relationships and increasing support for those who have experienced trauma through violence in Alaska.

Victims For Justice is an equal opportunity employer. Because of our commitment to community-based leadership, individuals from all communities and backgrounds, specifically those with a deep connection to Alaska are encouraged to apply.

PURPOSE: This position strengthens VFJ’s mission and brand recognition through compelling content, blog posts, photography, outreach, and other communication techniques.

The Communication & Development Specialist will work closely with program staff to capture stories, communicate upcoming events, and create a strong understanding of program services and their needs.

The Communication & Development Specialist is responsible for implementing engagement and fundraising strategies to grow revenue, with a focus on donor stewardship efforts. In addition, this position will support the coordination of events designed to enhance positive community relations with supporters of VFJ.

The Communication & Development Specialist is a full-time position that reports directly to the Executive Director. The ideal candidate will have passion for the work of our organization, graphic design experience, excellent writing and editing skills, and social media experience.

REPORTS TO: Executive Director

STATUS: Full Time. Non-exempt

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Communications/Outreach responsibilities (70%):

• Works with the Executive Director to plan, promote and present information to increase public awareness about Victims for Justice;
• Develops/Updates organizational outreach materials including brochures, PowerPoint presentations, etc. ensuring consistency and quality;
• Prepares press releases and other promotional copy;
• Maintains and updates Victims for Justice website; utilizes social media to reach target audiences, distributes direct mail and email promotions/newsletters, and develops other web-based promotion;
• Maintains database outreach activities and community/press contacts;
• Oversees 3 annual events per year;
• Responsible for volunteer coordination;
• Assists in the development of collaborations between VFJ and other community entities, including but not limited to violence prevention;
• Strengthens relationships with the community and local and regional law enforcement/criminal justice-related contacts;

Development and other responsibilities (30%):

• Assists in developing and leads in implementing an annual plan to increase community giving; determine targeted results and tracks, documents progress;
• Coordinates with Admin Staff/Volunteers to process donations and prepare acknowledgement letters and other correspondence;
• Creates monthly fundraising reports and other database reports as needed;
• Represents VFJ professionally in public and with clients;
• Maintain records and use the database to track all activities;
• Assist with reporting to grantors and the board of directors;
• Attend, participate in and report on community-based workgroups including the VFJ Development Committee and other meetings as assigned;
• Other duties as assigned;

Transportation:

• Must provide own transportation to attend meetings and events
• Occasional travel to conferences and other activities may be required.
• Personal vehicle, valid driver’s license, and proof of vehicle insurance required.

Environmental/Working Conditions

VFJ is a highly collaborative and employee-empowered environment. Each employee is expected to perform as part of the team with an ability to work independently. Work hours must have flexibility to include rare after hours and Saturdays in order to accommodate travel, and events.

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of the criminal justice/legal system;
• Knowledge of the dynamics of victim services and issues;
• Clear, concise, and compassionate communication;
• Knowledge of ethical standards for care (including privacy) of victims of violence;
• Ability to work under pressure, organize work assignments, set priorities and meet deadlines;
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable in order to contribute to problem-solving activities within a growing, changing organization;
• Ability to act in a tactful and diplomatic manner and work on sensitive issues with diverse groups of individuals;
• Background check required;

Skills and Strengths:

Based on the strengths of our current team, we expect employees bring the following skills and strengths to the table:

• Integrity;
• Deep understanding of and commitment to serving victims of violence;
• Ability to build relationships and trust with people of different identities than your own;
• Ability to adapt communication methods to different people, teams, and geographies;
• Ability to lead self and others in setting goals and monitoring progress;
• Discipline to prioritize, follow-through, and stay on track;
• Demonstrated ability to plan and operate strategically;
• Demonstrated ability with social media marketing and promotional strategies;
• Knowledge of layout and design for print and web-based promotional materials;
• Understanding of the non-profit sector;

All roles develop and are adjust based on the strengths and needs of the communities that we work with, and the strengths of individual members of the team.

We understand that this is a comprehensive list and that you might not have strengths in all of these areas! Direct communication about strengths and challenges is part of our hiring process.

PAY AND BENEFITS

Victims For Justice values relationships, trust, equity, justice, and effectiveness. We believe these values should be reflected in our pay and benefits.

There are three cornerstones of our workplace compensation:

• Health, Well-Being, and Financial Security: Victims For Justice provides comprehensive health insurance to all full-time staff. We pay 80% of medical for anyone accepting a plan under VFJ. At this time, dental and vision are not available. For those who have alternative health insurance, we offer a stipend equal to 25% of the cost the organization would pay under our plan. Staff are also able to take advantage of matching contributions for retirement up to 3% of compensation through a Simple IRA.
• Work-Life Balance: There are fluctuations to workloads based on partnerships, crime rates and various events. Staff members are encouraged to practice self-care and have a healthy balance throughout the year with additional periods vacation, holidays, and personal days amounting to 5-6 weeks of paid time off per year. We understand that flexibility is a two-way street between the organization and the staff member.
• Professional Growth and Opportunity: We encourage staff members to pursue professional development opportunities, to take ownership for their work, to take calculated risks, and to collaborate both internally and externally to meet our mission and effectively serve our communities.

The following figures may be helpful in evaluating this compensation package:

• The salary range for a Development Director (insufficient data was available for Communications & Development Specialist) position in an Alaskan non-profit organization under $1 million is:
• $33,600 - $60,000 for candidates with development experience.
• The salary range for a Marketing Specialist (similar to Communications Specialist) position in a Southcentral Alaskan non-profit organization (not accounting for budget/size) is:
• $34,320 – $55,380 with a weighted mean of $48,952.
• We do not negotiate outside of published ranges due to our commitment to equity.
• Victims for Justices benefit package is valued at 25% of compensation (this excludes holiday, PTO benefits and professional development opportunities covered by the organization). The benefits package for this position is valued at an additional $11,750 - $12,500 per year.
• Bonuses are not guaranteed but may be available annually based on organizational capacity and efforts that go above and beyond to serve victims. Bonuses will NOT be based on ability to fundraise.
• The salary of Victims For Justice’s Executive Director is $80,000 per year. The current 100% FTE adjusted salary range for regular staff at Victims for Justice is $45,760-$80,000 per year ($22-$37.5/hour).
• Victims for Justice is considered a “leader” in pay in our field and believes that the responsibilities that come with this position merit a salary that reflects the level of experience and professionalism we expect.
• VFJ expects a high level of professionalism, as well as a high level of individual responsibility. We believe the transparency of the organization and the compensation for this position demonstrates our commitment to our employees.
• We value and encourage transparency around pay and benefits and welcome questions about our compensation package during interviews.

Schedule: M-F, 9am - 5pm

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Anchorage, AK 99503: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• Fundraising (Preferred)
• Coordinating events (Preferred)
• Writing blog post or newsletters (Preferred)
• Graphic design or working with Canva (Preferred)

Work Location: In person