Position: Manager, Communications & Design

Location: Remote; or Los Angeles, CA (all candidates should be based in the United States) 

Employment Type: Full-time, Salaried, Exempt

Compensation Range: $75,000/year-$90,000 DOE

Level: Manager I

Reports To: Vice President, Communications

Manages: None

Supported By: Communications team, Program team, Development team, Operations team

Education/Experience Preferences: Bachelor's Degree, or equivalent professional experience preferred

Start Date: ASAP, open until filled

We Are DigDeep  

The DigDeep Right to Water Project is a WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) organization committed to closing the water access gap for the 2 million + people in the U.S. who still don’t have a tap or a toilet at home. 

DigDeep believes access to clean water is a human right. We run several nationally recognized programs that empower communities to build their own water and sanitation systems. We won the 2018 US Water Prize for our Navajo Water Project, which has brought clean, running water to hundreds of Native families across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. DigDeep launched the Appalachia Water Project in 2020, in McDowell County, WV. It has since brought clean, sustainable running water to hundreds of families in Southern West Virginia through public - private partnerships with the McDowell County PSD and East Logan PSD in Wyoming County. In addition to clean running water, the project is installing septic systems and connecting households to centralized sewer. The AWP is now expanding into neighboring states of Kentucky and Virginia to continue its quest of clean water for every Appalachian family. Our water projects expanded in 2022 when we launched our Colonias Water Project. This project works to bring clean, running water to the residents living in communities along the Texas-Mexico border. The Texas colonias are largely unincorporated, low-income communities that fall just outside city limits and often lack basic infrastructure. Our work began in Cochran colonia near El Paso. DigDeep partnered with residents, housing nonprofits, and county officials to innovate a new model for public-private-partnership that brings these basic services to families for the first time. Now we're getting the water flowing in 5 more communities. 

The Opportunity

DigDeep is seeking an experienced Communications Manager to join our growing team. Reporting to the Vice President, Communications, the Communications Manager will lead strategic communications initiatives that advance water equity and amplify community voices. This role combines creative leadership, strategic thinking, and a deep commitment to ethical storytelling. The ideal candidate will bring both vision and hands-on expertise in managing communications projects while mentoring team members and fostering cross-departmental collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Team Management

1. Develop and execute comprehensive communications strategies aligned with organizational goals
2. Collaborate with communications team members, providing clear and timely ideation, support, and feedback
3. Lead the planning and implementation of communications campaigns across multiple channels
4. Foster collaboration between communications team and other departments
5. Ensure all communications align with DigDeep's values and ethical storytelling principles

Content Strategy & Development

1. Drive content strategy across all channels, ensuring consistency and impact
2. Oversee the development of compelling narratives that center community voices
3. Guide and support the creation of reports, presentations, and other key communications materials
4. Establish and maintain editorial standards and processes
5. Lead innovation in storytelling approaches while maintaining ethical guidelines
6. Build and maintain relationships with community partners and stakeholders

Project & Resource Management

1. Manage communications budget and resources
2. Develop and track project timelines, deliverables, and outcomes
3. Implement systems for efficient workflow and asset management
4. Oversee communications request process and prioritization
5. Monitor and evaluate communications impact through metrics and feedback

Department Operations

1. Lead communications planning and strategy sessions
2. Develop and maintain departmental processes and procedures
3. Manage vendor and contractor relationships
4. Ensure effective cross-departmental collaboration with fellow Manager
5. Support VP in strategic planning and department growth

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. As the organization continues to evolve, duties or tasks may change without impacting the overall job description. 

Competencies (Please reference our website for complete description of each competency below.)

1. Change Management
2. Influence
3. Judgement & Decision-Making
4. Ownership
5. Personal Development
6. Technical Expertise

Skills and Qualifications

We want to hear from you if you have:

1. Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent professional experience preferred
2. At least 4 years of applicable professional experience required; experience in design field required
3. Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Google Workspace required
4. Proficiency in MS Office Suite and/or Google Workspace required
5. Experience with Slack, Asana, Canva, Figma, Zoom, Expensify preferred
6. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite preferred; Premiere Pro is a plus
7. Understanding of ethical storytelling principles and practices
8. Basic design sensibility and ability to provide visual feedback
9. High computer literacy, and tech savviness required
10. Able to focus in the face of pressure, deliver against timelines and not be intimidated by tasks/time limitations
11. Organized, trustworthy, dependable, and detail oriented
12. Comfortable with autonomy, able to work independently and complete assigned tasks within established time frames required
13. Comfortability and readiness to apply a social justice and equity lens to communications and content creation
14. Willingness to travel, including but not limited to: Navajo Nation (AZ/NM/UT), West Virginia, Kentucky, Texas, DigDeep HQ, and additional locations as needed

Compensation and Benefits

At DigDeep, we believe that great work requires a great job. We understand that people thrive with rest and holistic support, which is crucial for our long-term success. We take pride in offering top-notch benefits to our team across the United States, prioritizing their health and wellbeing, as well as providing additional support for our employees' families. If you join us, here’s how we’ll support you in your work:

• Competitive wage to commensurate with level of position
• Generous vacation and sick leave
• 23 weeks paid Parental Leave
• Annual Professional Development Stipend
• Annual Wellbeing Reimbursement

• • BrightPlan membership (Financial Wellness Benefit)
  • Health Benefits
    • Employee Offering: Medical, dental, vision insurance, 100% employer paid
    • Spouse/Children/Family Offering: Employer covers up to $500 of the monthly cost for medical insurance for spouse/children/family; Employer covers 100% of the cost for dental and vision insurance for spouse/children/family
  • One Medical membership 
  • Life insurance, 100% employer paid
  • Work laptop
  • Monthly cell phone use allowance
  • Monthly internet use allowance
  • 15 paid holidays (including one week closure for Labor Day)
  • Domestic travel 
  • 401k retirement plan, with employer match

Interested? 

When applying, please submit a thoughtful cover letter and resume. References should be available upon request. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No office visits. No calls please. Thank you.

In an effort to promote pay equity and transparency, DigDeep does not negotiate compensation outside of posted compensation ranges. DigDeep’s compensation is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: internal budget analysis, external market value, internal pay alignment, and annual merit increases. A candidate’s compensation history will not be used in determining compensation at DigDeep.

Please note that DigDeep cannot provide immigration sponsorship for this position.

DigDeep is deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. DigDeep is built on the principles of equity, transparency and the power of human experience. Your work will improve the daily lives of real people. We believe everybody should have the clean, running water they need to thrive. Join us, and we’ll close the US water gap in our lifetimes.

DigDeep is a certified Great Place to Work®