Director of Communications and Marketing

MAPS is going through an exciting period of growth, and we need a leader that can create donor and community support through marketing and communications within a virtual workplace that is fast-paced, always changing, and highly entrepreneurial. The Director of Communications and Marketing is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing the organization’s marketing strategies, marketing communications, and public relations activities, both external and internal. 

The three primary goals the Director of Communications and Marketing will serve are: 

• Provide leadership to the Communications and Marketing team to help meet MAPS’ goals 
• Create communication strategies that are a blend of advocacy and media relations (corporate, governmental, political, and regulatory) 
• Create and grow a MAPS' membership drive and create membership engagement

Location 

MAPS is headquartered in Santa Cruz, CA, but this position can be remote. MAPS standard office hours are set in Pacific Time. If working remotely, you must have a space to work with secure internet and reliable phone reception. This position requires frequent phone and internet meetings. Certain home office expenses may be reimbursed. A work computer will be provided. Occasional travel to the Santa Cruz or Oakland offices in California may be required.  

Hours 

Full-time, 40 hours per week, overtime-exempt.

We are a West Coast-based company and applicants must be available during normal business hours (9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday). The exact schedule may be arranged upon hire. Occasional weekend hours may be required with advance arrangement. 

Minimum Requirements 

Proficient in the following areas: 

• Public speaking 
• Writing and editing  
• Ability to analyze marketing data 
• SEO 
• Paid advertising  
• Project management 
• Ability to take complex ideas and synthesize them 
• Keen eye for design and style 
• Asana (or similar project management platform) 
• Microsoft Office 365 
• Optional: Good understanding of drug policy and/or the field of psychedelics 

Interpersonal skills: 

• Leadership skills that inspire collaboration and innovation 
• Empathetic listener 
• Strong communicator 
• Deeply enjoys bringing order from chaos 

Proven track record of:  

• Experience driving membership programs  
• Marketing a new innovative idea, or product that is new to market 
• Working in fast-paced entrepreneurial spaces 
• Significant communications experience that includes a blend of advocacy and media relations (corporate, governmental, political, and regulatory) 
• A strong track record of positioning an organization to achieve tangible outcomes in a competitive communications environment 
• Diversity and inclusion 
• Multi-media storytelling 
• Preferred: experience in drug policy reform 
• Preferred: Trauma informed communication 

Position Duties 

Department Leadership and Responsibilities 

• Lead and supervise department functions: 

• Communications 
• Marketing 
• Advertising 
• Websites 
• Events 
• Inspire a healthy work-life balance 
• Create a department that feels safe and inclusive to the team and entire organization 

Marketing 

• Oversee Associate Director of Marketing to ensure all marketing campaigns maintain a high-quality presence on all platforms  
• Oversee the creation of marketing email campaigns including the Email Newsletter (monthly), fundraising campaigns, event announcements, sales initiatives, study recruitment, and major news 
• Launch large digital advertisements campaigns to support MAPS’ priorities and large marketing projects  

Membership Program  

• Create MAPS’ first-ever membership program and cultivate and grow it to reach at least 100k members within a year 
• The creation of the membership program will involve: 
• Designing the look of the program  
• Creating a marketing strategy with key OKR’s 
• Deciding appropriate member incentives 
• Uncovering ways to creatively engage and inform our community of its value and importance to the movement. 

Websites  

• Oversee maintenance, support and serve as executive editor for all 8 MAPS websites using established content management systems (CMS) 
• Support reliable implementation of customer relationship management (CRM) system and corresponding platforms 

Reporting and Tracking 

Responsible for creating, implementing, and measuring success while training mangers to learn these reporting processes for: 

• Comprehensive marketing, communications, and public relations programs  
• SEO success 
• Paid ads strategies 
• Social media reports that track and asses our user engagement, new users and adds, posts and strategies that proved effective 
• Media relations  
• Member increasement due to marketing tactics 

Building Community and Education 

• Provide general communications, marketing, and public relations support for public-facing MAPS, MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC), MAPS Europe, and Zendo Project 
• Creating communication strategies that are a blend of advocacy and media relations (corporate, governmental, political and regulatory) 
• Provide effective strategies that deliver messaging about worldwide psychedelic and medical marijuana research, education, and harm reduction 
• Publications: 
• Responsible for editorial direction, design, production, and distribution of MAPS’ publications, including MAPS-published books, the tri-annual MAPS Bulletin, and other relevant publications 
• Engage our strong network of supporters to create vibrant virtual communities  
• Collaborate with partners, allies, and new connections to support the expansion of psychedelic education, science, fundraising, and medicine 
• Transform the public image of psychedelics and marijuana by reframing them as scientific, therapeutic, spiritual, and creative tools 
• Ensure that MAPS’ brand identity remains coherent and in alignment with its mission