Director of Marketing & Communications

Salary Range is $80,000-$85,000
Spanish-speaking differential available; additional $1.00 per hour for employees who demonstrate and maintain Spanish language proficiency and are willing to use this skill for Wayside Waifs' business purposes.

As Kansas City’s largest and most comprehensive no kill pet adoption campus, Wayside Waifs prepares pets and people for the bond of their lives. More than 40,000 pets and people are served annually through pet adoptions, youth education, canine training programs, and community outreach. Wayside is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity with regional and national reach. It is supported entirely by private donations and grants. To see all of the animals available for adoptions or to donate, please visit WaysideWaifs.org.

POSITION SUMMARY
Wayside Waifs is hiring a full-time Director of Marketing & Communications. This is a newly created position to support Wayside’s expanding needs. This position will create and implement mission-driven marketing and communications strategies to raise awareness, engage community, and support adoption and fundraising goals for Wayside Waifs, an 82-year-old organization serving 40,000+ pets and people annually.

Responsibilities

• Team leadership and collaboration across the organization.
• Marketing, communications, and media strategy; includes content creation for internal and external audiences and Organization’s 10 lines of business.
• Brand management
• Website management for all Wayside websites (currently includes: waysidewaifs.org, Furballkc.org, Strutt With Your Mutt, and nomorebullying.org)
• Create, track, and report KPI performance.
• Manage three full-time staff, volunteers, and contractors.

• Passion for animal welfare, community engagement, and creating a Culture of Philanthropy.
• Proven experience in marketing, communications, or related roles — ideally in nonprofit, social-impact, or similar field. Extensive experience creating and implementing content for integrated marketing campaigns, including websites, and marketing and fundraising videos.
• Strong digital marketing skills and social media savvy; comfortable with content creation, storytelling, and managing multiple communication channels.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; public relations and media outreach experience preferred. Highly skilled in storytelling.
• Leadership, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills — ability to juggle multiple projects, budgets, timelines, and create a supportive environment for the Team to grow, shine, and have a positive impact.
• Experience using data, analytics, and performance metrics to inform marketing and communications strategy; evaluate audience behavior, campaign/fundraising effectiveness, and engagement trends to optimize messaging, improve outcomes, and demonstrate impact.
• Creativity, resourcefulness, and flexibility — ability to adapt to a small/lean nonprofit environment with limited resources.

• 7 years of experience or more in marketing, communications, or related fields. Nonprofit experience preferred.
• Expert storyteller requiring excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Graphic design skills.
• Project management skills.
• A collaborative and curious mindset that embraces innovation and growth.
• Ability to approach emotionally sensitive aspects of animal welfare with professionalism, empathy, and resilience.

• Due to collaboration required, position is not hybrid/remote.
• Must be able to lift 50lbs to waist-height.           
• Must be able to physically restrain dogs weighing up to and including 50lbs.           
• Exposure to wet and/or humid conditions and outside weather conditions.           
• Exposure to fumes, animal smells, airborne particles, and hot and cool temperatures.           
• The noise level is moderate to high.           
• Sporadic, limited travel involved, less than 10%.

• College degree in marketing, communications, or journalism is preferred.
• High school graduate or equivalent required.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) preferred, but not required.