About BLAQUE KC

BLAQUE KC (Black Leaders Advancing Quality Urban Education) is a grassroots education advocacy organization driven by community, powered by people, and committed to justice. We elevate Black voices, invest in high quality schools, and build bold coalitions to ensure Black students in Kansas City–and beyond–receive an education that affirms, equips, and liberates. We drive change by:

• Supporting Diverse Leadership: Identifying and developing diverse talent to lead in schools, serve on charter boards, and run for elected office

• Investing in School Quality: Providing funding and strategic support to schools to expand access to high quality education for children in Kansas City, especially the most marginalized

• Elevating Community Voice: Helping families and communities organize and advocate for the educational experiences they want to see

To learn more about our team and programs, visit our website at www.blaquekc.com.

Role Overview

BLAQUE KC is seeking a senior leader to steward its public voice, core messaging, and brand identity across a dynamic and growing portfolio of community-driven programs and initiatives. The Vice President of Strategic Communications and Brand Management will oversee how the organization communicates its mission, values, and impact—through bold storytelling, data-informed messaging, and strategic visibility in both local and national platforms. This role will also be responsible for the visual identity, cultural expression, and brand integrity of BLAQUE KC across all platforms, programs, and products, ensuring that every touchpoint–from a campaign hoodie to an advocacy toolkit–embodies the power, pride, and precision of our brand. This role will report to the CEO and manage a Director of Storytelling & Public Engagement and potentially a second staff member to be hired by the new VP, with additional support from vendors and content partners. Key responsibilities will include:

Comprehensive Communications and Brand Strategy

• Lead the development of a unifying narrative and brand strategy aligned with BLAQUE KC's mission, vision, and programmatic goals

• Ensure core messaging consistency across all projects and programs, while effectively tailoring language to distinct stakeholder groups

• Own and evolve a bold, accessible, and coherent brand identity and associated brand guidelines for BLAQUE KC, ensuring consistency, cultural authenticity, and alignment across all products and experiences

• Create monthly dashboards and quarterly impact reports that capture reach, engagement, and narrative impact, using insights to refine messaging and inform strategic direction

• Manage internal team, external consultants, content creators, communications fellows, and design partners

Storytelling and Content Creation

• Serve as the organization’s lead communications and content strategist, shaping messaging across platforms and initiatives and advising the executive team on public communications, media strategy, and brand positioning

• Oversee the editorial calendar and digital content across BLAQUE KC's platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, website, podcast, newsletter), ensuring consistency and cultural relevance

• Write and edit clear, persuasive materials including technical reports, program materials, research briefs, internal memos, policy one-pagers, and CEO statements

• Author or ghostwrite articles and op-eds for local and national publications to elevate BLAQUE KC's impact and thought leadership

• Design communication strategies to support organizational and citywide projects including public communications and media, community campaigns, policy initiatives, board drafts, town halls, and school launches

• Cultivate relationships with media outlets and journalists; pitch and place stories that uplift BLAQUE KC's mission

• Support crisis communications and rapid-response efforts when necessary

• Ensure consistent use of the BLAQUE KC brand as expression of political power, cultural identity, and community connection

• Lead design, sourcing, and production of all “swag”--branded merchandise, apparel, program materials, and other collateral

• Maintain an internal inventory system and coordinate swag distribution for events, fellowships, youth programs, and board trainings

• Support internal teams with branded templates, presentation decks, event signage, and printed collateral

• Design visual experiences for BLAQUE KC's major events (e.g., Charter School Board Draft, Freedom School, public forums), including signage, stage design, banners, table setups, and printed materials

• Establish an approval process and regular audits of all public-facing assets to ensure alignment with organizational tone, purpose, and style

• Monitor public use of the BLAQUE KC logo and brand to protect authenticity and intellectual property

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is an exceptional writer, strategic thinker, and values-driven communicator with a demonstrated ability to amplify Black voices and drive influence through storytelling and brand identity. Qualifications include:

• Strong alignment with BLAQUE KC’s mission, values, and unapologetic advocacy for Black children and communities

• Experience developing and leading a strategic communications function in a mission-driven, advocacy-oriented organization driving change at a city, state, or national level

• Expertise across all key communications and brand disciplines—including messaging strategy, content development, digital engagement, earned and owned media, and crisis communications, as well as brand positioning, management, and product design

• Demonstrated ability to build and manage teams, vendors, and collaborative project workflows

• Experience advising executive leaders, facilitating message alignment across sector-wide coalitions, and shaping public narrative on complex issues

• Exceptional writing and storytelling skills across formats, from op-eds and speeches to social posts and internal memos

• Deep cultural fluency and a commitment to creating work that affirms and reflects Black identity, history, and excellence

• A highly collaborative orientation with the ability to build trusted relationships across a wide variety of stakeholder groups—from grassroots communities to policy leaders

• Experience in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, with comfort balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution
   

Compensation and Benefits

• Salary commensurate with experience 

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Generous PTO, holiday, and wellness days

• Hybrid work model (Mon-Wed in office/ Thurs-Fri remote)

• Professional development and executive coaching opportunities

• Collaborative, mission-driven team culture committed to joy, excellence, and equity

To Apply

To apply, please complete our online application (hyperlink: https://forms.gle/HkJAqKVsGgnNZ9S1A). We will accept applications through August 9, 2025, and we encourage early submissions. The application asks for a resume and, in place of a cover letter, responses to each of the following questions in 250 words or less:

1. What compels you about the work of BLAQUE Kansas City, and about this position specifically?

2. What past experiences have best prepared you for this role?

3. What professional values are most important to you? How have those values shaped your behavior and decisions in your career so far?

BLAQUE KC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.