POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director, Employee Engagement and Communication is responsible for shaping and executing HIAS’ internal communications and employee engagement strategy. This role manages key communication tools and platforms, partners with People and Culture colleagues to strengthen employee feedback and engagement practices and leads initiatives that promote belonging and connection across a global workforce. The Director ensures that employee feedback is meaningfully gathered, acted upon, and communicated, and integrates Jewish values and humanitarian principles into the employee experience in ways that reinforce HIAS’ mission and culture.

Note, this position is based at our headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland or our office in New York, New York, and we will consider a remote option for applicants who live outside of commuting distance to either of our offices and are based in other states in which we are registered (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia).

The salary range for this position is $105,000-115,000.00.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Internal Communications

• Designs, plans and coordinates internal staff events for a diverse, global staff, including training opportunities, all staff meetings, and other communication touch points. Assists with coordination, planning and execution of staff in-person staff events in the Silver Spring HQ office, including events that center on HIAS’ Jewish organizational identity (i.e. Jewish holiday celebrations).
• Oversees the all-staff events calendar to maximize participation and impact.
• Facilitates global and other staff meetings.
• Designs, writes, and produces the global weekly newsletter and other focused staff communications.
• Ensures that HIAS’ mission, history and values as a global Jewish humanitarian organization are woven into training, events and other staff engagement approaches in a way that enhances employee engagement.
• Supports organizational change and global initiatives with clear communications.
• Researches, recommends and implements the global internal communications strategy , collaborating closely with People and Culture and other colleagues.
• Advances and models HIAS values and supports HIAS leadership in doing the same.
• Vets, edits and advises on mass internal communications.
• Drafts talking points and messages from leadership.

Communications Tools, Systems and Platforms

• Coordinates roll-out of staff feedback mechanisms, for example information and feedback forums, staff question inboxes and survey platforms and tools.
• Tracks and reports content effectiveness metrics to internal stakeholders, and continuously monitors messaging, making changes to approach as needed to maximize impact.
• Manages distribution lists in coordination with IT.
• Remains up to date on best practices with online meeting tools and implements accordingly.
• Works with IT and other colleagues worldwide to maintain and maximize the effectiveness of the employee intranet site.

Employee Engagement Strategy and Initiatives

• Leads and coordinates global employee recognition awards, for example HIAS Values Awards.
• Creates internal campaigns for organization-wide initiatives to build awareness, understanding and buy-in.

Staff Feedback

• Designs employee engagement survey in coordination with members of the People and Culture team.
• Analyzes survey feedback in a digestible format, ensuring it is shared with staff and leadership and providing advice to leadership on communications and engagement.
• Facilitates action planning as a result of staff feedback, ensuring that action points are taken forward by relevant owners and communicated out to staff.
• Gathers informal feedback and ensures that internal communication is tailored to address questions or concerns that have been raised.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

• 7-10 years experience in related roles.
• The experience needed to develop a strategy for internal communication that enhances employee engagement.
• The ability, experience and comfort to work independently yet highly collaboratively.
• Expertise in engagement metrics, surveys and feedback systems.
• Deep understanding of HIAS’ place in the refugee landscape and the Jewish institutional world.
• A deep understanding of how to engage and lift up a diverse staff.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience and confidence as a facilitator, especially online meetings.
• The ability to comfortably write quickly and to high quality with a tight deadline.
• Strong experience managing internal communications channels and/or platforms (intranet, newsletters, meetings, organizational calendars).
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple concurrent initiatives and keep stakeholders proactively appraised.
• Highly organized, with excellent planning and event management skills.
• Comfort collaborating with stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience in change management and organizational transformation a strong advantage.
• An openness and willingness to learn new skills and build strong relationships.
• Comfort with Zoom and MS Teams for meeting management.
• Confidence with Canva and experience in design an advantage.
• The confidence and willingness to work with IT colleagues to experiment and find ways to maximize the effectiveness of our IT tools for internal communication and staff engagement.