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THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

About the David and Lucile Packard Foundation

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private family foundation created in 1964 by David Packard (1912-1996), co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard (1914-1987). The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations to improve the lives of children, enable the creative pursuit of science, advance reproductive health, and conserve and restore the earth's natural systems. The Foundation makes grants at the local, state, national, and international level.

As of December 31, 2009, the Foundation’s investment portfolio totaled approximately $5.5 billion. The Foundation has a grantmaking budget of approximately $236 million for 2010. A Board of Trustees, which currently includes seven members of the founders’ family, provides direction and sets the priorities for the Foundation. A staff of 100 conducts the day-to-day operations in a way that seeks to honor David and Lucile Packard’s core values: integrity, respect for all people, belief in individual leadership, commitment to effectiveness, and the capacity to think big. More information about the Foundation can be found at www.packard.org.

Communications Director

The Packard Foundation is committed to effectively reaching target audiences including grantees and potential grantees, other donors and the field of philanthropy, issue and policy leaders, and other decision makers. The Foundation is equally committed to assisting grantees in creating and implementing effective communication strategies in its target issue areas and geographies.

The Foundation seeks to most effectively utilize intentional communications approaches to increase impact, especially during this period where changes in technology and society are revamping how the world communicates and where philanthropy is playing an increasingly important role in shaping social change.

The Communications Director reports to the Vice President and Director of Programs and also directly engages with the President and CEO. The Director sits on the senior program leadership team and the management team of the Foundation. The Communications Director will direct a team of two Communication Officers and is based in Los Altos, CA.

The objectives for the Communication Director are the following:

• Efficiently communicate Foundation image and positions to maintain or enhance credibility with key audiences; engage potential partners or allies who share similar goals; and, proactively engage critical stakeholders to advance the mission of the Foundation

• Continually develop and improve communications resources and approaches to advance the Foundation’s mission, program strategies and values; and, effectively utilize social media and other online vehicles to ensure information about the Foundation is accurate, consistent and accessible to external audiences

• Works in direct partnership with Foundation program leaders to mutually develop program-related communications strategies that are built into broader program plans, engage grantees and effectively utilize the Foundation’s other internal resources when appropriate

• Reinforce, train, and grow Foundation leadership and staff capacity to effectively engage with key audiences about the organization’s mission, program outcomes and goals in alignment with the Foundation’s core values

• Provide regular strategic and tactical communication support to President’s Office in helping to advance Carol Larson’s leadership as CEO and as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Council of Foundations

• Provide communications oversight of critical information relayed to the Board of Trustees and provide counsel to Board of Trustees and program leadership on strategic communications as needed

• Provide tools and training for improved internal and external communications, including working with program staff to do so for grantees

• Ensure all Foundation staff has access to useful and timely internal information about the Foundation

The Communications Director should ideally embody the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

• Depth and breadth of knowledge as represented by at least ten years of professional experience with increasing responsibility for design, implementation, and management of issue-focused communications strategies

• Finely honed skills in developing strategic communications plans both proactively and responsively to breaking events; Proven capacity to understand, use, and anticipate changes in new communications technologies and tactics.

• Proven capacity to communicate with and successfully reach culturally and ethnically diverse target audiences, especially within the nonprofit, policy, and/or philanthropic sectors

• Effective skills in time management, budgeting, and program and project oversight

• Able to generate and deliver persuasive and clear verbal, graphic, and written communications

• Experience with issue management and public advocacy issues

• Outstanding interpersonal skills; must have credibility, good judgment, honesty, and integrity

• Ability to listen and process complex information quickly

• Initiative to solve problems with energy and a positive attitude

• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively as a team player and with grace and flexibility in a rapidly changing environment

• Able to anticipate, prioritize, and manage tasks while simultaneously demonstrating genuine respect for diversity and inclusiveness with multicultural sensitivity

• Demonstrated and effective people management and employee development skills

• BA in a related field

• May require some weekend and evening work and the ability to do some travel

Compensation and Benefits

The Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a salary which is commensurate with experience. This is a full-time, exempt position.

To Apply

Qualified candidates should send a cover letter explaining your interest and how your skills and background fit this position and a resume referring to job number 10-06-1700R in the subject line to:

Daniel Sherman
President
Explore Company
5 Rokeby Court
Kensington, Maryland 20895
resumes@explorecompany.com

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and
welcomes a diverse candidate pool for this search.

The Foundation uses an outside firm to check the accuracy of
information supplied by applicants.

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