With Who: Kapor Center
Location: Oakland, CA
Type of Employment: Full-time
Position Summary: Ours is a lean startup culture. This incredible opportunity is for an experienced, creative and innovative leader to join our Leadership Team in this newly created key executive role. We are looking for someone with deep tech knowledge and a racial/social justice lens. The Chief Marketing & Communications Officer (CMCO) will be responsible for moving quickly to develop a comms and marketing strategy that amplifies, unifies, and levels up the vision and mission of our organizations. In addition to overseeing and continuing day-to-day comms work (social media, PR), this includes increasing reach, brand awareness and ability to translate research strategies and findings to amplify the impact of our collective work related to diversity and inclusion in the technology industry.
The ideal candidate will provide strategic thinking and direction, experienced perspective, hands-on advice, and a strong point of view and guiding voice on all matters related to the reputation and brand management of the organizations. The CMCO will be instrumental in developing marketing and communications activities that affirm a unified, cohesive, and compelling message for the organizations and the impact we want to achieve.
This is a unique opportunity to re-conceive the Marketing and Communications efforts of the Kapor Center and develop a lean, high performing, agile, action-oriented team of staff and consultants to implement that vision and to dynamically refine and evolve it.
While many of our activities have received press coverage, we need more sophisticated storytelling and coordinated messaging across our three organizations, all unified in their efforts to make the tech ecosystem more diverse and inclusive.
We welcome interested and qualified candidates to apply.
In your cover letter, please make sure to address:
- High level your experience, strengths, capabilities as they relate to the role/responsibilities both in comms and in marketing
- What is compelling about our mission
- How you are tech steeped and have a racial/social justice lens
We have a Kapor Capital Impact Report, Computer Science for CA research report, and SMASH Impact Report. If you’ve never seen these reports or heard of these organizations, then you understand the problem we’re trying to solve.
Key Responsibilities:
The role will be focused on the following key responsibilities:
- In the first few months, develop and implement a comprehensive and innovative marketing and communications strategy, plan and timeline for the Kapor Center, SMASH, and Kapor Capital that supports the growth and impact of each of these programs.
- Navigate and work collaboratively across organization leadership to partner, develop and prioritize marketing and communications activities and ensure that stakeholder input is reflected in the marketing/communications teams activities.
- Identify ongoing approaches to build out the brand and reputation; optimize plans and tactics to market and communicate the organization and framing of diversity and inclusion issues to targeted audiences/stakeholders.
- Engage actively with Kapor Center Founders, Freada and Mitch Kapor, regarding their strategic communications needs, providing a point of view, insights backed by data/research, compelling rationale, etc.
- Lead and collaborate with internal colleagues, Leadership Team, Kapor Center Founders and with external consultants to ensure all stakeholder touchpoints and media vehicles embrace and reflect the essence of the organizational brands.
- Develop, manage and inspire a high performing, lean marketing and communications team that works collaboratively across the organization including consultants and outside vendors.
- Incubate and develop new ideas for digital and traditional media stories and coverage by collaborating closely across the Kapor Center to increase the quantity, quality and reach of coverage for our work.
- Formulate and oversee a comprehensive communications plan, including preparing plans to manage urgent and/or crisis communications as they arise.
- Develop, oversee, and manage the marketing and communications budgets including monitoring, analyzing, forecasting, and reporting on impact (e.g. ROI) related to these budgets; develop KPIs and metrics.
- Leverage national and mainstream media to advance coverage of the Kapor Center’s collective work to diversify the tech and entrepreneurship ecosystems. Work proactively to ensure that the issue of diversity and inclusion in technology is connected to and creatively positioned alongside other issues of national importance.
The Ideal Candidate Has/Is:
- Deep tech knowledge: ideally 5+ years in a tech company or startup.
- A racial/social justice lens
- 10+ years of relevant experience with knowledge of marketing and communications practices within the tech ecosystem.
- Understanding of emerging tech, marketing and comms trends, best practices, tools/platforms
- Track record of building brand, reputation, influence through marketing and communications
- Experience working with/collaborating as part of diverse leadership teams; demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and diplomatically with a wide range of team members, partners, allies, stakeholders, communications community, etc.
- Strong internal ‘client’ focus; customer service attitude
- Created a vision, built out a team with expertise in strategic planning and execution of marketing initiatives, priorities, across multiple/diverse platforms
- Discernible commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
- Strong interpersonal skills, people management, leadership and EQ
- Track record of agility, adaptability in navigating in uncertainty and ambiguity in fast-paced, dynamic environments
- Passion and understanding for Oakland and our community
Ideal candidates will also demonstrate the following qualities:
- High level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex financial information and concepts effectively to a wide range of audiences.
- The ability to lead with collaboration, transparency, and integrity.
- Deep and authentic commitment to our organizational values:
- We Close Gaps, Open Doors, and SMASH Barriers
- We Value Tech as a Tool to Scale Social Impact
- We Lead with Racial Justice and Reflect the Communities We Serve
- We Honor Distances Traveled, Not Just Finish Lines
- We Challenge with Urgency, Respect, and Purpose
- We Don’t Just Talk. Positive Intent Must Lead to Positive Action
Benefits:
The Kapor Center provides competitive compensation commensurate with experience, and an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life/disability insurance, paid time off, 401k, volunteer time and flexible spending accounts (i.e. parking, transit, medical and dependent care). Our collaborative office is located in Oakland’s dynamic Uptown District.
We are seeking candidates with a personal commitment to fairness, social justice, and innovation–values that are embedded in our culture. We are committed to representation and inclusion, and we welcome applicants with diverse perspectives and backgrounds,
Apply (or request more job posting information): Apply today! Kapor Center Job Application
