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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Marketing & Community Relations Coordinator

💰 $ - $

MarketingCommunity RelationsCommunicationsOutreach

🎯 Role Definition

The Marketing & Community Relations Coordinator is a mission-driven communications professional responsible for developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns, building strong relationships with community stakeholders, and representing the organization in public-facing activities. This role blends content creation, event coordination, media relations, digital marketing, and stakeholder outreach to increase visibility, drive engagement, and support organizational objectives. The ideal candidate is data-informed, creatively minded, and excels at building trust across diverse audiences.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Marketing Assistant or Coordinator
  • Community Outreach Assistant or Volunteer Coordinator
  • Communications Specialist or Social Media Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Marketing Manager or Community Relations Manager
  • Communications Director
  • Director of Community Engagement or Public Affairs

Lateral Moves:

  • Fundraising / Development Coordinator
  • Volunteer & Program Manager
  • Content Strategist or Digital Marketing Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and implement integrated marketing and community engagement plans that align with organizational goals, specifying channels, target audiences, timelines, KPIs, and budgets to drive awareness and measurable engagement.
  • Create, edit, and publish high-quality written and visual content across social media, website, email newsletters, press materials, and printed collateral that reflects the brand voice and increases audience reach.
  • Manage the organization’s social media presence by curating content calendars, scheduling posts, moderating community comments, responding to inquiries, and leveraging platform analytics to optimize engagement.
  • Coordinate and execute community-oriented events—virtual and in-person—including vendor management, logistics, marketing promotion, registration, volunteer coordination, and post-event follow-up to ensure seamless attendee experiences.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with community partners, neighborhood associations, schools, nonprofits, vendors, and local government to amplify programs and secure collaborative opportunities and sponsorships.
  • Develop and distribute press releases, media advisories, and outreach kits; maintain an up-to-date media contact list; pitch stories and coordinate interviews to secure earned media coverage.
  • Manage email marketing campaigns and CRM segments (e.g., HubSpot, Mailchimp, Salesforce) by designing templates, A/B testing subject lines and content, tracking open/click metrics, and implementing list hygiene best practices.
  • Monitor campaign performance using analytics tools (Google Analytics, social insights, CRM reports), prepare weekly/monthly reports, and translate data into actionable recommendations to improve ROI and audience targeting.
  • Plan and execute paid digital advertising (Facebook/Instagram Ads, Google Ads, programmatic) including audience targeting, budgeting, creative testing, and performance optimization for acquisition and awareness objectives.
  • Oversee branding and creative production—working with designers or using tools like Canva/Adobe Creative Suite—to produce on-brand assets that support campaigns, events, and community outreach.
  • Act as a public-facing representative at community meetings, fairs, sponsor briefings, and media events to communicate organizational priorities, gather feedback, and cultivate goodwill among stakeholders.
  • Lead volunteer recruitment and coordination efforts related to events and outreach programs, including developing role descriptions, training materials, schedules, and recognition plans.
  • Draft and maintain internal communications materials (staff briefs, talking points, FAQs) to ensure consistent messaging across departments and prepare spokespeople for media and public engagements.
  • Support fundraising and donor communications by creating campaign messaging, stewardship materials, sponsor packets, and impact reports that reflect community outcomes and program results.
  • Conduct community needs assessments and feedback collection (surveys, focus groups, listening sessions) to inform program design, marketing priorities, and inclusive engagement strategies.
  • Manage project timelines and budgets for marketing initiatives, track expenditures, negotiate vendor contracts, and report on budget performance relative to goals.
  • Ensure compliance with brand guidelines, privacy regulations (e.g., CAN-SPAM, data protection), accessibility standards (WCAG), and organizational policies in all external communications.
  • Coordinate cross-functional kickoffs with program teams, operations, and executive leadership to align campaign objectives, content approvals, and launch schedules.
  • Implement grassroots and outreach strategies (door-knocking, tabling, partner presentations) tailored to priority neighborhoods or demographic segments to drive program participation and awareness.
  • Use community listening and social listening tools to track sentiment, surface trends, identify issues or opportunities, and escalate reputational risks or stakeholder concerns to leadership.
  • Produce monthly impact reports and case studies that synthesize program outcomes, engagement metrics, press coverage, and qualitative success stories for funders and stakeholders.
  • Develop and manage sponsorships, in-kind partnerships, and local business collaborations to underwrite events, promote co-branded initiatives, and extend outreach capacity.
  • Train staff or volunteers on community engagement best practices, media protocols, and social media guidelines to ensure consistent and effective external communications.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and campaign performance deep-dives to help program teams make data-driven decisions.
  • Contribute to the organization's marketing strategy and content calendar by proposing seasonal campaigns, advocacy initiatives, and community-driven content ideas.
  • Assist with CRM data cleanup, list segmentation, and contact migration projects to improve email deliverability and targeted outreach.
  • Participate in vendor selection and contract negotiations for marketing services, event production, print, and creative support.
  • Provide administrative support for grant reporting and proposal materials where communications or outreach metrics are required.
  • Maintain and update shared asset libraries, media contact databases, photo/video consent forms, and distribution lists to ensure audit readiness.
  • Coordinate post-event surveys, testimonials, and multimedia capture (photo/video) for reporting and future promotional use.
  • Represent the marketing team in cross-departmental working groups and lead small project sprints to test new outreach tactics or pilot programs.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Social media management and analytics (Facebook Business Manager, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn) — content scheduling and KPI tracking.
  • Email marketing and CRM platforms (Mailchimp, HubSpot, Salesforce, Constant Contact) — segmentation, A/B testing, and automation workflows.
  • Content creation and copywriting for web, email, press, and social platforms with strong SEO awareness.
  • Event planning and logistics management, including registration platforms (Eventbrite), vendor coordination, and safety compliance.
  • Media and public relations skills — press release writing, media pitching, and interview preparation.
  • Google Analytics and campaign tracking (UTM strategy, conversion tracking) to measure digital performance.
  • Paid digital advertising (Facebook/Instagram Ads, Google Ads) — audience targeting, budgeting, and creative testing.
  • Basic graphic design and creative production tools (Canva, Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator) or ability to brief designers effectively.
  • Data reporting and visualization (Excel, Google Sheets, basic use of Looker/Data Studio) to produce dashboards and executive summaries.
  • Familiarity with SEO best practices and content optimization for organic search visibility.
  • Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive communication practices.
  • Experience with community outreach tools and volunteer management systems.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional written and verbal communication with the ability to craft clear, persuasive messages for diverse audiences.
  • Relationship-building and stakeholder management—comfortable engaging local leaders, partners, funders, and volunteers.
  • Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple campaigns simultaneously and meet deadlines.
  • Creative problem-solving and campaign ideation rooted in audience insights and cultural competency.
  • Adaptability and resilience in fast-paced, event-driven environments.
  • Attention to detail, especially in proofreading, brand consistency, and compliance-related communications.
  • Public speaking and facilitation skills for community meetings, trainings, and media appearances.
  • Empathy and active listening to gather community feedback and translate it into program improvements.
  • Collaborative mindset—works cross-functionally to align messaging and share resources.
  • Ethical judgment and discretion when handling sensitive community or donor information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Community Development, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s plus certification in Digital Marketing, PR, Nonprofit Management, or a Master’s degree in Communications, Public Affairs, or related discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Marketing
  • Communications / Public Relations
  • Journalism
  • Community Development / Public Affairs
  • Nonprofit Management / Social Sciences

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of combined experience in marketing, communications, community outreach, or public relations.

Preferred: 3+ years experience managing community engagement programs or marketing campaigns, demonstrated success with social media strategy, event coordination, CRM/email marketing, and working directly with community stakeholders or partner organizations.

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