Community Relations Officer

Position Summary

The Community Relations Officer is responsible for developing and maintaining targeted and strategic partnerships with outside organizations through corporate sponsorships, philanthropic functions and public relations. This position is responsible for identifying and pursuing new partnership opportunities, enhancing and expanding existing relationships and coordinating signature corporate programs and events. The Community Relations Officer manages all coordination of community events, including logistics and ensuring effective and efficient communication between vendors, branches, employees and management. The Community Relations Officer develops and manages a communications plan for SDCCU community outreach activities to engage and ensure visibility among employees, partner organizations and the community. This individual is also responsible for measuring, analyzing, optimizing and communicating results of programs to management, as well as provide concise, strategic feedback and recommendations. He/she maintains quality service standards set by the organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Identifies and pursues partnerships with major philanthropic organizations, community partners and organizations that align with overall organizational objectives and marketing verticals. Leverages existing relationships to further expand current programs as well as create new ones.
• Works with Manager and SVP, Business Development and Community Relations to develop and implement a strategic community involvement plan.
• Actively partners and collaborates across all segments of SDCCU to better understand and communicate the value of SDCCU products and services to community partners, maintaining a high degree of professionalism.
• Supports the branch network with on-going business development events related to their community outreach activities.
• Develops and delivers professional presentations.
• Represents the credit union at community events, during and outside of normal business hours.. Actively seeks and attends networking events to elevate awareness of SDCCU community engagement and build relationships with community leaders and organizations.
• Manages all components of SDCCU’s extensive community events program, including annual calendar, event coordination and logistics, and communication between vendors, branches, employees and management.
• Develops and implements a strategic community involvement plan.
• Generates periodic reports regarding the results of community involvement plan.
• Assists in managing public relations efforts including community and charity programs and special events. Develops and maintains a public relations calendar. Writes and distributes press releases, posts releases to sdccu.com and tracks the published results.
• Collaborates, communicates and leads campaigns with the Business Development and Marketing teams to effectively promote SDCCU’s community outreach and business development activities. Manage, plan, write and implement effective marketing campaigns and special events to support community outreach activities with pertinent managers and employees. Work with in-house Graphic Designers with the production of marketing materials to ensure on-brand, error-free work and timelines are met within scope and budget.
• Builds internal relationships with branches, Human Resources, Operations, Marketing, etc., to grow participation and awareness of community involvement activities. Be an SDCCU brand ambassador and champion of community engagement.
• Identifies solutions to measure the direct and indirect impact of community relations activities. Tracks results of programs and events.
• Attends public speaking events on behalf of the credit union.
• Writes and reviews additional communications, such as award nominations, annual report copy, radio copy, speeches, public addresses, blog posts, video content, program ads related community relations/business development activities, etc.
• Supports the Business Development team with presentations, communications and marketing needs.
• Support the marketing and business development teams with special projects as needed.
• Prepare routine correspondence.
• Adhere to credit union AML/BSA policy and procedures including CTR rules and form preparation, identify and refer suspicious activity to the Compliance Department, perform OFAC comparisons, and properly identify individuals in accordance with Branch Operations procedures.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls and talk or hear.  The employee is frequently required to stand and reach with hands and arms.  The employee is occasionally required to walk; sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience, Skills)

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Journalism, Communications or related field or equivalent work experience.
• A minimum of 3 years managing community relations for a corporation or business required. At least 3 years of involvement in SDCCU Business Development and Community Relations events may also be considered. 
• Effective interpersonal skills.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Confident public speaking skills.
• Intermediate Microsoft skills such as Word, Excel, etc.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and with minimum supervision.
• Demonstrated creative ability.
• Ability to travel to multiple locations based upon schedule.