Director of Marketing and Communications

About Right to Play

Right To Play protects, educates, and empowers children to rise above adversity using the power of play. For 25 years, we have been a global leader in helping children learn and improve their well-being through play. We reach millions of children each year in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Indigenous communities in Canada, helping them to stay in school and learn, overcome prejudice, heal from trauma, and develop the skills they need to thrive. We do this by harnessing play, one of the most fundamental forces in a child’s life, to teach children the critical skills they need to dismantle barriers and embrace opportunities, in learning and in life.

Job Summary

The Director of Marketing and Communications is a strategic leader responsible for shaping and executing Right To Play’s brand, marketing, and communications strategy, globally. A key member of the global leadership team, the Director will work in close partnership with the Fundraising team to drive donor acquisition and engagement, amplify impact, and grow support, globally.

1. Global Strategy & Planning (20%)

• Develop and implement a global marketing and communication strategy aligned with organisational goals and fundraising priorities.
• Engage fundraising and program teams globally to understand needs, priorities, and opportunities and build an annual and multi-year communications plan that supports those priorities.
• Guide the global communications team to deliver an annual calendar of strategic communications for events, media, digital content, branding, and donor engagement that can be contextualized and adapted for various fundraising markets.
• Develop an ambassador and influencer strategy that will amplify our brand and messaging and lead to an increased supporter base.
• Champion the Children’s Emergency Fund, ensuring communications processes and systems are responsive to sudden onset emergencies.
• Lead strategic media placement efforts around major announcements to raise global visibility and strengthen brand positioning.
• Establish KPIs and reporting systems to measure the effectiveness of marketing and communications efforts. Use analytics to inform strategy, improve performance, and demonstrate impact.

2. Brand & Creative (30%)

• Lead the creation of impactful and emotionally engaging content that is tailored to fundraising needs and consistent with the brand.
• Partner with fundraising teams to design impact-driven fundraising campaigns through compelling messaging, creative assets, and aligned communications strategies.
• Lead a team to deliver on an annual content calendar, including, the annual report, brand resources, messaging frameworks, digital media and impact metrics to support campaign and donor communications.
• Build systems to encourage collaboration and efficient content use across offices.
• Ensure content and creative is aligned to safeguarding principles and policies and meets organizational ethical standards.
• Continuously assess brand and brand performance, offering strategic recommendations to strengthen the brand and our broader marketing efforts
• Oversee the transformation of technical or programmatic materials into clear, compelling content for diverse audiences

3. Digital Presence & Engagement (20%)

• Oversee global digital platforms, including website, social media presence, and online campaigns.
• Manage staff responsible for ClickDimensions email marketing, maintaining working knowledge of the platform and CRM to provide informed oversight and support.
• Analyze data and trends to optimize digital strategy and user experience.
• Drive innovation in digital storytelling and audience engagement.
• Use data and insights to optimize donor journeys and enhance engagement across all channels.

4. Partnerships and People (20%)

• Deliver best in class stewardship and visibility for select global partnerships; advise on communications strategies for partnership prospects.
• Cultivate relationships with global media outlets and journalists and prepare spokespeople for high-profile media engagements and partnership announcements.
• Leverage diversity of skills and experiences of marketing and communications leads in national offices to create a multidisciplinary team that collaborates on shared priorities.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the executive team on reputation management, crisis communications, and media relations.

5. Internal Communications & Information Flow (10%)

• Develop and execute an internal communications plan, including townhalls, leadership meetings.
• Oversee development of staff newsletter, and partner with department leads to ensure content is informative, inspiring and current.
• Strengthen internal communications to ensure alignment and awareness across teams.

Right To Play are seeking a Communications and Marketing professional with an appetite for a challenging scope of work. Experienced in working within the non-profit sector, the individual will lead and manage with a high degree of emotional intelligence, working in partnership with the global network of offices for success. They will have the ability to be the architect of communications delivery with a keen mind and focus on strategy.

Communications at Right To Play primarily works in business partnership with programmes and fundraising to achieve organizational goals. The right individual will therefore be used to an environment where they can lead as a supportive element to organisational strategy. They will be an experienced and enthusiastic collaborator and facilitator, working with people to get things done. The role requires the right balance of strategic leadership with the ability to devolve and localize where possible.

Critically they will understand the relationship between brand and fundraising, working within an environment where utilizing networks and support will be key for maximum impact. Key to this is the ability to cater communications to an institutional and individual fundraising audience.

The Director’s team is small, consisting of 6 staff, but Right To Play has a more extensive network of communications and marketing professionals across their global network, thus understanding how to leverage these will be key to success.

Core Competences

• Collaboration: Builds strong, trust-based relationships across global teams, fostering alignment and shared ownership of strategic goals.
• Growth Mindset: Actively seeks opportunities for creativity, learning, and innovation; embraces change and leverages feedback to enhance performance and outcomes.
• Resilience: Maintains focus, composure, and strategic clarity in high-pressure environments; navigates challenges with determination and adaptability.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates integrity, accountability, and sound judgment; represents the organization with credibility and respect.
• Management and Interpersonal Skills: Leads with empathy and clarity; inspires teams through effective communication, performance management, and inclusive leadership.

Skills and Experience

• Graduate degree in Marketing and/or Communications or relevant experience.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in Marketing and Communications, ideally with international exposure.
• Experience in the international development and/or humanitarian sector is preferred.
• Excellent writing, editing, and public speaking skills in English; proficiency in a second language is an asset.
• Strong project design and management capabilities.

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