Development and Communications Manager - Philly Community Wireless

Job Description

Position: Development and Communications Manager
Location: Hybrid (75% on-site and 25% remote)
Position type: Full time, 40 hours/week.
Salary: $52,000/year + benefits.
Benefits: 14 days paid time off (10 vacation, 4 floating), plus federally recognized holidays and paid winter holiday break. 15 days sick time. Health care and dental (employer pays 90%). 401(k) plan with 2% employer match after 4 months of employment. Employees working more than 25hrs/week qualify for health and dental insurance.

Who We Are and What We Do

Philly Community Wireless (PCW) is building community-controlled wireless internet networks in Philadelphia. We believe that internet access is a human right, and our aim is to provide a baseline of internet access for everyone, regardless of their financial or housing circumstances. Community is at the center of our work: our close-knit team works alongside residents, local organizations, and grassroots groups to increase digital access in our city. PCW is fiscally sponsored by Movement Alliance Project.

About The Role

As a part of the Philly Community Wireless team, you’ll be the Development and Communications Manager. Your role is crucial to our organization’s longevity and relationship-building with our community stakeholders, who are the heart of our work.

You’ll need to have proficient time management skills, have exceptional attentiveness to detail, and be effective at managing multiple projects at once. We are looking for someone with strong communication and interpersonal skills, who is able to bring empathy and approachability to their work. Our ideal candidate is passionate about community work, committed to meeting people where they are, and takes pride in representing PCW’s mission and values.

Required Skills For This Role

• You have 3 years of professional experience in development, fundraising, and community organizing
• You exhibit strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships, facilitate complex conversations, and collaborate effectively on written materials geared towards fundraising and marketing
• You have experience maintaining accurate and detail-oriented records, CRMs, donor databases, and/or financial information
• You have a demonstrated capacity to work well both independently and within a small cooperative team
• You bring a curious, proactive approach to your work, exhibiting a willingness to ask questions and an ability to give and receive clear and generative feedback
• You are comfortable exercising leadership skills, particularly when leading meetings and directing activities in line with PCW’s Code of Conduct and safety policies

We Hope You Bring One or More of These Bonus Skills and Qualifications

• Spanish-language fluency skills (speaking and writing)
• Familiarity with Google Suite and project management software, such as Jira and Notion
• Community roots in Philadelphia
• Undergraduate degree or higher in a relevant area of study, such as Communications, Marketing, Business Administration, Community Development

Key Responsibilities

Design and implement development strategy (35% of time):

• Identify fundraising sources across grants and earned income opportunities to support programs and activities, and help develop yearly fundraising plans
• Develop compelling and detail-oriented grant content, including narrative proposals and budgets
• Compose accurate grant reports with a focus on community storytelling and impact
• Manage and grow donor relationships, and implement strategic fundraising campaigns focused on individual and major donors
• Track and analyze fundraising outcomes, such as grant effectiveness and campaign responses, to measure results and refine strategies
• Participate in budgeting, including quarterly reconciliations and expenditure tracking

Manage organizational communications and marketing (25% of time):

• Create, order, and disseminate consistent marketing materials, such as signage, pamphlets, and organization-branded merchandise
• Prepare accessible presentations for a variety of audiences and events, including but not limited to conferences, webinars, and other organizational Board meetings
• Oversee social media channels and newsletter mailing service with an emphasis on clarity and increasing engagement, reviewing drafts from PCW’s Content Coordinator
• Contribute to editing and improving all online content, such as the PCW website, in line with developed communications strategies
• Build and manage local and national media relations, and serve as a proud representative of PCW in media interviews
• Strategize organizational communications to increase awareness and adoption of PCW, expand volunteer onboarding and engagement, and strengthen brand consistency

Maintain and grow our community engagement (25% of time):

• Establish, formalize, and grow reciprocal relationships with partner organizations and a wide range of community stakeholders
• Plan, coordinate, and implement engaging community events, including tours of PCW’s network in Norris Square
• Participate in various events as a representative of PCW, from tabling at community events to attending funder receptions
• Plan, schedule, and help lead various volunteer activities, including weekly Volunteer Calls and periodic volunteer Saturday Sessions

Supervise and lead staff, volunteers, and organizational teams (15%):

• Supervise PCW’s part-time (3-5hrs/week) Content Coordinator and co-supervise any apprentices together with PCW’s Technician
• Lead grant deliverables focused on outreach activities and community engagement, such as community events and volunteer programming
• Lead and expand outreach-related team meetings, including volunteer working groups such as the Graphic Design Team
• Track activities and input data into organizational databases, synthesizing relevant data to strengthen PCW’s ability to create impact reports and address community needs
• Participate in PCW network installations and maintenance work as needed

All staff may be called upon from time to time to perform various duties that are not mentioned in their position descriptions.

Reporting Relationships

Reports to: Executive Director

Accommodations

Philly Community Wireless offers, upon request, accommodations for candidates with disabilities during the application, interview, and hiring process. If you require accommodations during the application or interview process, please contact us.

Benefits and Compensation

Salary: $52,000/year + benefits. Exempt, full time, 40 hours per week.

Benefits: Health care and dental (employer pays 90%). 401(k) plan with 2% employer match after 4 months of employment. $15/pay period bonus to staff for using their internet and phone service to work. $500 bonus for a home office setup. As a fiscally sponsored project that values wellness, we distribute quarterly wellness bonuses of $200 to full-time employees.

Note these benefits are for a full-time position; benefits are subject to change if not full-time.

Holidays and Paid Time Off: 14 days paid time off (10 vacation, 4 floating), plus federally recognized holidays and paid winter holiday break. 15 days sick time.

Movement Alliance Project and Philly Community Wireless is an at-will employer.

Our Hiring Process and Timeline

To apply: Please send your resume and a cover letter to info@phillycommunitywireless.org with the subject line: Development and Communications Manager Application.

Application deadline: We are accepting applications on a rolling basis, with priority given to applications submitted before October 15, 2026.

Hiring process: We will begin scheduling screening interviews by October. After screening interviews, we will invite candidates moving forward to engage in a 2 to 3 round interview process, including a brief in-person component.

Target start date: We aim for the selected candidate to start by January 5, 2027.

Please apply: We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, because we believe that communities impacted by structural racism and capitalism are best positioned to make powerful interventions to transform our society. If your experience doesn’t exactly match the qualifications listed but you believe you would shine in this role, we want to hear from you! Please apply and tell us why you’re the right person for the job.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, immigrants, women and femmes, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with disabilities, neurodiverse people, and formerly convicted, incarcerated, or systems-impacted people are highly encouraged to apply.

Philly Community Wireless does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, genetic information, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, political affiliation, exercising one’s right to family care and medical leave, medical condition, including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions, or any other category protected by local, state, or federal laws. We are not offering US visa sponsorship at this time.