ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Working closely with the Vice President of Communications, the Communications Director leads the daily functions of the communications department, overseeing staff responsible for the proactive pitching and placement of mainstream and social media. The Communications Director will join a talented team working on the national and state level to frame our issues using the data-driven message guidance we know advances our issues successfully. Coordinating with digital and campaign teams to increase and diversify the overall reach of our nonpartisan frames and messaging through all channels, the Communications Director will seek out efficiencies between departments to maximize cohesive and coherent implementation to advance our programmatic agenda. Collaborating with other department leaders in state operations, development, digital, and campaigns the Communications Director manages state and national media teams and ensures communications needs across the organization are coordinated. The Communications Director will help instill and integrate best practices for coordinated strategic communications to ensure all external facing communications from all departments leverage and build on our iconic brand and reputation as a nonpartisan organization and honest broker of high ethical standards in politics and government.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Working in close coordination and at the direction of the Vice President of Communications, the Communications Director will be responsible for:
- Working with the media team to increase the percentage of proactive media placements framing our issues as compared to incoming media requests that may or may not advance our overall strategic goals.
- Working with senior staff to understand their needs in anticipation of increased television exposure and setting in place accountability measures to ensure the media team is properly prepping all staff for any on-air interview or interviews of any type where that prep is requested.
- Overseeing the social media manager to ensure an approach to social media that is driven by news-cycles so that our presence in social media is seen as informative, active, and worthy of being included in people’s feeds as the competition for space and information get increasingly competitive.
- Coordinating with the Vice President for Communications on improving the publication Democracy Wire along the same lines of social media, helping to make sure it has both a real-time news cycle orientation even as it expands to encompass more cultural aspects of the people-powered democracy movement.
- Playing an integral role in coordinating annual strategic planning from a communications perspective.
- Coordinating the communications team to provide regular trainings on best practices for strategic communications throughout the organization.
- Being a liaison and representing the Vice President of communications and the interests of communications best practices to other departments and teams throughout the organization in a positive and encouraging manner to help the organization resolve issues and increase our productivity.
QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will meet the following minimum criteria, having:
- 15+ years of substantive strategic communications experience in nonpartisan advocacy or political campaigns with a proven record of advancement and an unwavering positive attitude and loyalty to the principles and practice of strategic communications as integral to advocacy.
- Demonstrated ability to work with data-driven frames and messaging to establish brand, style, framing, ad message guidance to produce background memos and message guidance tips and bullets making it easier on staff to stay on message.
- Experience managing staff and supervisors involving media relations, successful proactive pitching and successful placement in various print and electronic outlets including network and cable television, strong persuasive writing and messaging skills, an understanding of social media best practices.
- Experience developing and implementing communications strategy and content for non-profit advocacy organizations or national and local organizing campaigns, working under pressure in a campaign style environment with rapid deadlines and delivering consistently high-quality work and maintaining a positive, helpful, friendly, and supportive attitude.
- Experience working with different kinds of people, communicating to a diverse set of audiences, and a working knowledge of the dynamics of power, privilege, and bias; track record of successfully managing up, down, and sideways in a relatively flat organizational structure.
- The ability to handle multiple “priority” projects simultaneously and meet established deadlines, working both independently and as part of a team.
- Excellent communications (written & verbal), including the ability to take complex topics and make them accessible to a mass audience.
- Proven record of accomplishment of meeting deadlines and deliverables.
- A passion for democracy and social justice, and desire to translate that into powerful content that advances our campaigns, showcases our work, and engages our audiences.
SALARY RANGE: $120,000 – $130,000 annually, plus a generous and competitive benefits package.
TO APPLY: Please submit resume and cover letter to the Director of Human Resources at hr@commoncause.org and include “Communications Director” in the subject line. No phone calls please. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Covid-19 vaccines are required, except where prohibited by law. Reasonable accommodations will be provided when required by law.
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EQUITY AND INCLUSION: Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated. We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the organization and believe strongly in the increased effectiveness that comes from a diverse workforce, and strongly encourage those from historically under-served, underrepresented or marginalized communities to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.
About us: Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and the Common Cause Education Fund (501(c )(3) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, activities or responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice. Must be authorized to work in the United States.