Communications Director/Associate Director

Are you passionate about reproductive justice, economic justice, and racial justice? Do you eat the news for breakfast and take to social media when you see injustice? If so, you should consider joining our team!

ConwayStrategic is seeking a new Communications team member and we will consider people at either the Associate Director or Director level; job will be adjusted accordingly. The successful candidate will lead and support communications projects for progressive clients. Communications Directors lead or co-lead client accounts and work closely with partners in the field. They will also play a key role in the COMS Project, which is an opinion research and messaging collaborative for the reproductive health, rights, and justice (RHRJ) movement. 

The successful candidate will have strong project management and strategic messaging skills, and experience working with coalitions. While not all our clients are in the RHRJ field, knowledge of the reproductive rights/reproductive justice landscape is helpful.

Position Responsibilities: 

• Approximately 50% of this person’s time will be devoted to developing and implementing strategies to advance the COMS Project, which is increases coordinated, effective messages, and message strategies for the RHRJ movement. The work will include:
  • Working closely with partners to assess messaging needs, incorporate their input, and negotiate differences in opinion on message strategies;
  • Understanding and applying relevant opinion research to new or updated messages;
  • Creating powerful, non-stigmatizing messages that move public opinion; and
  • Promoting and tracking message uptake, iterating, and improving messages over time.
  • Planning and leading message trainings for clients and partner organizations.
  • Collaborating on other COMS Project work, such as media analyses, reports, Landscape Scans, and rapid response work.
• The other 50% of the work will be on client projects, working closely with agency principals and eventually leading client work, which may include some or all of the following:
  • Leading internal and client meetings.
  • Collaborating on plan development for clients, proactively providing ideas, guidance, and capacity to clients and partners throughout campaigns and projects, ensuring tactics are aligned with goals, and ensuring goals are met throughout a project lifetime. 
  • Executing communications strategies that include messaging, strategy, earned, and digital media tactics.
  • Project reporting, including providing media and social media reports, project evaluations, and leading debriefings.  
  • Creating and executing digital campaigns, including social media strategies; website, text/sms campaigns, and digital advertising.
  • (Preferred but not required) Developing and implementing media relations activities, which may include:
    • Drafting materials including press releases, pitches, quotes/statements, fact sheets, talking points, speeches, op-eds and letters to the editor. 
    • Pitching written pieces and spokespeople to, and building relationships with local and national, progressive and ethnic media contacts at print, radio, digital, podcast, political and TV outlets.
    • Managing rapid response and crisis communications efforts, including developing messages and implementing earned media strategies.
• Preparing for and attending meetings and events on behalf of the agency and/or clients.
• Conducting online research and reporting on various client-related topics, especially related to media and social media visibility and metrics.
• Managing outside vendors and consultants.

• Assisting with new business pitches and proposals and funder meetings as needed.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. 
• Must have at least 4 – 6 (Associate Dir.) or 5-7 (Director) years of workplace experience in communications and/or media; experience working on advocacy campaigns or with non-profit organizations a plus.
• Experience in the reproductive rights and justice field preferred.
• Experience leading digital campaigns and social media strategy. 
• Deep experience working in a multicultural environment, with racially diverse clients and staff, where a commitment to equity and inclusion is an institutional value; knowledge and comfort with racial justice issues. 
• Experience writing for women of color, racial justice, and/or reproductive justice topics; experience pitching women of color in the media.
• Ability to lead creative sessions, develop messaging and message strategy. 
• Develop, execute and deliver excellent media relations results. 
• Proven and highly effective organizational skills and strong writing skills a must. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 
• Experience with tracking, analytics, research, and webinar software.
• Some travel may be required.
• Bilingual is a plus.

You will thrive in this role if you are someone who:

• Excels in a fast-paced, team-based, participatory environment and has an aptitude for working under and meeting tight deadlines.
• Can work autonomously, multitask and shift priorities as needed. 
• Is comfortable with a virtual office and online project management systems.
• Has a commitment to and knowledge about political and cultural issues related to women’s health, gender justice, racial justice, and social justice issues. 
• Is committed and experienced in practices for equity, inclusion, and justice in the workplace.
• Loves creativity and delivering results.
• Loves working with a smart, committed team from diverse backgrounds in a low-ego, low-drama, collaborative environment.

Details:

• Location — Negotiable. 
• Salary — $85,000 – 115,000, commensurate with experience. This is an intentionally wide range because we are open to either Associate Director or Director-level applicants.
• Benefits- Full health, vision and dental insurance, paid vacation and holidays, 12 weeks paid family leave, 401(k) with 4% match after one year, work from home benefits, and a family-friendly, fun workplace.
• Women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply: 

Please send resume, cover letter, two writing samples, and three references to jobs@conwaystrategic.com

About ConwayStrategic

ConwayStrategic is a boutique firm specializing in developing innovative, research-driven public relations, messaging, and advocacy strategies to influence public opinion and create culture change. 

Our team consists of talented, driven, curious people who have can-do attitudes, approach work with passion and determination, learn quickly and work effectively in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment. We’ve led organizations and multi-million dollar campaigns, so we know industry best practices and we bring our experience in grassroots organizing, politics, policy, coalition management and more to all our client work. ConwayStrategic has a collaborative, no-drama work setting, in which we respect each other’s work-life balance while doing what it takes to get the job done. 

https://www.conwaystrategic.com/jobs