Communications Manager

Bay Rising and Bay Resistance Communications Manager

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS

Bay Rising is a regional movement organization building grassroots power across the Bay Area to advance racial, economic, and social justice. Bay Rising anchors and coordinates a network of aligned local formations—including San Francisco Rising, Oakland Rising, and Silicon Valley Rising—working together to build regional political power through base-building, electoral organizing, issue-based campaigns, and coalition building.

Bay Rising serves as the organizational home for multiple projects, including Bay Resistance, a mass organizing network mobilizing communities to resist authoritarianism and defend impacted communities. Together, these projects engage tens of thousands of voters, volunteers, and community members across the region.

This position would primarily focus on Bay Rising (c3), Bay Rising Action (c4), Bay Resistance Institute (c3), and Bay Resistance (c4).

ROLE SUMMARY

The Communications Manager is a core leader responsible for driving day-to-day communications across Bay Rising and Bay Resistance. This position will report to and work closely with the Communications Director. This role translates organizing priorities into clear, compelling narratives and coordinated campaign content.

This position leads media relations, digital strategy, and communications capacity-building across a distributed network. The Communications Manager may supervise staff and consultants as the team grows. They will play a key role in strengthening alignment, visibility, and impact across the ecosystem.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The following responsibilities are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel classified in this manner. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY

• Align communications with organizing strategy to support base-building, network development, narrative change, and mobilization
• Execute and evaluate integrated communications strategies aligned with regional organizing and electoral priorities
• Implement rapid response and crisis communications, ensuring timely, values-aligned messaging

MEDIA RELATIONS

• Lead on the ground coordination of press events, media-ready actions, and political moments with coalition partners
• Identify, prepare and coach spokespeople to deliver clear, strategic messaging
• Cultivate relationships across mainstream, ethnic, community, and political media

CAPACITY-BUILDING AND COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE

• Coordinate and find communications trainings for member organizations and Bay Rising and Bay Resistance staff as needed, including on communications strategy and planning, media relations, messaging, and digital organizing
• Provide communications consultation to member campaigns when appropriate and strategic
• Coach members to support continued capacity-building, building of public profiles, and communications leadership
• Manage and organize story bank and collection of audio, video, and photo documentation as needed for shared campaigns
• Support onboarding of new network staff to Bay Resistance and Bay Rising communications infrastructure (shared media relations databases, online platforms, systems) and coach members to use and adapt as needed

DOCUMENTATION, DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS AND DESIGN

• Capture and curate photos, video, and stories from actions and campaigns to support both rapid response and long-term narrative work
• Create content, manage and monitor online platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and squarespace websites
• Manage and implement digital organizing program, including growth strategies, digital organizing trainings for member organizations, field program support, and email and mobile programs
• Support digital analytics program, building out tracking, testing, and analysis
• Build and safeguard the organization’s reputation to ensure alignment of external communications materials (newsletter, website updates, social media updates, handouts, videos, flyers etc.)

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT & SUPPORT

• Supervise and mentor communications staff, fellows, interns, and consultants
• Manage workflows, timelines, and priorities across multiple campaigns and entities
• Uphold strong editorial standards and ensure message alignment across all external communications

REQUIRED

• Strong design eye and proficiency with Canva
• Self-directed, organized and capable of managing and practicing discernment when faced with competing priorities
• Able to navigate rapid-response and crisis communications moments in alignment with organizational values while practicing sound judgment under pressure
• Excellent writing and editing skills across statements, op-eds, emails, social content, scripts, and toolkits.
• Deep commitment to racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice and building power for directly impacted communities.

DESIREABLE

• Advanced video editing and graphic design skills; experience producing short-form video
• Demonstrated track record of securing media coverage, cultivating relationships with reporters, and placing op-eds
• Familiarity with California movement ecosystems, Bay Area political landscape, and statewide narrative infrastructure
• Proficiency with key digital tools: Action Network or similar email CRMs, Hustle/ThruText/Strive, Airtable, social scheduling platforms, Squarespace/WordPress
• Experience training, facilitating, or coaching on digital organizing, narrative strategy, or media relations.
• Experience in coalition communications committees, rapid-response hubs, or distributed organizing environments
• Fluency in Spanish or another language widely spoken in Bay Area communities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This position will work full time out of the Bay Rising office in Downtown Oakland. This position requires occasional evenings and weekends.

Physical Demands:

Able to work on a computer including sitting at a desk for extended periods of time with or without reasonable accommodation; manual dexterity to operate a keyboard; able to see or read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids; able to speak clearly and in audible tones on the phone and in-person and be understood by others; able to hear and understand speech, including on the phone; able to understand and follow oral and written instructions; able to occasionally lift objects weighing up to 10 pounds, etc. Must be able to stretch, bend, kneel, twist, squat, reach above or below the shoulder, push, grasp, and lift up to 20 pounds. able to walk, drive, write, stand, and sit.

EMPLOYMENT TERMS

This is a full time exempt position. This position is 40 hours per week. The salary range is $75,000 - $85,000/ year, depending on experience.

We offer a competitive health benefits package that includes: medical, dental, vision, and a generous paid time off schedule.

HOW TO APPLY

• Submit resume, cover letter, and 2-3 writing and design samples through this job portal. https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=c858a322-00a0-4526-9713-59699ec1e4bf&ccId=9200135808800_2&jobId=582168&source=CC3&lang=en_US
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, priority for applications received by April 30th. Candidates should expect to participate in two rounds of interviews and a job simulation exercise. Final candidates will be asked to provide references.

Bay Rising and Bay Resistance contracts with Resilient Strategies LLC for backend and operational support including hiring and employment. Resilient Strategies is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Folks who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, caste-oppressed, people of color, disabled, parents, are/have been system-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply. Pursuant of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.