Chief of Communications

Civic Influencers is a national nonpartisan nonprofit operating across the country, on and off campus, in local communities and states, that empowers young people to build their civic power and increase voting rates amongst their peers. They frame their work through an Organizing, Advocacy and Learning model that equips young people with the skills to dismantle barriers to voting while developing their identities as voters and participants in our democracy. 

Reports to Chief Executive Officer

Classification: Full-time Exempt

Location: Remote work from any location in the US

Travel: Some travel required 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief of Communications is responsible for planning, directing and overseeing external and internal communications, keeping abreast of the rapidly changing media landscape, including rapid response, public and media relations, and marketing and branding. Tasks and duties will fall within the following buckets across the Communications Department, including:

Strategy & Management

• Develop, implement, and evaluate the annual communications plan across all audiences, including quarterly goals and individual KPIs.
• In tandem with the Chief of Digital Organizing, oversee a diverse group of Interns, Civic Influencers and staff who contribute to the social media strategy and amplification of Civic Influencers’ organizing, advocacy & learning work.
• Manage consultants, including public relations, web designers and mail houses, as needed.
• Track and measure the level of engagement externally and within the network over time.
• Develop and maintain a departmental budget and ensure overall fiscal integrity of the program.
• Quality check and control all pieces of communication, including copy editing grants, memos, newsletters, social media posts, etc. -- before sending to the CEO for final approval.

Public Relations & Media

• Write and draft press releases, Op Eds and more on behalf of the CEO, Board of Directors, and Civic Influencers to promote the work and mission of the organization as well as raise awareness of its impact.
• Foster relationships with national and local media outlets (i.e. The New York Times, The Hill, The Washington Post, etcCable and TV Networks, Social Media Platforms, Podcasts and more) that will publish and broadcast pieces on Civic Influencers and the impact they are having in the civic engagement landscape.

Design & Branding

• Create branding toolkits that aligns Civic Influencers Staff, Civic Influencers and partners on how to properly represent the organization, including logo representation, approved language, etc.
• Oversee branding guidelines, ensuring that the organization, its partners and Civic Influencers have the appropriate toolkit when speaking about Civic Influencers.
• In tandem with the Stakeholder Engagement Team, create and design various appeals for email, social and mailed appeals that bolster Civic Influencers funding pool.

Messaging

• Oversee and draft talking points and presentations that amplify the programmatic work and successes for speaking opportunities and conferences.
• Monitor local, state and national news and draft rapid response pieces in response to laws and proposed bills adversely affecting Civic Influencers work.
• Manage Civic Influencers email communication platform ensuring all contact lists are segmented and updated regularly to receive updates that are of interest to them.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Communications, Public Relations or related field.
• 8+ years of communications management work in nonprofits, with a focus on content and messaging creation, media management and design work. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage and execute projects across multiple teams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage strategic planning while being able to respond to short-term organizational needs.
• Proven track record of producing press releases and public statements that have been released for public consumption.
• Working knowledge of email marketing platforms and social media platforms, including Mail Chimp, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
• Familiarity with and understanding of CRMs, Salesforce and Marketing Cloud a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills; including the ability to communicate effectively and professionally with other staff, partner organizations, elected and appointed officials, corporate/business representatives, and community members.
• Commitment to transparency, accountability, and direct communication.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and tight deadlines.
• Ability to manage highly sensitive, confidential information using excellent judgment at all times.
• Must have a commitment to DEI and cultural competency, including an awareness of one's own cultural worldview, a welcoming attitude towards cultural differences, an appreciative knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and cross-cultural skills.

Desired Skills

• Experience working in a movement organization, including ones focused on Voting Rights, Social Justice, Civil Rights or Youth.
• Experience working in politics.
• Experience working with or within a higher education institution, People of Color Serving Institutions (PoCSIs, e.g., HSIs and HBCUs a plus).

Desired Skills

• Experience working in a movement organization, including ones focused on Voting Rights, Social Justice, Civil Rights or Youth.
• Experience working in politics.
• Experience working with or within a higher education institution, People of Color Serving Institutions (PoCSIs, e.g., HSIs and HBCUs a plus).

Other Requirements

• Must be able to work independently without supervision on a daily basis.
• Must complete data visualization and data gathering trainings hosted by Tableau, and other trainings as required.
• Extremely reliable and available on evenings and weekends for occasional events and conferences.

Start date: for immediate consideration.

Civic Influencers is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or class. We value diversity on our team and strongly encourage people of color, Indigenous people, LGBTQIA individuals, people with disabilities and all qualified persons to apply for our open positions.