Communications Associate

Reports to the Communications Director

Salary: $52,000 /year

Transportation Alternatives (TA), New York City's advocate for walking, bicycling and public transportation, seeks a Communications Associate to lead and assist in a variety of communications and marketing activities to support TA’s advocacy for safe streets. The right candidate is an excellent writer, editor, and proofreader who is proactive and comfortable with tight deadlines and has an interest in New York City politics, public affairs and media.  

Position Overview

Reporting to the Communications Director, the Communications Associate will work closely with others on the Marketing and Communications team to advance our campaigns and build our movement through a variety of means including press, social media, email, web, and publications. You will approach communications as both an art and a science, recognizing the power of a compelling story while bringing a methodical and analytical approach to our work.

Areas of responsibility will include:

Press and Public Relations

• Help coordinate media opportunities and inbound requests 
• Help produce live and virtual press event with key external stakeholders, including elected officials
• Draft quotes for press releases and assist with a wide variety of additional written deliverables
• Conduct press outreach to reporters, editors, news desks, and government offices 
• Keep press list and other internal and online press trackers up to date
• Help identify and coordinate thought-leadership opportunities for TA, such as panels and conferences

Social Media

• Monitor and respond on social media channels throughout the day, proactively engaging in key conversations and advancing TA’s messaging
• Strategize and draft social content that supports TA's mission and campaigns 
• Live-tweet or livestream TA’s press and public events

Copy and Digital Assets

• Write weekly newsletter copy, other copy as needed for email and web
• Copy-edit emails and other collateral from all departments
• Proactively update TA’s website and campaign-specific web properties
• Draft and post original writing on TA’s Medium account and blog
• Manage and maintain TA’s digital photography archive
• Manage and update TA’s written style guide
• Assist in the formatting and sending of fundraising, advocacy and other emails as needed.

This position is located in New York City. Transportation Alternatives’ office is a fast-paced and collaborative work environment (working remotely through at least early 2021). Occasional evening and weekend engagements, and, given the 24-hour news cycle, late nights and early mornings will be part of this position. 

Qualified candidates will bring with them: 

• Excellent writing and editing skills; demonstrated experience in writing and editing, particularly for social and email
• Proficiency with social media, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
• Strong attention to detail; meticulous proofer and editor
• Working knowledge of and interest in New York City's public affairs arena -- including neighborhoods, politics, stakeholders, media outlets, and more -- especially as they intersect with streets and transportation issues 
• Ability to quickly understand and adapt to TA's "voices" - advocacy, fundraising, policy, and community engagement
• Comfort under pressure, with tight deadlines and working in a highly participatory environment, including “managing up”
• Proactivity - does not wait for assignments, but brings ideas and opportunities to manager
• A communicator, a collaborator and a problem-solver, able to work across teams to find solutions, build systems and move forward
• Commitment to social justice and antiracism; nuanced understanding of the ways in which our advocacy issues intersect with race and equity

Exceptional candidates will also bring with them:

• Familiarity and interest in TA’s work and advocacy areas
• Experience with and knowledge of HTML, CSS, etc.
• Experience managing web content
• Experience setting and tracking against measurable goals; Analytical, with a passion for data-informed decision making
• Familiarity with email marketing platforms and CRM, Salesforce or another
• Familiarity with photo editing, graphic design, video editing, including platforms like Canva

To apply:

Please send a resume and a cover letter to job_applications@transalt.org with “Communications Associate” in the subject line.

Transportation Alternatives is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, political orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law. We value having diverse staff in gender, ethnicity, background and modal preference. BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ candidates strongly encouraged to apply.