Communications and Outreach Associate Manager

Reports to: Executive Director, Maryland Latinos Unidos

Type of Job: Full-time (40 hours), exempt

Location: Baltimore, Maryland; Temporarily remote due to COVID-19

Compensation: $40,000 - $47,000

Organizational Summary

Maryland Latinos Unidos is a community organization housed at Maryland Nonprofits whose goal is to bring together the power of grassroots organizing and public policy innovation to drive the movement seeking equity for Latinos in the State of Maryland. Since our founding in 2020, we’ve begun to build the infrastructure for strong bilingual (English-Spanish) health and environmental justice programs to both drive campaigns and shift the underlying narrative terrain on which those campaigns are fought.

Based in Baltimore and working statewide, we tackle the root causes of inequality and poverty, as well as build leadership pipelines by leading collaborative efforts for healthy communities, and a democracy where all our voices are heard.

Our team is leveraging MLU’s research and policy expertise, organizing, and evolving civic engagement to explain complex issues, expose the harmful structural forces and myths that hold back progress, and tell the stories of grassroots community leaders who stand up to win better lives for their families and communities. MLU is a program of Maryland Nonprofits.

Position Summary

Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU) is seeking a strategic and experienced storyteller to lead our communications team, uplift the voices of marginalized Latinx communities, and drive transformative campaigns for health equity, immigrants, and social justice.

We’re looking for a new leader to carry this work forward. As Communications and Outreach Associate Manager, you’ll be working with the Executive Director to develop messaging and communications strategies, telling our stories online and in the English- and Spanish-language press and social media, while frequently taking charge of rapid-response outreach with program staff and senior leadership.

The ideal candidate is a strong writer, strategic thinker, and thoughtful messenger. You have experience keeping up to date with the latest trends in our topic areas and what is at the top of the news cycle, and driving communications campaigns that integrate earned and social media, email, SMS, art, design, and video. You can balance urgent needs and longer-term goals, keep multiple projects moving, and collaborate with partners both inside and outside the organization. You understand the interplay between digital organizing persuasion, and mobilization, and can partner with organizers to use communication channels to support all three aims. You’ll report to our Executive Director and work closely with our Senior Health Program Manager.

Key Responsibilities & Desired Skills

• Developing communications strategies, implementing campaigns, and shifting narratives: you will partner with our Executive Director, Senior Health Program Manager, health equity teams, Communications Fellow, as well as engage with our communications consultants, to develop communications plans — integrating earned and social media, email, SMS, digital organizing, videos, etc. — often in a rapidly-evolving social context.
• Managing email and social media channels: you have demonstrated experience growing an audience, creating engaging and persuasive content, and moving people to act (contact their elected officials, come to an event, donate).     
• Crafting messaging and narratives: you’re well versed in messaging frameworks -like the race-class narrative- that work well in the Latinx community, can read a research report and pull out punchy toplines, and ideally have experience with longer-term narrative-shift projects.        
• Supporting digital organizing: you understand how communications can fit into digital and online-to-offline organizing models. You can work with digital organizers to bring in new supporters (through digital ads, organic content, social media outreach, etc.) and move them up a ladder of engagement. You are excited to explore tools like texting platforms (WhatsApp, Hustle, ThruText, Strive) and relational organizing apps that overlap between communications and organizing.     
• Earning supportive media coverage: you’ve crafted bilingual pitches and press releases, know how to build relationships with reporters in English and Spanish-language media, prepared people from diverse backgrounds to speak with reporters.
• Balancing urgent and long-term communications needs: you can pull together bilingual rapid response across earned and social media in a couple of hours while keeping multi-month projects to shift narratives on track. You can effectively and tactfully triage and prioritize requests for support from other team members and ally organizations.
• Incorporating art, multimedia, and technology: you can write bilingual video scripts, collaborate with Maryland Nonprofits staff, guide media consultants, and explore ways to fold new technology into communications strategies. Bonus points if you have an eye for design or experience creating videos, infographics, and websites.
• Flexible attitude: juggling multiple projects and helping support staff and senior leadership thrive in their roles.

Qualifications

• Experience managing bilingual communications for advocacy organizations, political campaigns, elected officials, or union/community organizing projects.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Spanish.
• Strong writing skills in English and Spanish.
• Experience in a supervisory role and thinking quickly on your feet.       
• Commitment to social, racial, economic, environmental, and gender justice.       
• Ability to work with a flexible schedule.
• Strong work ethic, project management skills, and personal commitment to excellence.
• Communicate effectively and promptly to MLU members or employees of the organization.
• MLU’s headquarters are based in Baltimore, but this is a remote position that might require occasional in-person meetings. Prefer someone from in-state but we invite others to apply as well.

Work Environment, Physical Requirements, and Other Details:

The physical requirements listed are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Works in standard office building environment or remotely.
• Work at a computer in a stationary position for sustained periods of time. Reasonable accommodations (e.g. standing desk, balance ball chair) may be made available.
• Occasionally required to work hours outside of a standard 9 AM – 5 PM schedule.
• Travel may be required for Annual Conferences and regional events.
• Lift approximately 20-25 lbs. on occasion.

Compensation and Benefits

The Communications and Outreach Associate Manager is a Full-time (40 hours), exempt position with a rate of pay of $40,000 - $47,000, depending on experience.

Maryland Latinos Unidos offers a competitive benefits package including:

• Employer-paid insurance (medical, dental, vision, life, disability)
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions
• Four weeks paid vacation (to be accrued)
• 11 paid holidays
• Two paid personal days
• Employee Assistance Program
• Health Care Spending Account
• Tuition assistance 

To Apply

Please apply at https://www.tfaforms.com/4999221.

Application Materials:

1. Resume (Submit as a PDF)
2. Cover letter (Submit as a PDF)
3. Writing samples or portfolio if available (Submit as a PDF)

New hires must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and up to date with a booster shot. Proof of vaccination status will be required.

People from diverse backgrounds, with lived experience and from historically marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.

Maryland Latinos Unidos is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. If you require assistance participating in the application or hiring process, please contact us at help@mdnonprofit.org or 410-727-6367.

Maryland Latinos Unidos is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to cultivating a diverse workforce and equitable workplace. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, veteran status, and disability. All qualified applications will be given equal opportunity.