Director of Editorial & Branding

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Public Rights Project (PRP) is a national nonprofit organization that helps local government officials fight for civil rights. We build their capacity to protect and advance civil rights, convene and connect them on key issues, and provide legal representation to help them win in court for residents. Since 2017, we've recovered over $46 million in relief for marginalized people; built a network of over 1,300 government offices, elected officials, and community-based organizations in 50 states; trained 130 prosecutors and government lawyers in 24 states; and secured court victories on abortion, immigrant, workers’, and voting rights. Learn more about our work.

PRP is expanding its Communications & Marketing team to include a Director of Editorial & Branding. This is a remote, regular, full-time and exempt position. The Director will work to build a long-term storytelling, editorial, and brand infrastructure that ensures PRP communicates consistently, powerfully, and efficiently across all audiences.

JOB SUMMARY

Public Rights Project is seeking a Director of Editorial & Branding to lead content strategy and editorial systems. Reporting to the Chief Communications & Marketing Officer (CCMO) and serving on the senior leadership team, the Director will be responsible for the organization telling compelling, accessible stories aligned with strategic priorities.

In close collaboration with the Director of Communications, the Director of Editorial & Branding will enhance our organizational voice and visual identity across branded assets and content products, designing the processes and standards to produce high-quality materials across teams and audiences. They also will manage key projects, help sharpen PRP’s messaging, and provide coaching and training support to staff. Initially, the Director will manage 2 direct reports and oversee contractors (designers, consultants). Internally, they will partner closely with the Development (fundraising) and Program (attorneys and advocates) teams to translate complex legal and policy work into persuasive, plain-language content for funders, local government leaders, and the broader public.

The two directors together balance speed and strategy for PRP. The Director of Communications leads, in large part, rapid response and press engagement, ensuring PRP shows up just in time for our network partners. The Director of Editorial & Branding shapes PRP’s story and builds the infrastructure to support the organization’s rapid growth.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned and strategic storyteller with a proven track record of raising brand awareness and support. This is a great opportunity for an equity-focused senior leader passionate about narrative power at the intersection of law, government, and social justice.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Narrative & Storytelling

• Lead development of PRP’s overarching narrative goals and editorial agenda, ensuring alignment with our 3-year strategic plan.
• Drive content and storytelling strategies that showcase PRP’s unique approach and the impact we co-create with our local government partners.
• Work with program staff and the Director of Communications to translate complex litigation, policy issues, and new developments into clear, consistent messaging, plain-language content and collateral, and storytelling campaigns that resonate with funders, mayors, and the public.
• Coordinate closely with the development team on philanthropic content and marketing efforts to support fundraising objectives and benchmarks.
• Work on thought leadership opportunities in collaboration with the CCMO.

Editorial Strategy & Infrastructure

• Direct PRP’s content strategy, ensuring that our editorial style, tone of voice, and visuals model brand integrity.
• Build and maintain editorial systems, templates, and processes that support efficiency, clarity, and quality across teams, including for rapid-response emails to key stakeholders.
• Manage PRP’s messaging library and editorial calendar, embedding core brand messages and standards across all communications.
• Draft, edit, review, and/or proof blogs, talking points, toolkits, reports, op-eds, and digital content, with input from relevant staff members.
• Guide cross-functional teams to turn technical information into clear, accessible writing.
• Ensure content and assets are optimized for online engagement and distribution via the website, emails, and social media, using best practices and metrics as guidance.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of editorial and branding efforts, using analytics and engagement data to shape future strategy.

Events & Brand Stewardship

• Lead the branding, planning, promotion, and execution of external events, leveraging them as opportunities for thought leadership, storytelling, and network connections.
• Collaborate with development and program staff to support fundraising campaigns and initiatives that generate earned revenue.
• Support PRP’s periodic brand refreshes, including leading an audit of current content and creative assets to ensure consistent application across communications channels and organizational, fundraising, and programmatic materials.
• Partner with design contractors to uphold and strengthen PRP’s visual identity.

Leadership & Management

• Manage and mentor 2 full-time employees (Senior Writer/Editor and Senior Digital Marketing Manager), with a focus on their professional growth.
• Grow the editorial & branding team over the next 1-2 years and oversee consultants.
• Partner with the CCMO and the Director of Communications to scale the department, building systems and workflows that help team members move quickly and strategically.
• Support strategy and development of internal communications in collaboration with the CCMO and Director of Communications.
• Foster buy-in and collaboration across PRP, particularly with subject matter experts.
• Model PRP’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and lead efforts to embed these values in our narrative processes and activities.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Required:

• 10–15 years of professional experience in editorial, narrative, or communications roles, with at least 3 years of senior-level experience leading content strategy and development.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Experience in agency, nonprofit leadership, a national network, policy, legal advocacy, campaigns, or government is a strong plus.
• At least 3 years of experience managing people and developing talent, including contractors and creative vendors, with a proven ability to build, mentor, and lead a team

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Exceptional storytelling and plain-language writing skills, with experience distilling complex issues and technical documents into accessible, concise, and compelling stories.
• Demonstrated ability to build editorial systems and workflows as well as adherence to brand standards.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present ideas clearly to colleagues and audiences.
• Strong visual sensibility and experience developing and applying brand guidelines.
• Exceptional project management, time management, planning, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple content streams and competing deadlines.
• Excellent judgment and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail, accuracy, and quality.
• Exemplary interpersonal skills, particularly active listening skills, diplomacy, and discretion.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently, move through ambiguity, and thrive in a fast-paced environment while being highly responsive to team members.
• Experience working in a collaborative, remote team environment with regular virtual meetings and frequent project updates.
• Passion and commitment to using the power of government to protect marginalized people’s civil rights and freedoms.
• Commitment to the mission and core values of Public Rights Project, especially DEIB.

Please submit both a resume and a thoughtful cover letter outlining your interest in this role and how your experience aligns with the qualifications

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Other duties as assigned.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIP

Reports to the Chief Communications & Marketing Officer (CCMO)

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Requires sitting, talking and listening for up to 8 hours per day. Certain situations may require lifting items up to 20 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Fully remote organization and team. This role may require travel a few times a year to PRP events or meetings. We currently have remote staff in Oakland, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), and Washington, D.C., as well as other cities. This role requires flexibility to occasionally support rapid turnarounds and external deadlines outside of standard business hours.

COMPENSATION

The determined salary range for this level 5 role is set at $130,560 – $195,840. For internal equity, PRP cannot engage in salary negotiations outside of this range.

PRP HIRING COMMITMENT

PRP is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. A diverse and inclusive workplace, both at PRP and within the government offices we serve, is a key ingredient for achieving our mission of building equitable enforcement capacity within state and local government.

We aim to assemble a team that reflects the world we live in and the communities we serve with respect to race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and immigration status. People with personal or family experience with the type of harms we seek to combat, including wage theft, predatory lending, fraud, discrimination, and environmental degradation are particularly encouraged to apply.