Communications Manager

This is a remote position, however candidates located in the Washington, DC area or in the east coast time zone are preferred.

About Power to Decide

Power to Decide, the campaign to prevent unplanned pregnancy, believes that all young people should have the opportunity to pursue the future they want, realize their full possibility, and follow their intentions. These beliefs guide our work to ensure that all young people have the power to decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. We provide objective, evidence-based information about sexual health and contraceptive options, and we work to guarantee equitable access to and information about the full range of contraceptive methods. We are a national, non-partisan organization that is committed to common ground, common sense solutions and catalyzing innovation in the public and private sectors.

Position

The Communications Manager is a multi-faceted position that is part of the Marketing and Communications Department. The Manager is responsible for working with the Director of Media Relations to elevate and increase Power to Decide’s media relations capabilities both with traditional and digital media, such as bloggers and influencers, as well as with pop culture and entertainment media outlets. The Manager will create content including news releases, letters to the editors, op-eds, blogs, and messaging documents for publications and/or internal use by Power to Decide’s spokespersons. This position will also be responsible for managing and maintaining the organization’s media database as well as using the system to create media activity reports. We are seeking an individual that is a self-starter and understands institutional communications and media relations.

The Communications Manager will be responsible for assisting in the organization and running of events, such as the media advisory group meetings. They will also collaborate across the organization to help prepare organizational spokespersons for media interviews.

The Communications Manager will report to the Director of Media Relations.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Create and execute yearly media briefing to update and inform a variety of media outlets and partners regarding Power to Decide’s issues and goals.
• Collaborate with key media partners to create content and occasional social media focused on Power to Decide’s messaging.
• Work with Media Director to create and manage a quarterly online series to include internal and external issue experts to discuss reproductive and sexual health topics.
• Occasionally produce content for Power to Decide website and consult with team to develop materials for various Power to Decide campaigns.
• Disseminate news releases, statements, etc. to curated media lists and manage posting of news releases for social media and website to ensure promotion on all platforms.
• Proactively identify and engage traditional, digital, online media outlets with compelling pitches to increase Power to Decide’s coverage and secure interviews and/or feature stories on Power to Decide’s campaigns and overall work. 
• Create media relations materials to increase effectiveness of media pitching, engagement, and relationships with journalists and influencers. 
• Coordinate with Social Media Manager to monitor and track Power to Decide’s media coverage and organize and disseminate the daily news and media clips.
• Draft and complete monthly departmental media relations reports.
• Manage, administer, and update the organization’s media lists.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

We are looking for someone who will think big, embrace innovation, and seek new ways of addressing issues. The successful candidate will be responsible, conscientious, adaptive, and resourceful. They will value diversity of thought, backgrounds, and perspectives; be collaborative and proactive; and work effectively as part of an integrated cross-functional team. They will be able to comfortably embrace a non-ideological “big tent” approach to sexual health and unplanned pregnancy prevention and be passionate about health equity and creating a culture in which all young people can thrive.

The successful candidate will have/be:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, English, journalism, political science and/or public relations or related field required.
• A combination of four to five (4-5) years of experience working in communications, politics, and/or public relations, required.
• Experience working in, and knowledge of, reproductive health and rights preferred.   
• Strong understanding of media relations best practices.
• A news junky who understands the 24-hour news cycle and how to identify elements for potential opportunities to drive the news cycle.
• Extremely strong written, oral, and editing skills.
• Fluent in MS Office Suite, Muckrack, and internet research abilities.
• A self-starter with a positive and inquisitive approach to problem solving.
• Flexible, with a proven ability to work with a high level of independence to prioritize assignments and organize limited resources to meet goals and deadlines.
• Able to plan, lead, organize, and promote various communications projects that elevate the organization’s platform and messaging.  
• Comfortable with multitasking.
• Ability to participate in planning of department strategies and goals.
• Travel to meetings and/or conferences approximately three to five (3-5) times a year as COVID restrictions ease.

The Communications Manager is an exempt position. Salary is based on market factors and individual experience and abilities. The starting salary range for this position is $54,814 to $68,518 depending on experience and qualifications.