Communications Director

About RUBI: The Rural Urban Bridge Initiative invites all of us to think differently, talk differently and act differently in order to understand the causes of the rural-urban divide and then do something to repair it. We develop political, economic and communications strategies that build bridges and serve the common interests of all working and middle class Americans.

About the position: RUBI is experiencing a steady increase in demand for our programs and resources since the 2024 election. The organization has also increased the frequency and range of ways in which we communicate with the public, engage with media and provide communications and messaging guidance. Given this growth, RUBI has decided to create a full-time Communications Director position to steer and manage these efforts and to increase their impact.

Overall responsibilities:

The Communications Director will work with RUBI’s board and staff to manage and create content for external communications in order to increase the frequency, reach and influence of our perspective and messages. This will encompass traditional media, digital media (social, audio and video), and public speaking. While the position will undoubtedly evolve, we envision three core areas of work:

1. Development of strategy and management of all communications efforts, across different platforms and venues, to ensure consistency, quality, veracity and synergy of all external communications.
2. Development and maintenance of new media (traditional and digital) and communications partners and opportunities in order to expand our reach and influence nationally.
3. Creation or co-creation of communications and messaging content and designed materials, in collaboration with board members, the Executive Director and other staff, for general, fundraising, and advocacy purposes.

Specific Duties:

Strategy and Management

• Work with the board and staff to annually set goals and develop a strategy for RUBI’s communications and messaging across all media and other external communications opportunities
• Organize a ladder of engagement as we expand our reach across divides, effectively reach different audiences
• Develop and maintain a communications calendar, including an annual calendar with key targets and a monthly calendar to plan and implement specific tasks
• Track communications metrics and impacts
• Provide brief monthly reports to the Executive Director and quarterly reports and an annual report to the Executive Director and board

Expansion of media opportunities and partners

• Research, connect with and develop strong working relationships with new media sources and partners who can expand the reach and impact of RUBI’s work and messaging. This will include traditional and digital media partners/outlets
• Research the potential for a syndicated RUBI “column” and/or Substack
• Help secure regular speaking opportunities for the Executive Director and other staff in a wide range of both non-partisan and partisan conferences, seminars and other gatherings

Content development and strategy implementation

• Organize and publicize RUBI’s monthly briefings with input from board and staff
• Create and post content for several social media platforms, working with board and staff to gather material (information, stories, analysis)
• Create and send the monthly newsletter, coordinating input from the ED, board, and other staff
• Design and update flyers and other marketing materials
• With the approval of and in coordination with the Community Works Director, gather photos, written and video testimonials, and communicate the impact of the program
• Collaborate on updates to the website as needed
• Work with the ED and other staff to explore, test and develop video content for use on a wide range of platforms
• Explore, develop and test communications and messaging that effectively resonates with our key audiences (with very minimal resources for any paid A/B testing)

Skills and Experience:

Essential

• Ability to write and speak plainly, without jargon, to “talk like a neighbor”
• Bachelor’s degree and 5-7 years of experience, or several additional years of experience if no formal degree
• Experience designing and implementing a communications strategy for a nonprofit, advocacy organization, movement or campaign
• Experience creating content, posting and developing and interpreting analytics for social media platforms
• Basic design skills (e.g. Canva)
• Experience or passion for bridging the rural-urban divide and locally driven solutions to support the resilience of rural and working-class communities
• Comfort working as part of a small team in a new organization with limited resources. A strategic thinker as well as a doer.

Desired

• Experience with traditional media, existing contacts or knowledge of how to build connections
• Proven experience significantly expanding an organization’s reach and influence on social and/or traditional media, and replicable tactics
• Advanced design skills for marketing materials and websites
• Strong personal or professional experience with rural communities & working-class issues

RUBI offers equal employment opportunities (EEO) to employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other protected classes or categories as defined by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to recruitment, selection, promotion, termination, layoff, leave of absence, compensation and all other terms, conditions and privileges of employment.