Head of Content Strategy, Communications

Who We Are

The Animal Legal Defense Fund’s mission is to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) accomplishes this mission by filing high-impact lawsuits to protect animals from harm, providing free legal assistance and training to prosecutors to assure that animal abusers are held accountable for their crimes, supporting tough animal protection legislation and fighting legislation harmful to animals, gathering data about and advocating for effective regulation of animal exploitative industries and providing resources and opportunities to law students and professionals to advance the emerging field of animal law.

Role Description

The Head of Content Strategy, Communications leads the development, production, and distribution of high-quality editorial content that advances the organization’s mission and expands brand reach and impact. This role will guide the organization’s editorial voice, ensure messaging and branding is consistent and reflective of the organization’s mission across all communication channels and publication. This position leads a team of writing, digital, and social media staff who help advance ALDF’s communications content strategy, editorial standards, and day-to-day publishing operations across platforms, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and impact. The Head of Content Strategy collaborates closely with program, development, and leadership teams to translate complex issues into compelling, accessible content for diverse audiences.

How You Will Make a Difference

Brand Stewardship & Editorial Strategy

• Manage, enhance, and enforce ALDF’s brand, providing consistent organizational voice and messaging across all content.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive editorial strategy that aligns with organizational priorities and campaigns and expands reach and impact
• Define content goals, voice, tone, and messaging guidelines.
• Identify storytelling opportunities that elevate the organization’s impact and thought leadership.
• Manage editorial calendar across digital, print, and multimedia platforms.
• Develop message frameworks for large bodies of institutional work.
• Uphold editorial standards, fact-checking, and ethical storytelling practices.

Content Development & Production

• Oversee creation of digital and printed content including articles, reports, blog posts, newsletters, digital advertising, and social media copy, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity in all content.
• Craft primary messaging and storytelling pieces for the organization.
• Oversee efficient production systems, including publishing workflows, timelines, and quality control processes.
• Edit and approve content to ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment with brand standards.
• Translate complex policy, research, or programmatic work into engaging narratives.

Team Management & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor and manage a team of content writing, digital, and social media staff
• Provide editorial guidance, performance feedback, and professional development opportunities.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with program, advocacy, fundraising, and marketing teams, ensuring relevant parties are engaged in strategy and review content for approval.
• Manage the relationship with external contributors, design consultants, vendors, and agencies as needed.
• Ensure all content is approved by program directors, communications director, and executive director, as needed.

Digital Operations & Marketing

• Oversee CMS (e.g., WordPress), content distribution channels, and the design of user journey and experience through those channels.
• Supervise and help optimize digital advertising strategy and execution
• Oversee work to optimize for AI, SEO, email, and social platforms.
• Guide, and help optimize content performance (web traffic, engagement, conversions), using insights to refine strategy and improve impact. Report on key metrics to leadership.

Please note, this job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position, which are subject to change in order to best advance ALDF’s strategic objectives and mission.

Requirements

We Are Looking for Candidates With

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or related field is preferred. In lieu of a degree, a minimum of 5 years of communications experience may be considered equivalent.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in a leadership position, driving editorial, journalism, or digital content strategy.
• 3+ years experience managing a team of content writing, digital or social media staff.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strategic mindset and sound editorial judgment.
• Experience with development and implementation of editorial strategy, organizational messaging, and branding identity guidelines.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to set goals, prioritize tasks efficiently, manage editorial workflows, and implement new initiatives.
• Excellent collaboration skills and the ability to work in a team environment.
• Experience translating complex topics (policy, research, social issues) into accessible content.
• Audience development expertise.
• Proficiency with CMS platforms, analytics tools, and digital publishing best practices.
• Experience with multimedia content.
• Familiarity with nonprofit, advocacy, or mission-driven communications preferred.
• An understanding of and demonstrated commitment to the mission of the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
• The ability to travel periodically for staff meetings and retreats (estimated 1-3 trips annually).

The application deadline for this position is July 29, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage applicants to apply early as we may make a decision before the deadline closes.

Additional Information

This is a U.S.-based position. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

ALDF is an equal opportunity employer and committed to providing an employment environment which is welcoming of persons from diverse backgrounds and free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, and in which all legal rights of our employees are recognized and protected. ALDF conducts all internal and external operations, programs, and employment-related decision making (including hiring decisions) without regard to actual or perceived race, ancestry, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender identity or expression, political affiliation, disability or medical condition (including physical, intellectual, or psychiatric), sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, age, or other protected category, and in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws.

Consistent with the organization’s mission, our events are free of animal products and byproducts.

We Offer Competitive Compensation with Excellent Benefits, Including:

• Starting annual salary of $139,209 for most geographic locations. For candidates located within 25 miles of Washington D.C., Cotati, CA, or Los Angeles, CA, starting salary is $146,536. For candidates located within 25 miles of New York City or San Francisco, CA, starting salary is $153,863.

To ensure salary equity, we do not negotiate salary outside of the published starting rate. Rate is determined by role, using set geographical factors.

• Comprehensive health care, dental, life and vision benefits (100% employer paid)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Dependent Care Account (DCA)
• 192 hours of PTO
• 19 paid holidays
• 1-month paid sabbatical after 5 years of continuous employment
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave
• 401k plan with a maximum 5% employer contribution match after one year of employment
• Alternative work schedules (at manager’s discretion)
• One-time remote work allowance of $750
• Annual professional development reimbursement of up to $1,000
• Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is a core value for ALDF