Senior Communications Associate

The Policing Project at New York University School of Law is seeking a Communications Associate to help execute the organization’s cross-disciplinary communication strategies across multiple teams. Under the supervision of the Communications Director, the Associate will be responsible for creatively utilizing the Policing Project’s existing communications channels – including newsletters, webinars, media relations, designed reports, and social media – while identifying new opportunities to engage the organization’s programmatic communications and priority audiences. The Associate will also play a key role in supporting a comprehensive website re-design process.

This ideal candidate will have experience working across teams in a small organization; designing visually compelling assets and drafting content for a variety of audiences; and executing and proactively identifying new communications opportunities. The ideal candidate will also have substantive knowledge of and/or several years of experience working on police reform issues.

Background on the Policing Project

The Policing Project is at the forefront of a new approach to addressing the harms of policing. We believe in “front-end accountability”—that there must be public voice and democratic sign off before police act, rather than simply when something goes wrong. The goal is achieving public safety that is equitable, non-discriminatory, and respectful of public values. We pursue this mission by drafting and promoting legislation to regulate policing, and by litigating where these principles are not respected. Our work addresses both street policing and the growing use by police of surveillance technologies and artificial intelligence. Because sending armed officers to deal with a raft of social problems satisfies no one, we also are working hard to reimagine public safety from the ground up, relying on non-police alternative first responders. You can learn more about our work—past and present—at www.PolicingProject.org.

Job Description & Responsibilities

Responsibilities may include:

• Serving as a liaison between the Communications team and programmatic teams to support programmatic communication strategies;
• Helping programmatic teams brainstorm creative, effective opportunities to reach their priority audiences and advance programmatic work through strategic communications;
• Ensuring brand and messaging consistency across teams and channels;
• Executing social media strategy to promote organizational visibility and advance programmatic work;
• Designing organizational assets including research reports, “two-pager” or white papers, website pages;
• Proactively working with staff across departments to forecast materials design and social, web, and email content needs for priority issues, programs, campaigns and events;
• Regularly monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on engagement and traffic across communication channels to ensure growth;
• Regular updating website to ensure all content is current and consistent with organizational messaging and branding guidelines;
• Supporting the communications team in shared meeting facilitation, note-taking, and other organizational tasks as needed.

Desired Experience & Qualifications

We seek to hire someone with an interest in improving policing and public safety, ensuring that it is both protective of civil rights and racially just. Given the innovative nature of our work, and the fact that it often occurs around fraught social issues, we are looking for someone who is a problem solver with maturity and judgement.

In addition, we will consider the following qualifications, but do not expect any applicant to have all of them:

• 3-5 years of experience in working on policing and public safety issues;
• 2-4 years of experience in writing, marketing, or strategic communications on legal or policy issues;
• Excellent written communication skills, editing, proofreading, fact-checking, keen attention to detail and ability to break down complex concepts;
• Proficiency with multiple social media platforms and an interest in using these tools to drive action and engagement;
• Experience with the Adobe Creative Suite, specifically InDesign and Illustrator, Canva and other graphic design tools;
• Team player attitude, capable of collaborating with team members, strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to take feedback;
• Excellent time management, and the ability to stick to deadlines;
• Demonstrated experience managing competing priorities and deadlines;
• Solutions-oriented mindset and proactive.

The Policing Project heartily encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds, and is an equal opportunity employer.

Strong preference will be given to those who can be based out of the Policing Project’s New York City offices (located at NYU Law School). Full-time remote options are available.

Salary is commensurate with experience. In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Law, the salary is in the range of $75,000-$90,000. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. Compensation also includes excellent benefits, including medical, dental, and vision. After one year, employees are eligible for tuition remission at certain NYU schools and matching retirement contributions. Further information regarding benefits can be found here.

NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver status, childbirth, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, domestic violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender and/or gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, national origin, parental status, partnership status, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, unemployment status, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.

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