Associate Director - Communications

About the Correctional Association of New York (CANY)

Mission: CANY provides independent oversight of prisons in New York State to promote greater transparency and accountability; to safeguard the human and civil rights of incarcerated people; to eliminate harmful practices and policies; and to decrease the use of incarceration in New York.

Vision: CANY envisions a future in which our criminal justice system uses an entirely different approach to responding to violence and social concerns. In this vision, prisons look nothing like they do today: far fewer people are held for much shorter sentences in transformed conditions that promote health, safety, and justice for incarcerated individuals, communities, and society at large.

About the Team

The Policy and Communications Team is responsible for managing CANY’s engagement with external stakeholders, informing corrections policy, and disseminating findings from the organization’s oversight of prisons. Reporting to the team’s Director, the Associate Director will lead CANY’s strategic efforts to develop communications materials and make them accessible policymakers, the media, and the public.

Job-Related Factors

• • This position requires monthly travel within New York State for governmental meetings, public engagements, and media events.
  • The Associate Director will be required to participate in prison monitoring visits at least quarterly. This requires the ability to stand for long periods, climb stairs, and take notes by hand.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include:

Strategic Communications & Campaign Execution

• • Audience-Specific Material Development: Draft, design, and disseminate tailored communication products for distinct stakeholders, including 1-2 page briefs for legislators, succinct issue briefs, plain-language explainers, and data-grounded toolkits.
  • Regional, Broadcast, and Social Media Engagement: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with statewide and regional media outlets, pitching stories to relevant media outlets. Devise a social media strategy and support the production and distribution of CANY’s multimedia content.
  • Data Visualization & Social Media Amplification: Create and manage data-driven media content using visualizations, charts, and maps to translate complex oversight and monitoring data into accessible public resources.
  • Legislative Oversight Assistance: Support the team's coordination with lawmakers and advocates by preparing materials for legislative meetings and advocate briefings.

Website & Content Management

• • Oversee collaboration with graphic designers and team members to maintain CANY’s website with interactive issue-specific pages to optimize visual layout and accessibility.
  • Conduct periodic audits of internal and external communication materials to ensure consistency and quality.
  • Develop, maintain, and update a comprehensive contact database within Salesforce to track targeted audience engagement.
  • Author and disseminate monthly newsletters.

Other Duties

• • Supervise the work of an Associate and interns.
  • Assist in managing logistics for public-facing transparency events, including town halls, community conversations, virtual events, and informational webinars.
  • Participate in organization-wide meetings, work sessions, retreats, and trainings.
  • Other responsibilities and duties as assigned.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications

CANY is seeking enthusiastic candidates who are comfortable working across a variety of functions as part of a small, collaborative, hard-working team. Individuals who possess the following skills, attributes, and qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

• • Experience: At least seven years of prior professional work experience is required, five years of which must have been in a communications or closely related capacity. Prior experience in a management or supervisory capacity strongly preferred.
  • Education: Minimum educational requirement is a bachelor’s degree in communications, public policy, political science, or another relevant field.
  • Skills:
    • Exceptional interpersonal and oral communication skills are required. Also required are excellent attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
    • A proven ability to synthesize technical information into compelling, accessible storytelling. If selected for an interview, candidates will be required to submit a portfolio of past work and to complete a skills assessment.
    • Adaptable work style that allows for collaboration across teams as well as independent, self-directed work.
    • Excellent relationship management abilities and willingness to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, corrections staff, and impacted families.
    • Strong administrative skills, including confidence using Microsoft Office Suite, project management tools, Salesforce (or comparable CRM databases), and Content Management Software (CMS). Experience with basic data visualization tools is highly desirable.
    • Ability to problem-solve, present innovative solutions, and think strategically about message, timing, framing, and audience segmentation.
    • Proven experience in handling and maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information and records.
  • Residency: New York State residency required.
  • Other: The Associate Director must be able to gain clearance to enter state correctional facilities.

CANY offers medical, dental, vision insurance, disability, and life insurance; a retirement plan with employer-paid matching contributions; a generous paid time-off allowance; and opportunities for professional development.

Fluency in Spanish preferred but not required.