Communications Director

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 accomplishes this mission by filing high-impact lawsuits to protect animals from harm, providing free legal assistance and training to prosecutors to hold animal abusers accountable, supporting tough animal protection laws and fighting legislation harmful to animals, and providing resources and opportunities to law students and professionals to advance the expanding field of animal law.

Role Description:

The Communications Director will serve in a leadership role in the newly formed Advancement department, partnering with the Development Director and reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer. They will help shape and drive a strategic vision that will elevate ALDF’s brand, deepen engagement with external stakeholders, increase revenue, and advance ALDF’s mission.

The Communications Director will oversee a comprehensive, integrated communications strategy that will support ALDF’s marketing, media, and fundraising goals. This includes leveraging earned and owned media across digital, print, and social platforms to build strong brand awareness and position ALDF as a trusted voice on animal legal issues, while ensuring alignment with ALDF’s mission and fundraising initiatives.

The successful candidate is a collaborative, experienced leader with a strong background in nonprofit communications, a passion for ALDF’s mission, and a commitment to building high performing, engaged teams.

How You Will Make a Difference:

Leadership and Strategy

• Serve as a key leader in the Advancement Department, working with the Development Director and the Chief Advancement Officer to develop a communications strategy that ensure cohesive, mission-driven communication and engagement across all channels
• Execute the Communications strategy by working closely with the Leadership Team to ensure day-to-day operations reflect ALDF’s strategic and financial priorities.
• Manage crisis communications, including developing and executing crisis response strategies, working under pressure, and effectively communicating key messages to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide strategic guidance on messaging and internal communications, ensuring consistency with ALDF’s mission and values.
• Create and manage the department’s expense budget, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and financial parameters.
• Lead and mentor the Communications team as a strategic partner to achieve cross-functional goals while fostering accountability, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Set and measure goals to track performance, ensuring alignment with the strategic plans and objectives of the organization and Advancement Team.
• Remain current on trends and best practices in all areas of Communications to lead innovation and promote organizational objectives.

Brand and Messaging

• Strengthen ALDF’s brand and ensure internal alignment by creating comprehensive Organizational Messaging and Graphic Design Standards guides, ensuring consistency and clarity across all communication channels organization wide.
• Track and optimize communications impact by producing performance reports for leadership and applying analytics to optimize strategies, identify opportunities, and drive continuous improvement.
• Lead media strategy and outreach in partnership with the Public Relations Specialist, including proactive media engagement, staff and leadership media training, and positioning ALDF as a thought leader on animal law and welfare issues.

Marketing and Communications

• Develop and lead cohesive and comprehensive marketing strategies across web, social media, email, and other channels, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and maximizing impact.
• Implement tracking systems for all marketing and communications efforts, ensuring measurable results and continuous improvement.
• Lead advertising strategies across digital and traditional channels, ensuring campaigns are targeted, optimized, and mission-aligned
• Oversee website development and enhancement, focusing on SEO, UI/UX, and performance optimization.
• Develop audience segmentation strategies to tailor messaging and engagement approaches for donors, policymakers, legal professionals, media, and the public.
• Create and execute strategies for collateral and merchandise production, ensuring that materials are on-brand, effective, and aligned with program and organizational goals.

Requirements

We Are Looking for Candidates With:

• A bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, business administration, or a related field. In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, 5 years of experience in communications is considered equivalent.
• At least 7+ years of experience in communications with progressive responsibility
• A minimum of 3 years managing a team of communications and marketing professionals.
• Experience with nonprofit, academia, or legal services communications is strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to develop and execute comprehensive communications strategies across both traditional and digital platforms, with an understanding of their integration with fundraising strategy.
• Deep, well-rounded expertise across all core communications channels — including direct mail, email, social media, web, paid and earned media.
• Proven leadership and people management skills, with demonstrated ability to foster collaboration, growth, accountability, and ownership within a team.
• A creative and collaborative team player, skilled in building strong relationships and fostering a positive organizational culture.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives and messages that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Strong media relations and media training expertise, including established relationships with journalists, reporters, and media professionals, and a proven track record of cultivating and maintaining these relationships.
• Experience with developing and implementing messaging and branding guidelines.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience developing and managing strategic plans and budgets that align with the organization’s mission and goals.
• An understanding of and demonstrated commitment to the mission of the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
• Excellent judgment, a strong ethical foundation, and a commitment to integrity in all aspects of work.
• Willingness to travel periodically for staff meetings and retreats, with an estimated 2-4 trips annually.

The application deadline for this position is October 10, 2025.

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.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (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 offices and events are free of animal products and byproducts.

We Offer Competitive Compensation with Excellent Benefits, Including:

• Starting annual salary of $168,453 for most geographic locations.
• For candidates located within 25 miles of Washington D.C., Cotati, CA, and Los Angeles, starting pay is $177,319.
• For candidates located within 25 miles of New York City and San Francisco, starting pay is $186,184.

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) are also available.
• 192 hours of PTO.
• 19 paid holidays.
• 1-month paid sabbatical after 5 years of continuous employment.
• 401k plan with a 5% employer contribution after one year of employment.
• 16 weeks paid parental leave.
• Alternative work schedules (at manager’s discretion).

Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is a core value for the Animal Legal Defense Fund.