The Senior Director of Communications position at the Alliance for Youth Action (along with our sister 501c3 organization the Alliance for Youth Organizing) is a new and exciting role at the Alliance. Since our inception, our network has led some of the most innovative electoral and issue advocacy work across the country. Now we're hiring someone to help tell these stories and lift up the incredible work of young people nationwide.

The Senior Director of Communications will lead communications at the Alliance as well as help build communications capacity amongst our affiliates and partner organizations. This is largely a press, messaging, and training role, interfacing with our national team, state partners, and colleague organizations. The incoming Senior Director will join our growing national staff of ten talented individuals dedicated to supporting youth-led organizations comprised of some of the smartest and hardest-working folks in the field. This is a full-time and exempt position part of the Alliance's leadership team, reporting to the Managing Director.

 

About the Alliance For Youth Action

The Alliance convenes, supports, and scales a national network of youth-led, locally rooted organizations growing civic engagement and social justice coast to coast. We are a network of young people, by young people, for all people. In 2018, our network ran massive voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, trained new young leaders, and ran powerful campaigns to win on the progressive issues our generation cares about most. Our national team powers this work by tracking down national resources for the network, building capacity for local groups, seeding new efforts, and coordinating national issue campaigns. And we do it all while snacking on A Baked Joint biscuits, jamming to Cardi B's latest, and playing with pups in the office.

 

Job Responsibilities

The Senior Director of Communications will be responsible for leading and managing the organization's communications work.  Key responsibilities of this position include:

Organizational Communications

  • Develop a comprehensive communications strategy for new and ongoing campaigns in line with our mission, vision, values, and culture.
  • Ensure consistency of message across all communications; manage strategy for where our brand shows up and how.
  • Guide digital marketing strategy for the organization, including working with other staff to send regular updates to our email lists and to manage social media. Manage strategy and oversee work to update and expand what's available on our website.
  • Participate in coalition and colleague messaging research, absorb that research, and apply/share with our network and the field.

Field Engagement and Support

  • Support a cohort of communications staffers from network organizations to do both individual and collaborative work.
  • Train network organizations on working with the press, including coaching/prepping/debriefing them for specific interviews.
  • Lead communications strategy for the Alliance's annual conference and other events.
  • Manage relevant external contractors.

Press

  • Develop and execute an earned media strategy for both the Alliance and network organizations.
  • Build and maintain key press (reporter, booker, outlet) relationships for the organization.
  • Develop talking points and background information to prepare staff for media interviews.
  • Provide support to staff and to our network in crafting op-eds, statements, and social media content.

 

Key Qualifications & Experience

We're looking for candidates with particular strengths in the following areas:

  • Experience organizing colleagues, organizations, and/or movements while centering racial justice and/or racial equity.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Successful record pitching press.
    • Specific experience working with and pitching narratives that focus on communities of color.
    • Experience working with and pitching to state or local press (where our affiliates focus most of their media outreach).
  • Strong existing working relationships and ability to cultivate new relationships with reporters, editors, and producers.
  • Background in training newcomers to communications & press, along with comfort working with our powerful network day to day to hone strategy.
  • Critical thinker with the ability to work strategically. Ability to maintain focus while juggling multiple deadlines.
  • Ability to demonstrate significant experience managing a team and complex organizational and communications priorities. Probably this amounts to eight or more years of progressively senior work experience, but if that doesn't reflect your path and you absolutely know you could rock the role, go ahead and apply.
  • Energetic, enthusiastic, and able to occasionally work irregular hours and travel.
  • Pro-Oxford comma.

 

Equal Opportunity

The Alliance for Youth Action is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse work environment. People of color, people with disabilities, people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions, and identities are encouraged to apply.

 

Logistics

    • Compensation: $85,000 – $95,000 per year commensurate with experience.
    • Benefits: The Alliance offers a competitive benefits package covering 100% of employee medical, dental, & vision insurance premiums, 75% of premiums for employee dependents, employer retirement contributions (SEP IRA), life insurance, short and long term disability income protection insurance, cell phone reimbursement, public transportation stipend, professional development funds, and generous paid time off, including paid family and medical leave.
    • Location: This is a full time position based out of the Alliance's Washington, DC office.
    • Travel: Approximately 15% of this position may be spent on domestic travel.

 

To Apply

Please fill out this form, and submit a single pdf document including the following:

  • Cover letter, explaining why you want this job and what makes you well-suited for the position (please, show some personality)
  • Resume
  • Three references (we will reach out to you first before contacting them)

Please reach out to hiring@allianceforyouthaction.org with any questions.

Priority Deadline is February 28, 2019.