Director of Strategic Communications

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time, term-limited position of Director of Strategic Communications in the Communications & Marketing Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY or Washington, DC.  This is a hybrid role that has in-office requirements of two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. This is a three-year term-limited position.

The ACLU Communications & Marketing department creates, maintains, and expands message narratives to engage our supporters and other target audiences, to help protect and expand civil liberties and civil rights, and illustrate the value and impact of the ACLU’s transformational work. Through our messaging, engagement with newsmakers, our written content, creative branding, and visual identity, we encourage support for the ACLU and help to build a more perfect union.

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

Reporting to the Head of Strategic Communications, the Director of Strategic Communications will advance communications initiatives in collaboration with a team of communications and marketing professionals, and other members of ACLU’s digital, legal, advocacy, fundraising, and affiliate support teams. The Director will lead the development and execution of integrated communications strategies for high priority campaigns, issues and spokespeople. They will manage communications strategists who advance key programmatic areas, including speech, national security, voting rights, privacy, tech, and abuse of power.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Design and implement integrated communications campaigns for priority projects and initiatives, including multi-issue campaigns, nationwide rallies and other special projects. Engage a suite of tactics to develop said plans – including earned media, creator engagement, paid advertising, social media, multimedia, email/SMS and website/blog content – in partnership with relevant communications strategists, channel owners, content creators and issue experts. 
• Manage communications strategists by overseeing critical workstreams, offering strategic guidance, informing priorities, directing and mobilizing communications and marketing staff, and troubleshooting as challenges arise across departments.  
• Lead and oversee the development of integrated communications strategies for key legal, advocacy, policy and narrative priorities across the core issues you oversee with communications strategists. 
• Help identify strategic priorities and plans to help respond to the news of the day and to proactively get ahead of opportunities to advance the organization’s communications goals. 
• Write messaging and core materials for issues, campaigns, new filings and more leveraging polling, research and other insights to inform key narratives. 
• Establish strong working relationships with legal, advocacy, policy, and development colleagues across the organization, as well as affiliates and partner organizations. Work in coalition within and outside of the ACLU to develop a strong understanding of issues and team dynamics to help inform workflows and communications strategy.  
• Direct rapid response communications — including during off hours — in partnership with relevant communications strategists. Support the Head of Strategic Communications and other department leadership team members in crisis response. 
• In partnership with the Earned Media and Strategic Engagement team, devise and execute a strategy to strengthen and maintain relationship building with key news editors, reporters and broadcast bookers including providing support for ACLU spokespersons ahead of media engagements. 
• In coordination with department leaders and communication strategists, support the development of and execution of brand awareness, thought leadership and advocacy campaigns associated with key issue areas. 
• Partner with the department’s operations unit and team leads to regularly evaluate and improve department-wide workflows and help make decisions about resourcing needs. 
• Oversee media and communications vendors, consultants, and freelancers within allocated budget for the department to achieve maximum impact.  
• Contribute to department-wide measurement and evaluation efforts regarding the influence and impact achieved by the communications strategies of the ACLU. 
• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned. 

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL 

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives
• Be committed to work collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Demonstrated years of experience with integrated communications strategies, with background in advocacy and legal communications, along with a working knowledge of paid, earned, creator-led, shared and owned media relations tactics, platforms and strategies 
• Strong background in personnel management and demonstrated experience effectively developing and supporting employees with ranging experience levels and backgrounds 
• Management and team-building skills that inspire staff to work collaboratively in pursuit of a common mission and the ability to manage staff on the successful execution of objectives 
• A management style that is accessible, flexible, decisive, and supportive with the ability to provide clear direction and delegate where appropriate 
• Prior experience managing large projects, vendors and staff with the ability to establish priorities that will effectively utilize the staff’s time and the department’s resources 
• The ability to create and implement integrated communications strategies for a large, complex organization 
• Broad experience with legal, political, advocacy and public policy issues, as well as a strong understanding of how communications may be used to promote a legislative agenda, legal strategy and issue advocacy campaign 
• Experience and/or strong interest and understanding of the issues areas this role will oversee, including speech, national security, voting rights, privacy, tech, and abuse of power 
• Exceptional writing and editing skills across materials and styles, as well as the ability to effectively edit and review other people’s writing to strengthen overall team skills 
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex and controversial issues and to convey information about the issues to both narrow and broad audiences 
• Media savvy and experience executing communications plans in an evolving media environment, as well as interest in building a communications team that understands how to leverage a range of channels and media verticals 
• Excellent interpersonal skills necessary to operate effectively in a large, multi-office national organization and with state-based affiliates and active volunteers 
• Strong personal diplomacy, including a highly professional temperament and the ability to work in a collaborative team environment 

COMPENSATION

WHY THE ACLU

For over 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. Whether it’s ending mass incarceration, achieving full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age, or preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion, the ACLU takes up the toughest civil liberties cases and issues to defend all people.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being. 

At the ACLU, we offer a broad range of benefits, which include:

• Time away to focus on the things that matter with a generous paid time-off policy
• Focus on your well-being with comprehensive healthcare benefits (including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender affirming care & fertility treatment)
• Plan for your retirement with 401k plan and employer match
• We support employee growth and development through annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs and workshops

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check-the-box activities, but a chance for us to make long-term meaningful change.  We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti-oppression, anti-ableism, and anti-racism internally as we are externally. Because whether we’re in the courts or in the office, we believe ‘We the People’ means all of us.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.    

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email benefits.hrdept@aclu.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

 

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.