Associate Director of Strategic Communications

ABOUT THE JOB

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full-time position of Associate 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. 

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 Director of Strategic Communications, the Associate Director of Strategic Communications will advance communications initiatives in collaboration with a team of communications professionals, and other members of ACLU’s digital, legal, advocacy, fundraising, and affiliate support teams. The Associate Director will support the development and execution of integrated communications strategies and manage communications strategists that advance key programmatic areas including reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights.

YOUR DAY TO DAY

• Managing communications strategists whose portfolios align with top organizational priorities including reproductive freedom and LGBTQ rights, including directing and mobilizing communications staff to take an integrated communications campaign approach to organizational responses to the news of the day, along with the proactive identification of opportunities to advance the organization’s communications priorities
• Design and implement integrated communications campaigns that involve earned media, paid advertising, social media, multimedia, email/SMS and website/blog tactics in partnership with relevant communications strategists, channel owners, content creators and issue experts
• Direct rapid response communications — including during off hours — in partnership with relevant communications strategists. Support the Director and other department leadership team members in crisis comms response
• Manage the development of integrated communications strategies for cross-organizational working groups on select priority issues and priority moments, ensuring key domain and subject-matter experts are engaged to help create integrated communications strategies on key civil liberties and civil rights projects
• 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 and broadcast bookers including the create media kits and providing support for ACLU spokespersons including conducting media trainings
• 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
• Oversight of media/communications vendors, consultants, and freelancers within allocated budget for the department
• Contributing to department-wide measurement and evaluation efforts regarding the influence and impact achieved by the communications strategies of the ACLU
• Engaging 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 demonstrated experience in advocacy communications, along with a working knowledge of paid, earned, shared and owned media relations tactics, platforms and strategies
• Prior experience managing large projects, vendors or staff with the ability to establish priorities that will effectively utilize the staff’s time and the department’s resources
• The ability to implement integrated communications strategies for a large, complex organization
• Broad experience with public polic