CAREER OPPORTUNITY
Communications Strategist for Reproductive Rights [COMM-49]
American Civil Liberties Union
Communications Department, NY
For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation’s guardian of liberty, working in courts, legislatures, and communities 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 LGBT 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 from government abuse and overreach. With more than a million members, activists, and supporters, the ACLU is a nationwide organization that fights tirelessly in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C., for the principle that every individual’s rights must be protected equally under the law, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability or national origin.
The Communications Department and the Reproductive Freedom Project of the ACLU’s National office located in New York City, seek applicants for the full-time position of Communications Strategist for Reproductive Rights.
OVERVIEW
With the election of President Trump and emboldened state legislators, a woman’s ability to get an abortion is under unprecedented attack. Indeed, over the past several years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number and severity of attacks on access to abortion and other reproductive health services, including extreme measures designed to shut down clinics and outlaw abortion. The ACLU has responded to this assault with exceptional legal talent, top-level policy, and advocacy expertise; a savvy communications department; 3 million members, activists, and social media followers; and our nationwide network of ACLU affiliates working in state capitols and with local communities and their local media. The ACLU is seeking an experienced professional to lead the development and implementation of the ACLU’s communications strategy for advancing reproductive rights.
The Communications Strategist will be a critical member of an interdisciplinary team that will integrate and capitalize on the expertise of staff focused on litigation, digital and traditional mobilization, and federal and state-based advocacy to build support for reproductive rights, encouraging activism, defeating further restrictions and building a movement to destigmatize and increase support for abortion. The Communications Strategist will bring to that team communications strategy expertise, experience with building leadership profile, solid experience in media relations, and the ability to advance core messages via social and national media. The Communications Manager will report to the Associate Director for Strategic Communications.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead the development and execution of creative, multi-faceted communications strategies to advance the ACLU’s efforts to protect reproductive rights, as well as determining yearly communications priorities, goals and measurements.
Work across departments — legal, political, advocacy, and affiliates –- to coordinate strategy and messaging on reproductive rights.
Identify and seize opportunities to promote ACLU messages and spokespeople on reproductive rights and find spaces within the movement where the ACLU can be most helpful.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with journalists who cover reproductive rights and other social issues.
Position ACLU experts as leaders in the work to protect reproductive rights and in paving the way forward for the movement.
Provide regular updates on priorities and successes to project leaders and development staff.
Determine the need for and create communications assets, including talking points, news releases, op-eds, letters to the editor, blog posts, backgrounders, posters and other swag, social media language, ACLU action emails, and other content. Serve as a resource for ACLU’s national staff and ACLU’s nationwide network of affiliates on communication strategies and messaging to protect access to reproductive rights.
Increase coverage of reproductive rights issues and ACLU messages by cultivating and maintaining relationships with key reporters, editors, producers and bookers.
Serve as the ACLU representative in reproductive rights and justice communications coalitions.
Oversee reproductive rights website content, ensuring that it is current, engaging and useful.
Where appropriate, hire and supervise work of advertising, messaging research, and public relations firms.
Help prepare ACLU staff, clients, and other advocates for media appearances and interviews.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years of professional experience in media, public relations, or communications strategy.
Experience working in the field of reproductive rights preferred, but not required. Commitment to reproductive rights essential.
Substantial experience in planning and executing communications strategies.
Experience working on issue-based advocacy campaigns a plus. Bring new ideas for the campaign, traditional and social media messaging.
Experience and comfort working with journalists at all levels.
Familiarity with online news, social media and digital movement-building tactics.
Prior involvement in managing messaging and advertising agencies/firms.
Excellent research, writing and editing skills; ability to produce clear, concise materials on tight deadlines.
The ability to communicate persuasively and professionally, in writing and verbally to a wide variety of media, political, stakeholder and influencer audiences.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to follow projects through to completion.
Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively with others in a team environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
COMPENSATION
The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send a cover letter, resume and a relevant writing sample to: hrjobsCOMM@aclu.org – reference COMM-49/ACLU in the subject line.
Please indicate in your cover letter where you learned of this career opportunity.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
This job description provides a general but not comprehensive list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required. It does not represent a contract of employment. The ACLU reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without advance notice.
The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages 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.
The ACLU undertakes affirmative action strategies in its recruitment and employment efforts to assure that persons with disabilities have full opportunities for employment in all positions.
We encourage applicants with disabilities who may need accommodations in the application process to contact:hrjobsincl@aclu.org. Correspondence sent to this email address that is not related to requests for accommodations will not be reviewed. Applicants should follow the instructions above regarding how to apply.
The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name “ACLU.”