Description

We are looking for a strategic and collaborative communications professional to join us as our Regional Communications Strategist. This role on our External Affairs team will work closely with our state and other teams to coordinate and support communication strategies and will play a key role in keeping our national team aware of trends and opportunities emerging in our work.

This is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of translating public policy issues into narratives and stories that compel volunteers, voters, and others to support our efforts to create a more equitable and accountable government.

This is a full-time role reporting to the Communications Director; this role is remote anywhere within the lower 48 United States with a preference for someone on the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic, with an expectation to travel up to one week per month. We hope our new Regional Communications Strategist will join us in February!

Responsibilities

Develop communications strategies and support multiple state and other programmatic teams to implement that strategy

•    Establish and maintain strong relationships with major news outlets, reporters, bookers, producers, and others 
•    Develop communications strategy based on collaboration with staff across the organization and assessment of needs and opportunities at the state and national level
•    Work closely with national teams and state staff to surface trends and opportunities, and provide guidance on how to best support state teams
•   Work closely with teams across the organization to identify state-based and national communications and media opportunities for state staff to amplify our work
•   Work closely with teams across the organization to feature our state’s work prominently in public discourse
•   Stay up to date on the ever-changing media landscape to ensure Common Cause can reach new and younger audiences

Create, manage and support content for teams across the organization

•   Draft, edit, and pitch op-eds and letters to editors for our teams, and regularly pitch our work and potential stories
•   Support and prepare teams across the organization for all communication and media opportunities, this includes writing press releases, media advisories, and talking points to prepare state staff for media interviews
•   Update select state websites with press releases, statements, advisories, news clips, and supporting materials
•   Support teams across the organization with communications related to their work with other organizations
•   Support with management of our social media accounts and content 
•   Organize and host online media briefings in collaboration with state teams, including serving as moderator as needed 
•   Organize and produce live streaming content across all platforms, including booking guests, scripting talking points, promoting on social media, managing any technical aspects of streaming

Qualifications

You will thrive in this role if you have:  

•    A strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and to advancing racial equity through our national agenda
•    A commitment to equity in the goals of your work and in how you work with others 
•    Ability to compel action through both written and verbal communication, with the ability to distill complex concepts for a broad audience (in particular, a young audience), and differentiate communications as needed for various audiences 
•    Knowledge of earned, social, and digital media and how each can be used to shape public narratives and debate, and an interest in emerging media and platforms where young, diverse audiences are receiving news and information
•    Ability to quickly build rapport, trust, and credibility with multiple stakeholders with diverse interests, and a track record of working collaboratively with others
•    Ability to manage and meet deadlines for multiple short- and long-term priorities at once; to work in rapid-response environment including making decisions quickly, and motivating others to respond urgently to media stories
•    High attention to detail; strong organization skills, an ability to manage your time independently, and a resourceful approach to problem-solving 
•    Openness to feedback and awareness of your own strengths and areas for growth 
•    Familiarity with office productivity tools including Microsoft Office, Slack, and Zoom; ideally you also have experience using Canva and Vimeo 

Additional information about this role

• This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit and specific employment terms and conditions are subject to collective bargaining negotiations.
• Common Cause is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time; please note that if hired, you will be asked to produce documentation for authorization to work in the US. 

Compensation: $80,000-$95,000  

Note that we do have geography-specific percentage increases, depending on where you are located; details here.

In order to ensure greater equity and transparency as an organization, Common Cause sets salary ranges consistently based on job responsibilities, and we determine salary for each staff member based on relevant years of experience (you can read more about our approach to compensation here, including where we offer geographical adjustments). For these reasons, we do not negotiate on our salary ranges or our specific salary offers.  

In addition to salary, we also offer a generous benefits package, including:  

•  A robust healthcare planthat covers 97% of employee’s medical care, 100% of employee’s vision and dental benefits, and 75% of family medical care and 100% of family vision and dental benefits 
•  Generous Paid Time Off including 20 Days of Vacation and 10 observed Holidays per year, and additional days off for Thanksgiving and Winter break  
•   Flexible spending accounts 
•   A401k retirement savings plan, with Employer Match after 1 year of service  
•   Dependent Care and Pet Care Support when you travel for work 
•    Funds for professional development 
•   And more! See more details here: https://www.commoncause.org/our-benefits/ 

Common Cause is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants of any race, creed, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, income class, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status, as well as applicants who have been previously incarcerated.

Common Cause (501(c)(4)) and Common Cause Education Fund (501(c)(3)) are nonpartisan, nonprofit grassroots affiliate organizations dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create an open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.     

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Washington, DC, Common Cause has more than 1.5 million members and supporters living in every congressional district in the United States, and offices in 23 states around the country.  

Requirements

The following is required:

•        Experience drafting, pitching and placing op-eds and press releases in news outlets 
•        Experience working with reporters to proactively shape the narrative of stories; ideally you have existing contacts with media outlets
•        Experience creating and/or executing communication plans
•        Experience managing social media accounts for organizations or leaders, and adapting ‘voice’ to write on behalf of others
•        Ideally you have experience preparing and training leaders to speak to the media (including drafting messaging and talking points) 
•        Ideally you have knowledge of congressional or state legislative operations and political campaigns, and have translated data, research and/or public policy into compelling narratives
•        Ability to travel up to one week per month to meet with other teams, and for team and/or all staff retreats
•        Per our nonpartisan policy, Common Cause staff members may not currently be in elected office (or running for office); on the Steering Committee or Finance Committee for any political candidate; or affiliated with the leadership of a political party