Director of Communications

The National Center for Youth Law works to amplify youth power, dismantle racism and other structural inequities, and build just policies, practices, and culture in support of young people. Our efforts advance justice through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transforms our nation's approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every young person thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves.

The Team

The National Center for Youth Law’s Communications team is responsible for increasing awareness of the organization as a respected, go-to source on children and youth issues among target audiences. The team also executes a communications plan that promotes public policy changes, improves services for youth, and elevates legal precedent that benefits children and youth autonomy and opportunities. The team leverages a range of communications strategies and tactics to highlight challenges confronting children and youth, and solutions that improve the lives of children, youth, families, and communities.

Position

This is an excellent opportunity for an energetic, mission-driven, strategic communications leader who is excited to lead communications strategy; build infrastructure; engage in planning; share expertise and best practices in messaging, digital, branding, and media relations; and execute creative, audience-centered content.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with deep experience across the spectrum of traditional and digital media, and evidence a keen understanding of launching comprehensive messaging, advocacy, and fundraising campaigns at the national level.

The position reports to the organization’s Senior Director of Public Affairs and Strategies.

Essential Functions

Develop, implement, and oversee a strategic communications plan for the Communications team and organization, including setting priorities and goals, measurable objectives, strategies, and tactics.
Lead the Communications team, which includes supervising team members, developing their workplans, delegating work, and identifying goals.
Ensure strategic communications support is provided to advance the National Center for Youth Law’s advocacy and campaign goals across all of our focus areas.
Create and lead a plan for strategic message development and shared learning across staff on values-based or asset messaging. Ensure consistency of messaging.
Develop shared learning for senior staff and their teams on foundations of communications, communication strategies, tools, and tactics that can best advance the work of the organization and streamline collaboration.
Lead strategies and priorities with communications consultants (creative and website), including needs assessment, timelines, and budgeting.
Lead ongoing brand strategy, rollout, and compliance with internal and external audiences.
Establish and manage effective cross-team relationships with organization leadership, program leads, development, and others to identify communications goals, target audiences, and timely, strategic opportunities that advance collective priorities.
Create and implement a comprehensive digital strategy, including messaging calendars, social media strategy, and organic and paid reach online.

Basic Qualifications

10+ years of strategic communications experience in a nonprofit, association, public affairs firm, or news environment, and/or a dynamic policy, political, or nonprofit environment
Deep experience in launching comprehensive advocacy campaigns at the state or national level, including drafting emails and creating social media content
Experience working with CRMs and the full spectrum of advocacy tools, including creating petitions, targeted advocacy campaigns, and text messaging campaigns
Expertise in graphic design and/or video production (Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, etc.)
Proven record in identifying and achieving measurable strategic communications goals, strategies, and tactics
At least three years of demonstrated success leading a communications team within a complex organizational structure – including hiring, supervision, delegation, and establishing best practices in communications
Excellent writing, digital communications, and editing skills
Experience supervising entry and non-entry-level staff
Experience leading communications strategies with an equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racist lens
Experience working with advocates, attorneys, youth, elected officials, and/or community leaders
Experience with promoting responsible, human-centered storytelling – including thoughtful partnership working with people affected by systemic racism and other injustices
Strong knowledge of values-based or asset framing and working with diverse audiences to advance solution-oriented messages

Qualifications for higher salary level

Have run national (not just state-based) advocacy campaigns
Deeper management experience: Leading a department, department budgeting, and interdepartmental collaboration
Broader set of technical skills (e.g., PhotoShop, InDesign, video production, coding)
Experience with grassroots and grasstops fundraising

Physical Requirements

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Salary, Benefits & Location

This is a full-time, exempt position. The salary is competitive at $148,561.00 or $163,379.00 annually. A geographic salary differential may be applied if the candidate resides somewhere other than the Oakland, CA, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, or Washington, DC metro areas. This means that the salary would be reduced if the candidate resides in an area where the cost of labor is less than that of the San Francisco Bay Area.

NCYL provides a robust benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, generous vacation and sick benefits, flexible spending account, employer contribution to a retirement plan, and short-term and long-term disability insurance.

Candidates must reside in, or be willing to relocate to, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Virginia, Washington DC, or Wisconsin.

This position is eligible for 100% remote work through December 31, 2024. It is possible that starting in January of 2025, NCYL will require people to work in an office, in which case they will need to be in a location where they can commute to a NCYL office regularly (DC, Los Angeles, Oakland or Sacramento).

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume at the link below. Please, no emails or calls.

Apply at: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/2120929

Applications will be reviewed beginning in January 2024.