Communications Director

Title: Communications Director  

Employment type: Full-time, Exempt  

Salary Range: $65,000 - $80,000, commensurate with experience

Program Area: Communications

Reports To: Executive Director  

Communications Director

About the Role 

In 2023, the time for organizing our communities is more important than it has ever been. Our family of organizations Arizona Coalition for Change (501(c)3), Our Voice Our Vote Arizona (501(c)4), and Our Voice Our Vote Arizona PAC is seeking an experienced Communications Director who will lead our external affairs work, including our digital presence, press relations, and public narrative. This is the dream job for someone who wants to use their communications expertise to be on the frontline making policy change, ensuring legislative implementation, and organizing communities of color with an organization deeply committed to building power at scale.

The Communications Director will serve on the senior leadership team while directly supervising a digital communications manager. This role is perfect for someone who is self-motivated, dedicated to investing in the leadership of their team, creative, results-oriented, and eager to leverage their communications skills to operationalize transformative organizing. This person will bring a deep understanding of external affairs trends and best practices, a track record of results, and a commitment to amplifying the voices of those most impacted by systemic inequities and ensuring they are at the center of solutions. 

About The Organization 

Arizona Coalition for Change is a Black-led organization with a dynamic multicultural team that empowers everyday people to transform their community through building civic power, leadership development, and community collaboration. We advocate for lasting progressive public policies that change the dynamics of communities by putting people first. We work to develop and uplift voices in communities to take on the nation's most pressing issues.

Organizational Beliefs

Arizona Coalition for Change and Our Voice Our Vote Arizona is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We strongly encourage women, people of color, and LGBTQ candidates to apply. We deeply value the expertise of lived experience and strongly value and seek to invest in applicants that have shared lived experience with the constituents we currently and hope to work with, including folks of color, those who are immigrants, or children of immigrants to the US, those whose first language is not English, trans and queer individuals, and others from communities who have been impacted by systemic inequities.  Our team members must be passionate about developing relationships and building grassroots power for Black and other people of color communities in the state. We have undertaken a new strategic direction, doubling down on transformative organizing by establishing a culture where leaders are liberated through collective movement building,  leadership development, and risk-taking. 

Role Responsibilities 

• Communication Strategy 
• Develop and execute a strategic communications plan, partnering with internal stakeholders and external agencies, to drive brand and organizational metrics.
• Use communications strategies to connect with key audiences, build our organization's image, and drive interest in our work.
• Develop and maintain standard talking points for recurrent topics and emerging matters.
• Develop a crisis communication plan for the organization.
• Partner with colleagues, freelancers, and agencies to create content and thought leadership in a variety of formats (articles, videos, infographics). 
• Manage our content marketing efforts, overseeing the editorial calendar and content development process. Plan our content calendar, execute, and report results.
• External Affairs and Press Relations 
• Work with our external groups: Grow our media presence. Cultivate media and influencer relationships, build interest and coverage, imagine and pitch compelling stories. 
• Monitor media coverage and ensure appropriate responses.
• Develop articles, presentations, speeches and press kits. 
• Serve as copy editor and/or ghostwriter for leaders as necessary.
• Coordinate interviews and photo shoots. 
• Evaluate and identify events that we should be attending/sponsoring to reach our target audiences. Determine our presence and manage logistics. Create and manage cross-channel pre-and post-event communications to drive awareness & connections.
• Ensure all leads are captured, uploaded to our system and followed up on in a timely manner; evaluate the quality of the event and determine if we should invest again.
• Travel for work as needed 
• Digital Marketing Management 
• Ensure websites, social media, and other digital channels are aligned with PR efforts and are up to date with news releases, articles, etc. 
• Work with the digital marketing manager to create a digital newsroom.
• Team Leadership and Collaboration 
• Serve as a member of the organization’s leadership team and support the Executive Director with designing strategy and quarterly planning 
• Manage the digital marketing manager and support them in developing their leadership.  Ensure that the team has clarity at all levels by modeling, building, and supporting effective communication,  coordination, and performance-oriented culture.
• Partner with program directors to manage and grow the membership base. 

Ideal Skills and Background 

• Strategic Communication: A strong ability to develop and execute a strategic communication plan that aligns with the organization's goals and effectively engages diverse audiences within the Black community.
• Cultural Competency: Demonstrated deep understanding of the unique experiences, challenges, and perspectives of the Black community to craft culturally sensitive and resonant messaging.
• Media Relations: Proven expertise in building and maintaining relationships with media outlets, journalists, and influencers to secure media coverage and amplify the organization's initiatives.
• Community Engagement: Track record of successfully collaborating with community leaders and organizations to facilitate two-way communication and ensure communication strategies align with community needs and aspirations.
• Social Media Management: Proficiency in managing and growing social media platforms to effectively communicate the organization's mission and engage with the community, including an understanding of emerging social media trends.
• Storytelling: The ability to develop and share compelling narratives that highlight the organization's impact and contributions to the Black community's civic engagement, creating emotional connections with the audience.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Awareness: A commitment to integrating DEI principles into communication strategies, ensuring representation and inclusivity in all messaging, and a background that reflects an understanding of DEI issues.

Benefits:

• Top-of-the-line medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options. 
• 401(K) plan with employer matching options 
• Paid time off for holidays 
• Extended paid time off for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years 
• 10 paid time off (PTO) days 
• Paid family and sick leave
• Professional development opportunities
• 10 hours of paid community service to support our community 
• Strong team culture! 

To Apply send your cover letter and resume and two references to [email protected]. Include “Communications Director“ in the subject line. In the cover letter please thoroughly explain why you are a strong fit for this position. To learn more about our organization and view all open roles visit: www.azc4c.org/careers