Posted On: October 19, 2012
Journalism Job
Media Organization: American Civil Liberties Union
Company Description
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU), founded in 1920, is a nationwide, non-profit, nonpartisan organization, with more than 500,000 members and is dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality embodied in the U.S. Constitution.
Job Description
Under the supervision of the Associate Director for Strategic Communications, the Communications Strategist will play a critical role in developing and executing communications strategies that raise public awareness of the ACLU’s work to advance civil liberties causes. The strategist will work to advance the agenda of the ACLU in a number of ways, including collaborating with media relations staff, lawyers, lobbyists and state advocates to develop communications goals and plans. Additionally, the strategist will create public education plans for litigation and advocacy; work with advocacy, media and field staff to develop communications strategies for federal and state legislative issues and create content for publications and the website; and plan events.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead the development of multi-faceted communications strategies on issues housed in the Center for Democracy, which focuses on human rights, national security, and speech, privacy and technology.
Participate in shaping communications plans for legal cases and initiatives to maximize the communications value and visibility.
Develop multi-faceted communications plans, which include message development, web presence, advocacy and social media; to educate and motivate target audiences.
Work with the advocacy team to develop communications strategies for federal and state legislative initiatives.
Work with lawyers and advocates to develop messages on sensitive and/or controversial issues.
Work with Media Relations colleagues to prepare clients, litigators and other spokespeople for media appearances.
Draft and edit blog posts, website text, reports and other communications materials.
Collaborate with the legal projects’ liaisons to the Communications web team.
Coordinate branding and issue-oriented advertising.
Strategize to determine the most effective prospects for disseminating the ACLU messages and brand.
Provide assistance to affiliates in the development of communications materials and strategy when necessary.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s Degree required.
A minimum of five years professional experience in a combination of the following areas: media, digital communications and public relations.
Experience working on issues of human rights, national security, and speech, technology and privacy is strongly desired.
Experience in promoting complex issues to varied audiences.
Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively with others in a team environment.
Must have strong organizational skills, be detail-oriented and possess the ability to follow projects through to completion.
Strong writing and editing skills; ability to produce clear, concise materials on tight deadlines.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Internet usage.
Fluency in Spanish is a plus.
A demonstrated interest in civil liberties and passion for the work of the ACLU is essential.
COMPENSATION
The ACLU offers a generous and comprehensive compensation and benefits package, commensurate with experience and within the parameters of the ACLU compensation scale.
To Apply
Please submit a letter of interest (with salary requirements), a resume and a writing sample (no more than three pages in length) via email to hrjobsCOMM@aclu.org - reference [COMM-36/NYU] in the subject line. Please note that this is not the general ACLU applicant email address. This email address is specific to the Communications posting. In order to ensure your application is received please make certain it is sent to the correct e-mail address. You can expect to receive an automatic response that acknowledges the submission of application materials.
Alternatively, materials can be sent via regular mail to:
Human Resources
RE: [COMM-36/NYU]
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Please indicate in your letter of interest 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/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
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.”