Position Location: LosAngeles or Oakland, CA, New York, NY or Washington, DC strongly preferred;other locations considered

The Center for Popular Democracy (CPD, c3) andCPD Action (c4) are a national network of 43 movement building organizationsrooted in 30 states across the country. Our affiliates transform the local,state and national policy landscape through people-led campaigns for fairness,equity, opportunity and justice.

We seek an experienced and energetic seniorcommunications and public affairs strategist to advance our work throughstrategic communications, storytelling, and creative movement building.

Reporting to the NetworkPresident, the Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs will beresponsible for the development of CPD and CPD Action’s communication, brandmanagement, and digital organizing strategies in close coordination with CPDsdevelopment and executive teams. The position will also contribute to theorganization wide strategic planning process. This position directly supervisesthe Communication Director and the Digital Director.

This position is responsiblefor the development, integration, and implementation of a broad range of publicrelations activities relative to the strategic direction and positioning of theorganization, its senior leadership and its affiliates. This individual isresponsible building relationships with various forms of media includingonline, network, and print mediums.

In addition toorganization-wide responsibilities, this position will also be a key strategiston CPDs racial justice team developing the brand and public relations strategyfor CPD’s racial justice work, as well as leading an integrated progressivemessaging strategy that centers race and people of color leadership inprogressive multiracial movements. Along with the Network President, thisposition serves as a key fundraiser for CPD and CPD’s racial justicedepartment.

A strong candidate will havesignificant experience managing communications, digital and marketing staff in crafting and implementing comprehensive communications strategies that includetraditional and social media; digital communications; special events; and theintegration of cultural work that engage diverse and numerous audiences thatrange for grassroots and grasstops leaders to national advocates from variousbackgrounds and spheres of influence.

The ideal candidate will havedeep alignment with CPDs theory of change, which focuses on building strongpeople’s institutions, as a core priority for our social justice movement, andfacilitating moving between institution-building spaces and “movement moments.”

Primary responsibilities

• Develop and implement an integrated strategiccommunications plan to advance CPDs brand identity; broaden awareness ofits programs and prioriies; and increase the visibility of its programs across key stakeholder audiences.
• Create marketing/public relations strategy that will allow CPD's leadership to cultivate and enhance meaningful relationships with targeted, high-level external audiences, including the media and key influencers.
• Actively engage, cultivate and manage press relationships, in conjunction with the Director of Communications and anyCommunications consultants, to ensure coverage surrounding CPD programs,     special events, public announcements, and other projects.
• Develop and execute varied and integratedcommunications products including c4 website, c4 print publications, c4newsletters & online communications, as well as media and public relations products for both the c3 and c4 organizations.
• Create and launch new media and marketing, including a CPD blog, podcast, and webinars.
• Work with the Co-EDs and Network President to achieve organizational goals and objectives by administering the communications and public relations initiatives as determined by the larger organizational strategic planning process.
• Refine CPDs core messages to ensure brand consistency.
• Resolve public affairs issues.
• Serve as executive editor for the development, production and maintenance of the company's internal and     external non-development communication vehicles, including the main c4 website, c4 marketing materials, c4 publications, and c4 annual reports, as well as helping to advising around the c3 materials to ensure     consistency and excellence across CPD and CPDA’s brand and materials.

• Identify challenges and emerging issues faced  by the organization. Work with leadership team and staff to recognize internal and external communications opportunities and solutions, and define and execute appropriate strategies to support them

• Exercise judgment to prioritize media opportunities, and prepare talking points, speeches, presentations, and     other supporting material as needed.
• Oversee the day-to-day activities of the  communications function, in collaboration with the Director of     Communications,  including budgeting, planning, and staff development

• Recruit and manage a communications team to support the development and execution of the communications strategy, in collaboration with the Director of Communication .
• Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.
• Mentor and develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach on a consistent basis.
• Establishand monitor staff performance and development goals, assign accountabilities, set objectives, establish priorities, conduct annual performance appraisals, and administer salary adjustments for both the     Communications and Digital Teams at CPD/A.

Qualifications

• Communications:Proven success at leading strategic internal and external communications efforts through thedevelopment of communications plans, message development, media efforts(including new and social media), public relations, marketing, andtargeted distribution strategies. Skilled in creating powerful, compelling written and oral communications. Ability to convey complex ideas through  brief, reader-friendly materials. Experience identifying and crafting stories that engage and compel an audience. Superior writing and proofreading/editing skills are critical. Video production experience preferred.
• Leadership: Experience in planning, leading, and managing creative communication projects and working in ways that haven’t been tried before. Ability to participate on a leadership team to advance the organization’s broader goals and a willingness to roll up your sleeves to execute as needed. Experience coordinating with peers across functional teams to achieve desired outcomes. Ability to work     independently to organize and prioritize multiple projects.
• Tools and Resource Development: Expertiseoverseeing the production of multimedia resources to ensure relevance to target audiences.
• Events: Experience designing and executing events  with a focus on culture, creativity, and experiential learning.
• Collaboration: Effective at working with others  to reach common goals and objectives. Comfort in an informal, entrepreneurial environment that values innovation, risk, and results.
• Relationship Building: Skilled at establishing and cultivating strong relationships with peers, across     different levels of the organization and externally.
• Management Experience: Excellent people skills with demonstrated experience managing others and     working with a dynamic team internally and externally. Able to multi-task;  comfortable working in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment, while also driving toward clarity and solutions.
• Project Management: Ability to implement project management methodology to advance multiple endeavors simultaneously, providing project participants and suppliers with clarity related to vision, deliverables, and timelines.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or related field and/or relevant job experience is     required, an advanced degree is preferred
• Minimum 5 years experience in a senior management role either in-house or with an agency, including experience in planning, writing, editing, and production of newsletters, press releases,  annual reports, marketing literature, and other print publications and  directories
• Demonstrated skill and comfort in proactively building relationships with top tier reporters and editors, and in     successfully positioning subject matter with the media to achieve high-impact placements
• Demonstrated experience and leadership in managing a comprehensive strategic communications, media relations, and marketing program to advance an organization's mission and goals
• Creative and thoughtful on how new media technologies can be utilized
• Innovative thinker, with a track record fortranslating strategic thinking into action plans and output
• Experience in building, mentoring, andcoaching a team of communications specialists
• Excellent judgment and creative problemsolving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Self reliant, good problem solver, results oriented
• Ability to make decisions in a changing environment and anticipate future needs
• Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive; a team leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical finance, and administration initiatives
• Strong fundraising capacity

Preference for candidates based in Los Angeles, Oakland,Washington, DC or New York. Exceptions may be made for exceptional candidates.

Generous salary and benefits package, depending on experience.

Please send your resume and coverletter to jeppsaddison@populardemocracy.org