Director of Strategic Communications

Jobs
The Opportunity

ACLU California Action advocates for the defense and advancement of civil liberties and civil rights in the State Capitol in collaboration with the ACLU’s three California Affiliates: ACLU of Northern California, ACLU of Southern California, and ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. We work to secure greater equality, equity, justice, and freedom for all Californians, working in coalition with community leaders. Our policy priorities are aimed at dismantling systems rooted in oppression and discrimination through an integrated advocacy approach that employs rigorous policy analysis, lobbying, communications, coalition-building, and grassroots organizing. We seek mission-driven, values-aligned advocates adept at working in teams and coalitions and motivated by ACLU’s diverse range of policy areas, which include criminal justice and law enforcement accountability, reproductive justice, LGBTQ equality, voting rights, immigrant rights, racial and economic justice, technology and civil liberties, and education equity. ACLU California Action is a 501(c)(4)* organization federated with the ACLU’s three California affiliates for the purpose of statewide advocacy

Location

Sacramento Based or Remote but must reside in California and be willing to work press events in Sacramento, as needed.

Department

Communications

Deadline Date

July 11, 2025

Overview

This position will be responsible for leading the ACLU’s legislative strategic communications in California by:

  • Stewarding the organization’s media advocacy and visibility.
  • Managing the organization’s social media brand and reach.
  • Overseeing paid traditional and new media campaigns that advance the ACLU’s statewide policy agenda.
  • Supporting the organization’s cultivation and accountability objectives related to incumbent legislators.
  • Educating the public about non-incumbent legislative candidates through our Candidate Issues Guide.
  • Mobilizing digital audiences to engage in our content and take action.
  • Coordinating public opinion research initiatives.

The director of strategic communications will manage the digital strategist, and will work closely with our executive director, government affairs team, statewide ACLU issue teams and policy project area directors, ACLU affiliate communications directors, coalition partners, and other stakeholders to advance our statewide policy and political agenda.

The director will report to the executive director and lead in developing the communication strategies and tactics for our legislative and political campaigns. This includes writing original content; managing and cultivating relationships with reporters; securing earned media, editorials and ad placements; developing values-based campaign messaging and framing to advance our legislative agenda and move target audiences to action; drafting and distilling complex policy into campaign materials, such as, Op-Eds, email action alerts, fact sheets, FAQs, etc.; reviewing and approving paid new and traditional media including direct mail; and producing regular reports on target audience engagement and reach.

Classification

Full-time, Exempt

Category

Unrepresented – not a bargaining unit position

Job Responsibilities
  • Establish goals and benchmarks by developing comprehensive media and content plans consistent with the organization’s policy agenda and priorities.
  • Make strategic decisions on external communications and media inquiries consistent with the organization’s legislative priorities.
  • Develop and implement integrated communications plans for the organization’s priority bills.
  • Work closely with the digital strategist to develop and oversee the digital communications plan for priority legislation and ensure regular and relevant content across social and web platforms in line with messaging and ACLU brand.
  • Draft, review, and approve all external communications including press releases, op-eds, letters to editor, committee hearing testimony or statements, e-mail marketing, social media, web content, and ads.
  • Produce and manage talking points and internal media guidance for all key legislation, distribute that information to staff and affiliate partners in a timely manner, and maintain and organize these documents in an accessible way in our digital archives.
  • Oversee messaging research projects, including hiring polling firms, overseeing the development of poll instruments, etc.
  • Develop and execute rapid response communications plans.
  • Conduct media trainings for staff, affiliate partners, coalition partners, experts, and organizational ambassadors, including on-air/camera interviews and committee hearing preparation.
  • Expand and maintain relations with local, regional, and national news outlets and editorial boards, especially in the Sacramento/State Capitol region.
  • Fulfill ad placements in radio, TV, digital, and social.
  • Collaborate regularly with ACLU issue teams, affiliate communications directors, ACLU National, coalition partners, and other stakeholders to identify communications goals, key audiences, messages, and engagement tactics, to ensure coalitions, ACLU staff, consultants, and bill author offices to understand the overall trajectory of the campaign.
  • Work with the digital strategist and vendors to track audience engagement and produce regular reports of earned media hits, social media metrics, and ad reach.
  • Supervise the digital strategist and facilitate regular team communication meetings with other ACLU affiliates.
  • Develop policies and procedures regarding ACLU Cal Action communications.
Racial Equity Competencies

Understanding and Applying Racial Equity

  • Demonstrate commitment to building or deepening understanding of racial equity through concepts such as:
    • The use of core terms including structural racism, white privilege, and anti-Blackness;
    • The role that racial inequity has played and continues to play in our society;
    • How race impacts supervisory relationships, team dynamics, and organizational culture; and
    • Personal/implicit/unconscious bias;

Working for Racial Equity

  • Consistently assess structural implications and racially disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions within the context of job responsibilities considering the intersection of race/ethnicity, gender, identity, and/or sexual orientation;
  • Consistently adhere to the organization’s racial equity policies and procedures, including those that relate to hiring, retention, and promotion; and
  • Consistently identify and address ways in which bias plays out in work and/or team;

Leading on Racial Equity

  • Effectively encourage people to have honest conversations about racial equity, and accept feedback openly, non-defensively, and from a posture of learning.
  • Consistently address structural implications and racially disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions by identifying and implementing changes that can produce more equitable outcomes. This applies not only in terms of race/ethnicity, but also at the intersection of race/ethnicity, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation; and
  • Consistently set racial equity outcomes, goals, and performance measures for the team, department, or organization, and develop and successfully implement plans to achieve them.

Qualifications
  • At least 8 years of leadership experience in communications, media, or related field.
  • Sound understanding of owned, earned, and paid media.
  • Experience making prudent and strategic decisions and taking appropriate action in situations where there may not be clearly established criteria or standards.
  • Outstanding managerial skills to comprehensively supervise the digital strategist, consultants, and other support staff or contractors
  • Ability to create and execute communications plans.
  • A demonstrated understanding of political advocacy campaigns.
  • Strong media relations, issues management, and rapid response communications skills, as well as a deep knowledge base in digital communications, website, and social media.
  • Superior writing and copyediting skills for various types of communications including news stories, media pitches, committee hearing testimonies, web, e-mail and social media content.
  • Excellent strategic planning and resource management skills. 
  • Success managing through influence in a complex, diverse, team-oriented environment.
  • Excellent interpersonal and oral communication skills, including public speaking and articulating ideas clearly and succinctly.
  • Strong skills in analyzing information, situations, practices, and procedures to define problems, identify relevant concerns, formulate logical and objective conclusions and recognize alternatives.
  • Proven commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially in the workplace.
  • Working experience with WordPress.
  • Experience with project management systems such as Asana.
  • Experience with press management and social media analytics software.
  • Spanish language proficiency preferred.
Compensation & Benefits

This position comes with a generous compensation and benefits package. This includes top-quality, employer sponsored medical, dental and vision coverage for you and your family; a retirement plan with a 2% employer contribution—up to 5.5% with matching contributions; 22 paid vacation days, 10 days of sick time, and 20 paid holidays of the employee’s choice annually; and robust life, disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and critical illness insurance plans. Salary range for this position is from $140,000-155,000 depending on the applicant’s experience.

Selection Process

Please submit your resume no later than July 11 to [email protected] for consideration. If you have any questions about the position or our process, please reach out to Jack Zwald at 916-824-3263 or [email protected].

ACLU California Action is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please contact Jack Zwald at [email protected] or 916-824-3263.  If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodation during the interview process.

ACLU Cal Action advances equity and inclusion in the workplace by providing equal employment opportunity to all as part of a work environment free from discrimination. We encourage and welcome applicants who will work to further this commitment and add to the diversity of our organization on multiple dimensions including race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, exercising the right to family care and medical leave, genetic information, marital status, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, political affiliation, or arrest or conviction record. 

*Please note that as a 501(c)(4) organization our team members are not eligible to participate in most student loan forgiveness programs.