Director of Strategic Communications

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Job Posting

DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

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

August 3, 2025

Overview

This position will be responsible for leading strategic communications for ACLU’s statewide advocacy by:

  • Stewarding the organization’s brand and strengthening its profile in the Capitol;
  • Managing the organization’s voice across advocacy campaigns and civic engagement programs;
  • Overseeing organic and paid media campaigns that advance the ACLU’s statewide policy agenda and political organizing goals;
  • Directing digital strategy to mobilize supporters to engage in our content and take action; and
  • Coordinate public opinion research initiatives.

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.

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.

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 media engagement consistent with the organization’s legislative priorities while maintaining media relations with local, regional, and national news outlets and editorial boards, especially in the Sacramento/State Capitol region. Provide rapid response counsel to senior management team.
  • Develop and implement integrated communications plans for the organization’s priority bills including managing and monitoring paid media campaigns.
  • Supervise digital strategist development of digital communication plans for priority legislation and management of digital comms performance, strategy, and content planning.
  • 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 key legislation, provide training support for staff to utilize talking points and maintain a database of all communication assets.
  • Oversee messaging research projects, including hiring polling firms, developing poll instruments, and presenting findings to relevant stakeholders.
  • 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.
  • Develop internal 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 3 years of leadership experience in communications, media, or related field in a supervisor role. Supervisorial experience across teams, including digital media, consultants and other support staff or contractors
  • 6 years demonstrated experience running paid and organic media campaigns, maintaining strong media relationships, and working on political advocacy communications.
  • Experience making prudent and strategic decisions and taking appropriate action in situations where there may not be clearly established criteria or standards.
  • 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. Working experience with WordPress, press and project management systems, and social media analytics software.
  • Excellent strategic planning and resource management skills, robust experience developing communications strategies.
  • 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.

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 August 3 to jobs@acluca.org for consideration. If you have any questions about the position or our process, please reach out to Jack Zwald at 916-824-3263 or jzwald@acluca.org.

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 jzwald@acluca.org 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.