External Affairs Manager

Media Matters for America—a progressive, Washington, D.C.-based, nonprofit research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media—seeks a candidate with advocacy,  communications and/or administrative experience supporting a fast-paced team to serve as the External Affairs Manager.

This is a full-time position and is remote. Remote work can be done anywhere from within the United States, including our Washington, DC office. 

In order to maintain a safe and healthy workplace, Media Matters employees accessing our DC office are required to provide proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 as defined by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Media Matters will discuss reasonable accommodations with employees who may be unable to receive a vaccine due to disabilities or medical status, and/or employees with religious objections or concerns that may prohibit them from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine

Role Summary: 

The External Affairs Manager is a member of the External Affairs team, focused on supporting a wide range of progressive partners and stakeholders and building an impactful and consistent advocacy program with them. The External Affairs Manager will also assist in partner and stakeholder mapping, intel gathering and monitoring, engagement planning and delivery, and the development of relevant materials.

Reporting Structure:

• The External Affairs Manager reports to the Director of External Affairs.  
• The External Manager may supervise External Affairs Associates and Interns, as assigned.

Responsibilities:

Advocacy and Outreach

• Owning and deepening relationships with external stakeholders and partners including understanding partner priorities and campaign objectives by participating in partner calls and actively monitoring and engaging with key community and issue-focused listservs
• Creates and maintains an effective feedback loop by sharing imperative information collected from partner and external stakeholder meetings, webinars, etc.
• Regularly shares Media Matters work with partners with the goal of providing insights on media messaging and narratives on shared priorities and amplifying and raising the profile of Media Matters’ work 
• Work with the External Affairs Deputy Director in the development and delivery of stakeholder engagement strategies

• Engaging experts and allies outside of the organization in order to promote Media Matters work, form partnerships, and help build or bolster campaigns to hold media outlets and social media platforms accountable
• Identifying opportunities to support key campaign objectives through Media Matters’ content and external research products

• Leads on responding to general incoming partner and external stakeholder requests, including working cross departmentally to fulfill research or campaign requests

Collateral Creation

• Creation of content to communicate campaign and advocacy-driven programs and partnerships to a diverse range of national partners and stakeholders
• Help lead in the development of campaigns ideas and initiatives based on Media Matters’ Fox accountability and tech platform accountability work 
• Lead on creating and conducting trainings and briefings that equip activists to advance campaigns, and supporting independent individual and organizational efforts aligned with Media Matters’ mission.

Management

• Providing ongoing professional support and feedback for External Affairs Associate and department interns that directly report to this position through regular check-ins and personal goal development;
• Meeting and coordinating with the Director of External Affairs and Deputy Director of External Affairs to develop department priorities, discuss research or project management challenges, ask questions, troubleshoot, and strategize around big-picture narratives.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3-4 years of experience in communications/journalism, and or progressive grassroots or grasstops advocacy
• Project management, stakeholder and relationship management desirable
• Strong and holistic understanding of the progressive movement, key stakeholders and the top fights they’re engaged in
• Strong, fast writer with an ability to quickly synthesize information about new topics
• Understanding of the 24-hour news cycle, the online information ecosystem, and how conservative misinformation affects our public debate
• Ability to write and edit impactful content for different audiences
• Alignment with Media Matters’ work culture, including:
  • Interest in media and the effects conservative misinformation has on our public debate, and an understanding of Media Matters’ mission and work
  • Ability to operate effectively both independently and in a team setting
  • Demonstrated ability to meet tight deadlines on a daily basis, organize long-lead projects, and quickly adapt to new challenges in a fast-paced news cycle
  • Receptivity and responsiveness to both concrete and abstract feedback
  • Dedication to accuracy, with the ability to prioritize and give keen attention to detail  
• Experience using media database tools including Cision, BuzzSumo, Meltwater, etc. 
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Microsoft Excel and Word, and Google Workspace programs.
• Experience in a remote work environment is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits: Media Matters for America offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package. The salary for this position starts at $62,500 and is commensurate with experience.

Media Matters offers multiple health insurance options, including a no-cost option for employees and vision and dental coverage, in addition to a monthly student loan repayment benefit and a safe harbor automatic 3% contribution to a 401(k) account on the employees behalf. We also offer additional relocation stipends, work-from-home transitional support benefits, and a supplemental payment of $2,250 per year for employees that choose to work at least 60% of the time from the Washington, DC office. 

Additionally, we offer generous paid-time off, including 10 days of vacation (increasing each year, up to 21 days in/after an employee’s fifth year at Media Matters), 12 paid holidays, 2 personal floating holidays, 3 wellness days, and 12 sick days per year; we also traditionally close the week between Christmas and New Years Day. 

This position is part of the Media Matters Union represented by the Service Employees International Union Local 500. 

Essential Physical Requirements 

The physical demands of the position include regular work on a computer for all or part of the work day, as well as regular communication with colleagues, both verbally and in writing, using tools such as email, Slack, and audio and video conferencing. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions, including the use of assistive technology. 

How to Apply:

Please visit https://www.mediamatters.org/jobs to apply through our online portal. No phone calls, please. 

Media Matters for America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value a diverse workforce and strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or disability. 

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.