Communications Director

Overview

Oakland Rising (OR), a fiscally sponsored project of the Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund, is a collaboration of social justice organizations that have a long-term, shared vision for winning a community-based political infrastructure and governing majority in Oakland that centers racial, economic, and environmental justice. Over the past eight years, OR's political operation has grown into one of the largest, longest-lasting, and most sophisticated programs in the area. It has built a voter base in Oakland's working-class, immigrant, and communities of color neighborhoods that makes up more than 25% of the city's electorate. OR has helped to craft and win policies for racial, economic, and environmental justice while promoting a vision for transformational governance in Oakland and beyond.

This position is shared with our sister entity Oakland Rising Action (ORA), a separate 501(c)4.

In order to advance the work of OR and ORA, we are looking for someone who will bring to the Communications Director role a personal understanding of Oakland politics and relationships with key stakeholders in Oakland and throughout Alameda County. The position requires a high functioning, organized storyteller that deploys communications strategies for maximum impact and links communications to advocacy and organizing for social change and political power. The successful candidate will confidently cultivate and build the relationships necessary to sustain and grow the OR and ORA projects and who understands the importance of aligning and building the power of movement organizations.

Who We Are

OR works to build the power of working-class families, immigrants, and people of color in Oakland to advance racial, economic, and environmental justice. OR plays three key roles to achieve our mission:

• 
  Builds and exercises progressive electoral power through integrated strategies, including base-building and policy advocacy.

• Aligns and coordinates citywide and regional progressive forces through our collaborative model to build power & profile for the social justice movement.

• Recruits, trains, advances and supports progressive leaders who lead in a collaborative, accountable and values-based way that centers social justice.

Oakland Rising’s partner organizations include: Asian Pacific Islanders for Environmental Justice (APEN), Causa Justa/Just Cause (CJJC), Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA), Parent Voices Oakland (PVO), and St. Mary’s Center.

Oakland Rising Action’s steering committee includes: community leaders, APEN Action, Dream Beyond Bars Action Fund, East Bay Action Fund, and Ella Baker Center Action.

The Opportunity

The Communications Director will work closely with the OR/ORA Leadership Team (Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships Director, Political Director and Operations Director) and the Communications Organizer to raise and strengthen OR/A’s work as a progressive political home and utilize a communications strategy to activate working class, poor, and formerly-incarcerated Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color in flatland communities in Oakland and Alameda County. The Communications Director, while providing visionary strategic and operational communications expertise and leadership, will manage communications-led projects to deploy communications strategies for maximum impact and link communications to advocacy and organizing for social change and political power. They collaborate with other OR/A teams, such as Programs, Operations, and Fundraising Teams and collaborative partners and allies. The Communications Director reports directly to the Executive Director, and supervises the Communications Organizer.

Communications & Thought Leadership Strategy

• Lead a process to develop and ensure with clear systems the execution of a comprehensive communication strategic plan that aligns with OR/A’s mission goals and current political conditions

• Define and successfully drive short- and long-term objectives aligned with the organization’s mission, priorities, and communications strategy

• Ensure a clear, compelling, and consistent branding and message across all platforms, emphasizing the organization’s thought leadership as a progressive political home for OR/A’s base

• In collaboration with OR/A staff, collaborative partners, and coalition allies develop messaging toplines and talking points tailored for various audiences, both internal guidance and direction and external coalitions

• Ensure the organization’s brand resonates with and inspires increased investment and engagement of funders and donors.

• Design media training for staff and collaborative partner organizations leadership and members.

• Build and safeguard the organization’s reputation online by overseeing website and social media strategy, including branding, visual identity, and style guidelines

Project Direction

• Supervise and insure the alignment of the various communication-led projects to OR/A’s mission, purpose, priorities, and communications strategic plan

• Supervise the successful advancement of various communications-led projects which include

  • Arts, Culture, and Democracy

  • Voter Guides

  • Monday Meals - OR IG Live Events

  • Storytelling collection

  • Ad-hoc projects

  • Communications assets: website, social media accounts, texting programs

• Support digital and online-to-offline organizing models, collaborating with organizers to bring in new supporters (through digital ads, organic content, social media outreach, etc.) and move them up a ladder of engagement; guide use of texting platforms (Hustle, ThruText, Strive) and relational organizing apps (OutreachCircle, OutVote) that overlap between communications and organizing

• Direct and grow digital analytics program, building out tracking, testing, and analysis

• Create systems of management and coordination of communications-led projects

Content Creation & Alignment

• Ensure the content produced by the Communications Team is aligned with OR/A’s mission, purpose, communications strategic plan, and branding

• Write, edit, and distribute high quality media and multimedia content, including written content, publications, press releases, website and social media content, case studies, voter guides, graphics, infographics, and other communication material that communicates the organization's activities, campaigns, and/or events.

• Research, prepare, fact-check, edit, and produce high quality media and communications materials for various audiences and ensure their timely dissemination and amplification via OR/A’s communications channels

• Encourage and cultivate the skills of Communications Team members by providing supervised-appropriate opportunities, supervising, offering internal systems of accountability for content creation

Strategic Partnerships

• Identify, build and sustain working relationships that will advance OR/A’s communication strategic plan with communications staff with OR/A’s partner organizations, regional and state partner networks, and communications committees with coalition allies.

• Represent OR/A at key coalition spaces to advance the organizations’ priorities

• Represent OR/A as communications point of contact at OR/A events, partner events, broader community events and other spaces as needed.

• Serve as main lead on media relations, fostering relationships with journalists, media contacts, and social movement leaders.

• Create system for tracking communications strategic partnerships

Organizational Leadership and Strategy

• Partners with the Executive Director and the Senior Leadership Team to refine and advance the organization’s strategic direction, including supporting annual planning retreats, and developing and evaluating annual goals and benchmarks.

• Participate in the Senior Leadership Team to coordinate organization-wide work, monitor overall health and functioning of the organization, and facilitate effective organizational responses to opportunities and challenges.

• Provide direct supervision to the Communications Team members on a weekly and as-needed basis to succeed in providing organizational support and manage priorities

• Determine and manage the communications budget, ensuring cost effectiveness and accurate reporting to funders.

• Ensure the strength and cohesion of organizational systems and practices that support effective communications.

• Develop dashboards to track progress, produce reports and analyses of campaigns, and regularly report to funders on communications activities, offering insights to support their engagement

• Work collaboratively with Program Team and collaborative partners and allies to coordinate communications work for campaigns and participate as staff for volunteer days during civic engagement campaigns

Supervisory Responsibility

Communications Director supervises one to three communications staff members who are responsible for developing and implementing communications strategies.

Required Qualities, Skills, and Experience

• Commitment to racial, gender, economic and environmental justice, grassroots organizing, and building social movements

• Track record of success in organizational communications

• Strong speaking, writing, and editing skills in English

• Persistence, good follow-up, and a relationship-building orientation

• Ability to balance, prioritize, and follow through on tasks for multiple projects in a timely manner

• Must be a level-headed self-starter with an ability to prioritize and work independently.

• Ability to manage and make progress on multiple projects simultaneously;

• Highly organized with impeccable attention to detail

• Must demonstrate flexibility and excellent interpersonal skills and work well with people at all levels both in and out of the organization.

• Strong computer skills; ease with new technology and apps

• Initiative and creativity to develop strategic interventions and suggest new approaches

• Graphic design skills and familiarity with design apps (such as Canva, Illustrator, or InDesign)

• An orientation towards learning and development; willing to learn from mistakes, receive feedback, and give feedback to others.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Fluency in one or more of the following highly desired (speaking, writing, and reading): Spanish or Cantonese highly desired

• Familiarity with the Bay Area

• Experience with community organizing, labor organizing, or other social justice-oriented nonprofit experience in the communities we work with

• Experience shaping, developing, or implementing a communications plan

• Experience supporting voter outreach or a political campaign

• Experience managing multiple facets of communications or digital organizing for an organization

• Experience managing social media with a consistent voice and attention to detail

• Experience working with coalitions and/or handling relationships with multiple organizations and leaders

• 2 years of supervisory experience

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.

Work Environment / Physical Demands

This position may require sitting and operating a computer for a long time. Able to work on a computer, including sitting at a desk, for extended periods of time with or without reasonable accommodation. Manual dexterity to operate a keyboard and other technology.

Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Employment Terms

Compensation: This is a regular full-time exempt salaried position. Competitive salary ranging from $90,000-95,000, depending on experience, and a team-oriented yet flexible working environment. Plus a competitive compensation and benefits package:

• Paid vacation and personal leave

• Paid parental leave

• Medical, vision, dental, acupuncture, chiropractic and life insurance

• Medical, Parking, and Dependent Care FSAs with employer contributions available

• Commuter benefits

• Subsidized gym membership

• Employee Assistance Program

• 401k

Hours and location: This position is based in Oakland, CA with an option to work remotely one day a week. There are events and activities that will be in person outside of normal Monday through Friday business hours on an as-needed basis.

Expected hours of work

Standard days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Schedule may vary due to limited travel and evening or weekend activities. Daily schedule is flexible within the proximity of this time frame, and will be decided in consultation with the OR Project Advisory Committee.

Travel

No significant travel expected. Occasional domestic travel may be required for meetings and conferences.

How to Apply

Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Submit an application through this job portal and attach a PDF of your resume, cover letter, three references, and a writing sample. Applications will be reviewed as received. Open until filled.

Oakland Rising contracts with Resilient Strategies LLC for backend and operational support including hiring and employment. Resilient Strategies is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Folks who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, parents, are/have been system-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply. Pursuant of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.