Communications Director
$95,000–$105,000 year
On-siteSalt Lake City, Utah, United States
Job Summary
Communications Director at the ACLU of Utah leads the Communications Department as part of the leadership team, overseeing strategy, media relations, content creation, digital presence, and branding. The role involves developing and executing traditional and digital communications plans, collaborating with legal and campaigns teams on advocacy initiatives, supervising staff (including the Senior Communications Strategist), managing budgets, and reporting to the Executive Director and Board. Key responsibilities include setting measurable goals for visibility and engagement, coordinating responses to emerging issues, providing media training, managing social media and website content, ensuring brand alignment, and driving organizational storytelling to advance civil liberties and civil rights. Typical requirements include a track record in news media, strong people and project management, crisis-capable judgment, and commitment to equity and inclusion; Spanish language skills are a plus, and experience in non-profit or advocacy settings is valued.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum 2 years of experience working directly with news media, including traditional and online publications
- Management experience, including experience providing direct supervision of staff
- Ability to manage a communications program, including creating and following a workplan and a budget
- Strong news judgment, political acumen, and the ability to lead with calm and clarity during periods of crisis or heightened visibility
- Demonstrated experience in a highly collaborative and inclusive work setting, as well as proven ability to work independently
- Ability to manage programs, direct experience with news media, traditional media, digital communications, graphic design, branding, and/or message development
- Ability to successfully serve as a team leader within an organization
- Excellent interpersonal skills including written and verbal communication, along with presentation skills to communicate effectively, comfortably, and respectfully with many audiences, including members of the general public, press, donors, staff at all levels, and lay leaders in conversation or print
- Demonstrated experience working on a team in fast-moving, high-stakes environments. Exceptional ability to prioritize concurrent tasks and expertly manage projects, manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced environment, delegate deliberately and ensure follow through, adapt quickly to changing priorities, and help set and meet moving deadlines
- Ability to effectively manage a highly talented and diverse team
- Ability to plan and meet deadlines, making judicious use of organizational resources and colleagues’ time and effort
- Ability to teach and educate others on social issues
- Ability to communicate to diverse audiences through a lens of equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging
- A strong commitment to racial justice and civil liberties issues affecting all community members
- A strong commitment to diversity- a personal approach that values the individual and respects difference of race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, ability, involvement with the criminal legal justice system, and socio-economic circumstance
- Preferred
- 5 years of experience in communications, public relations, marketing, journalism or related field
- Demonstrated sophisticated understanding of employing strategic communications as a tool in advancing policy advocacy and litigation outcomes, and uplifting community storytelling
- Experience in speechwriting
- A background in issue-based or political campaigns is a plus
- Experience in a non-profit environment, advancing advocacy or political campaigns
- Ability to translate legal concepts and terminology into easily understandable, compelling information
- Knowledge of Utah political and media landscape
- Fluency in Spanish is a plus
Desired Qualifications
- Graduate degree in communications, public relations, journalism, or related field (preferred)
- 5+ years experience in communications, public relations, or media roles (preferred)
- Experience managing staff and budgets
- Strong media relations and crisis communications skills
- Fluency in Spanish is a plus
- Experience in non-profit or advocacy organizations (a plus)
Hiring someone like this?
Get your role in front of qualified candidates on Sorce.