[Hiring] Press Secretary @MoveOn.org

Role Description

The Press Secretary is a key driver of MoveOn’s media and profile-building strategy. The Press Secretary will bottom line day-to-day media needs for the organization, including designing and implementing proactive and reactive media relations plans to attract positive earned media attention for the organization, its programs, members, and leaders. Our ideal candidate should have several years of hands-on experience in earned media, hold relationships with national press, political creators and new media outlets, served as an on-the-record spokesperson, and have worked in a political campaign environment.

Responsibilities

• Seek and secure positive news media coverage for the organization, both by initiating opportunities and implementing strategies, nationally and in target states.
• Produce or assist in the creation of products for both media and external affairs audiences (press releases, background pieces, advisories, talking points, op-eds, press memos, slide decks, newsletters).
• Coordinate, book and prepare external spokesperson for interviews and other public appearances.
• Proactively pitch journalists, new media outlets and bookers and respond to media inquiries.
• Keep abreast of the news cycle to stay current on press opportunities and challenges.
• Design and implement media plans for priority program work.
• Work with program staff to support their media related requests, and offer guidance and capacity.
• Support development of messaging and talking points for emergent issues.
• Coordinate press events, or support the planning and implementation of coalition or member-led press events.
• Assist with profile-building strategies in support of our electoral, issue, and fundraising goals.
• Cultivate and maintain key relationships with national media, and manage press lists.
• Monitor media clips and compile and distribute media reports and analysis.
• Liaise with campaign, compliance, and leadership team members to review and coordinate content for a variety of press materials.
• Report regularly on your accomplishments and departmental activity.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support communications and organizational goals as needed.

Qualifications

• Thrive in a rapid-response, collaborative, digitally native organization that may require occasional long hours as required based on rapid response needs.
• Have a strong track record of managing projects with multiple stakeholders to completion.
• Be self-motivated, express humility, and have commitment to lifelong learning, self-examination, and promotion of equity.
• Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail for audiences across multiple levels, and an ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work both independently and as a team member in a busy remote office with personal enthusiasm, optimism, and a sense of humor.
• Have a background in political or issue campaigns, and familiarity and interest in movements for progressive social change.
• Be keenly attentive toward staying up to speed on political and current events.
• Demonstrate diplomacy, respect, and sound judgment.

Requirements

• Have at least 4-5 years of media relations and strategic communications experience in a political, electoral, organizing, or progressive issue campaign environment.
• Experience securing positive national press coverage and serving as an on-the-record spokesperson.
• Possess a clear sense of the national political media landscape and hold relationships with journalists and new media outlets.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong writing and copy editing skills.
• Demonstrated experience with, and comfort in a rapid-response campaign environment.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, be flexible, organized, self-motivated, and adapt to rapidly changing political and news environments to achieve goals.
• Takes initiative, is solution-oriented, and is comfortable wading into details and the big picture.
• Proficiency in internet-based research, word processing, media monitoring tools, internal communications platforms like Slack, and e-mail programs.
• An ability to manage multiple projects while adhering to messaging guidelines and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to incorporate feedback as part of our collaborative team process.
• A commitment to equity and contributing to improving organizational equity practices and culture.
• Project management skills and experience.
• Spanish speaking skills are a plus.

Benefits

• The annual salary for this position is $109,833.17.
• Monthly home office subsidy.
• Internet and phone subsidy of $2,100 annually.
• Health and wellness subsidy of $900 annually.
• Strong medical, dental, and vision benefits, free to employees and children of employees.
• Employer-paid premiums for life insurance.
• Four weeks accrued paid vacation time per year, prorated for the period that you work.
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave (birth, adoption, foster care placement of a child).
• 10 days accrued paid sick time prorated for the period that you work.
• Paid family medical leave.
• 8 staff holidays and 6 floating holidays.
• 5% contribution to your 401(k) after six months of employment.
• $1000 in professional development budget each year for each staff member.