[Hiring] Director of Communications @RAINN

Role Description

RAINN is looking for a Director of Communications who knows how to develop and land the story, build the editorial relationship, maximize PR in a partnership and relishes the chase in all three. This is a role for a sharp, instinctive PR and media leader who reads the news in the morning and sees five places RAINN should be in by the afternoon.

As the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, RAINN is leading some of the most consequential conversations in American life about prevention, justice and healing. The director of communications of Public Relations leads RAINN's earned media strategy and is the connective tissue between our programmatic work and the public conversations where it belongs.

You will report to the VP of Communications and partner closely with the Director of Marketing, our Content Strategist, Creative Director and external PR partners. You'll supervise the Entertainment Partnerships Manager and you'll be a builder and coach of RAINN's spokesperson bench.

What You'll Do

• Meet the Story Where It Lives
• Identify which platforms move which audiences toward which behaviors, and build coverage strategies that match.
• Hunt for and land earned media wherever it serves the mission.
• Build a real, working press list — not a database but a relationship-base.
• Identify the news pegs and cultural moments where RAINN's expertise is the missing piece.
• Place op-eds, ghostwrite for leadership, and pitch original story ideas.
• Build the Entertainment Strategy in Team Partnership
• Translate the VP of Communications' entertainment vision into clear strategic objectives.
• Support the higher-level tactical work alongside the VP.
• Consult closely with the Entertainment Partnerships Manager on the day-to-day execution.
• Identify culturally resonant moments and partner with the Entertainment Partnerships Manager.
• Connect entertainment partnerships to earned-media outcomes.
• Drive Special Projects That Make People Pay Attention
• Conceive and lead signature editorial projects.
• Translate RAINN's programmatic work into compelling stories.
• Partner closely with RAINN's Public Policy team.
• Prep RAINN's Spokespeople — and Be Ready Yourself
• Build and run RAINN's spokesperson bench.
• Develop talking points, message frameworks, and rapid-response materials.
• Run pre-interview prep, mock Q&A, and post-interview debriefs.
• Be media-ready yourself.
• Expand Editorial and Content Capacity
• Add to the organization's editorial muscle in close partnership with the Senior Manager of Content and Community.
• Translate complex programmatic, legal, and clinical material into accessible language.
• Develop and execute integrated communications strategies.
• Lead the Team
• Lead, mentor, and manage performance expectations for the Entertainment Partnerships Manager.
• Engage across the Comms team to measure, report and elevate our work.
• Mentor team members on strategic instinct and relationship building.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive communications experience with a demonstrable record of placed coverage.
• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, Political Science, English, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Existing, active relationships with reporters, producers, podcast hosts, and editors.
• Experience managing PR firms.

Requirements

• Fluency across the full earned-media surface area.
• Experience cultivating partnerships with celebrities, athletes, musicians, or creators.
• Outstanding writing across formats.
• On-camera and on-mic confidence.
• A respect for RAINN's mission and a sophisticated understanding of sexual violence as a public issue.
• Demonstrated technical proficiency in G Suite.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and a generous benefits package.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance and employee assistance.
• 403(b) retirement savings plan.
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.
• Free access to the building's fitness center.