Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

About the position

The Senior Director of Marketing and Communications leads the marketing and communications department, working closely with the Managing Director and program, policy, and development leadership to develop and execute winning campaigns, set marketing and communications strategy, and partner with programmatic leaders on narrative building. This position provides leadership, coaching and strategic planning needed for the department to implement marketing and communication strategies, and secure internal and external resources to advance the work. They ensure that we’re maximizing engagement, fundraising, support and growth opportunities across all digital platforms. The Director nimbly shifts and addresses multiple audiences, working to reach, persuade and mobilize organizers, policymakers, scholars, activists, allies, media-makers, funders, thought leaders and the Free Press team behind new ideas, creative campaigns, and opportunities to make lasting cultural shifts and policy change on the pressing media and technology issues of our time. This position is responsible for directing the marketing activities of the organization, including overseeing our email and social media programs. They are responsible for advertising and promotional activities, backed by marketing research and grounded in data analytics. This position is a member of Free Press’ senior leadership team and helps set and shape organization-wide strategic priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Marketing and Communications department: Provide management, mentorship and support for marketing and communications staff.
• Develop annual and quarterly goals and support the team in structuring their work to meet objectives.
• Be a creative and collaborative problem solver.
• Lead and inspire the team through message development and testing across different audiences to achieve acquired impacts.
• Grow our base of supporters and increase engagement: Ensure the team meets annual growth and engagement benchmarks for membership, online fundraising and actions.
• Ensure growth/churn on our email and SMS list and across social media platforms.
• Increase engagement among members, donors and the general public through impactful and meaningful narrative campaigns.
• Direct online fundraising: Meet our annual online fundraising goal.
• Work in close partnership with the campaign and development teams, and outside consultants to stay on track to meet fundraising goals.
• Lead the digital components of cultivating relationships with online donors, assist in providing updates and information to the development team as needed.
• Monitor and implement changes to strategy based on evolving marketing and communications best practices.
• Stay on top of latest research and trends in marketing and communications while remaining grounded in best practices.
• Know what’s new, exciting and ethical in the world of online organizing platforms and services.
• Implement new strategies, technologies and best practices.
• Ensure the team conducts regular evaluations, shares lessons learned and informs strategic choices on how we spend our time and resources.
• Oversee analytics and testing: Oversee regular testing to analyze content and messaging effectiveness.
• Actively engage with real time data and learnings about what boosts engagement and growth, and consistently apply that knowledge to our marketing and communications campaigns.
• Ensure all team members are responsible for overseeing data analytics and reporting on how that shapes future efforts.
• Oversee online-ad and acquisition budget: Work with consulting partners on the execution and implementation of our online-ad strategy.
• Lead acquisition efforts and onboarding of new members.
• Manage annual ad and acquisition budget to ensure it meets digital, programmatic and fundraising goals.
• Cross-team collaboration: Encourage cross-team collaboration between Marketing and Communications Department and other programmatic, policy and development teams.
• Contribute to problem solving and help triage competing priorities across the organization.
• Ensure digital assets and resources are deployed where needed across the organization.
• Work with the Executive Team to align digital goals with organizational objectives.
• Secure internal resources to advance strategic priorities, identify staff capacity and work with leadership to deploy organizational resources as needed.
• Advance intersectional race equity: Clearly and consistently articulate an understanding of racial equity and structural racism and the centrality of this analysis to the work Free Press does and how we operate.
• Integrate that knowledge into work projects and interactions by addressing structural implications and disproportionate impacts of policies, activities and decisions on race, class, gender and other group identities within the context of job responsibilities and projects.
• Advise Co-CEOs on advancing racial equity through our communications work and serve as an internal and external champion of this work, demonstrating and implementing expertise in this area to further our organizational values and goals.

Requirements

• 8-10 years of directly relevant experience in a leadership role developing, leading and executing successful narrative strategy, marketing and communications campaigns for social and racial justice.
• Proficiency with setting strategy, marshaling resources, delegation, decision making, management and evaluation.
• Issue area expert on marketing, communications and narrative strategy, along with experience in advocacy efforts in support of political and cultural change.
• Familiar with trends in journalism, press freedom, media and tech, policy advocacy and cultural organizing.
• Experience in building, mentoring, and coaching a team of marketing and communications specialists.
• Demonstrated skills, knowledge and experience in the design and execution of digital marketing campaigns that grow, organize and activate online constituencies via email, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, Tik Tok, etc.
• Familiarity with platforms like ActionKit, EveryAction, WordPress, ActBlue, Mobilize, and basic HTML/CSS skills.
• Experience with SEO, email acquisition and digital ads.
• Experience overseeing the design and production of print materials and publications, and website content management.
• Strong writer and communicator able to synthesize complex concepts and represent Free Press and Free Press Action to a diverse range of audiences.
• Effectively work with highly sensitive personnel, financial, operational and political information.

Nice-to-haves

• Dedication to Free Press’ mission to change the media system to transform democracy and realize a just society.
• Commitment to racial equity and experienced working with Black, Indigenous and/or other communities of color.
• Value and respect for differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability and socioeconomic circumstance.
• Creative self-starter energy and thrive at working independently and with limited oversight to accomplish agreed upon objectives and evaluate results.
• Team player with a low-ego approach to developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with both internal and external colleagues.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines, navigate competing priorities, and effectively adjust work plans to respond to emergent challenges or opportunities.
• Creativity, strategic thinking, and a commitment to excellence in your work while managing multiple projects.
• Problem solver that remains positive, tactful and composed under pressure.
• Strong commitment to team- and culture-building.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Thrive in a predominately remote office environment, including working with an off-site manager, and actively foster connection and community with colleagues located throughout the U.S.
• Adopt and maintain strong digital security practices.
• Great attention to detail.

Benefits

• Annual paid time off is a total of eleven weeks, including vacation, health-care leave, holidays, and two organization-wide week-long closures.
• Group medical, dental and vision insurance.
• Short- and long-term disability insurance.
• Employer contribution to retirement plans (no matching required).
• Flexible health, commuter and dependent care spending accounts.
• Paid family leave.
• After 7 years of employment with Free Press, staff are eligible to apply for a paid two-month sabbatical.
• Stipends for business use of personal phones and for home office locations.
• All employees receive computers and equipment necessary for the job.
• A flexible, supportive work culture.