Communications Director - Technology Programs

New America seeks an experienced Communications Director to develop, communicate, and execute a communications strategy for its technology programs.

About the Organization:  New America’s Tech and Democracy Cluster includes noted experts on a range of technology policy issues, including but not limited to net neutrality, broadband access and adoption, consumer privacy and security, platform accountability, encryption, government surveillance, internet governance, freedom of expression online, digital public infrastructure and wireless broadband and spectrum. In this position, you would report to the Senior Director of Technology and Democracy Programs. These programs consist of:

• Open Technology Institute: works at the intersection of technology and policy to ensure that every community has equitable access to digital technology and its benefits. Issue areas include surveillance, consumer privacy and security, freedom of expression online, platform accountability, transparency, net neutrality, broadband access, and more.
• Ranking Digital Rights: advances corporate accountability for human rights in the digital age, evaluating the world’s most powerful digital platforms and telecommunication companies on their disclosed policies and practices affecting people’s rights to freedom of expression and privacy.
• Digital Impact and Governance Initiative: works to advance understanding and replication of digital public infrastructure by governments and change-leaders.
• Public Interest Technology: a team that works with partners — including government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, advocacy groups, universities, policymakers, and other mission-driven organizations — to develop the public interest technology ecosystem, with a particular focus on expanding the pipeline to ensure that technologists reflect the diversity of the country they serve.
• Planetary Politics: New America is building a new approach to foreign policy that includes helping to catalyze the creation of a trusted, neutral global entity to develop agreed definitions and measurements of the digital harms and goods that constitute the planetary digital commons.
• Wireless Future Project: develops and advocates policies to promote universal, fast and affordable wireless broadband connectivity, including the reallocation of prime spectrum for shared public access and community networks in marginalized areas.
• Future Frontlines: uses open-source investigative tools, data mining techniques, and journalistic methods to explore how the digital revolution is reshaping global conflict, competition and influence.

About the Role: The Communications Director is responsible for the overall development, communication, and execution of a communications strategy for New America's Technology programs. The Communications Director has broad responsibilities for the overall management and development of communications staff.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the senior director and program directors to develop and execute communications strategies that will broaden programmatic reach and deepen impact.
• Develop and refine core messages to ensure consistency.
• Identify significant media and public policy issues that can be leveraged to support issue priorities, and create and implement plans to incorporate them into outreach.
• Serve as editor for content on websites and ancillary online media platforms.
• Oversee organizational response to inquiries, both generally and in rapid-response situations.
• Lead the communications staff, and work closely with program directors to develop communications strategies for digital and print outreach.
• Oversee the planning and execution of outreach campaigns, with the objective of expanding the reach and impact of our work.
• Oversee in-house design, illustration, and data visualization work, and the development of new interactive digital tools, to make content accessible and compelling to a wide audience.
• Oversee the development of individual and collective brand identity, language, and associated collateral.
• Maintain comprehensive data tracking systems to ensure accurate press and invite lists, project tracking system, as well as ways to properly assess the impact of our work.
• Work closely and coordinate with New America’s central editorial, web development, event and production teams to develop communications, digital and event strategies to increase impact.
• Able to give writing feedback and communications-related trainings both to individuals and to the staff en masse
• Support fundraising activities, as necessary.
• Oversee hiring, recruitment and management of the performance, development and evaluation of communications staff through consistent and frequent check-ins, goal-setting, and professional development oversight.
• Attendance and participation in the organizational community at regular staff-wide meetings and events; build/maintain relationships across New America programs to support cross-programmatic work.
• Participate in leadership, with direct input and responsibility regarding organization-wide management, strategy, and fundraising issues.

Qualifications:

• Significant demonstrated professional experience and increasing levels of responsibility in communications strategy in complex organizational structures.
• Demonstrated initiative identifying and developing new communications strategies.
• Ability to independently lead and manage a project with minimal oversight.
• Knowledge in a range of technology policy issues.
• Excellent written communication, verbal communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and manage others including providing guidance and feedback.
• Demonstrated initiative identifying and developing new communications strategies
• Demonstrated interest or dedication to fostering equitable outcomes across society and especially for lower income communities, communities of color, and other historically marginalized constituencies. This can be in either their personal or professional life.

Location: Washington, DC-based candidates are preferred, but fully remote situations will be considered for the right candidate.

Compensation and Benefits: This position is a full-time role with benefits. The annual salary will be between $110,000.00 – $135,000.00, depending on experience. New America offers a highly competitive benefits package that includes health care, dental, and vision coverage; a generous retirement plan; paid time off; observes all federal holidays; and an office-wide closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

How to apply:

Submit a resume, cover letter, and attach a writing sample that is accessible for a general public audience of under 1,500 words. Please be sure to include in your cover letter where you first heard about this posting.

No phone calls or emails will be answered

Operating status and Vaccine Policy:  New America has made the safety of our staff and our surrounding community a top priority. As part of that commitment, New America staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. New America will require all staff to submit proof of complete vaccination against COVID-19 to be in the DC office. We consider requests for medical or religious accommodations.

New America is an equal-opportunity employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization thereby creating a culture that allows us to better serve our mission, our employees, and our communities. We value and encourage the contributions of our employees and strive to create an environment where everyone can reach their full potential and drive outstanding results. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination. This is not a bargaining unit position.