Digital Communications Strategist

Job Title:

Digital Communications Strategist

Employment Status:
Full-Time

Supervisory Role:
No

Bargaining Unit Member:
Yes

Organization Department:
Communications

Reports to Position:
Director of Strategic Communications

FLSA Classification:
Exempt

Salary Range: $85K - $100K

The Digital Communications Strategist is, above all, a storyteller — someone who translates the mission and impact of the ACLU of Maryland into content that moves people to understand, care, and act. This position leads the strategy, development, and execution of high-impact digital communications, shaping how the public engages with the ACLU of Maryland by mobilizing supporters and strengthening public understanding of civil rights and civil liberties.

This role requires two distinct and equally essential skill sets in service of that storytelling: advanced social media strategy and professional-level graphic design. We are looking for a storyteller who brings both disciplines at a high level: someone who can craft platform-native narratives informed by algorithms and analytics, and who can independently produce polished, on-brand visual design using both Adobe Creative Suite and Canva.

This is not a generalist role. Candidates must demonstrate depth and a strong portfolio in both areas, and every tactic (every post, ad, and graphic) should be in service of a larger story about civil rights in Maryland.

The Strategist reports to the Director of Strategic Communications and works closely with the Senior Communications Strategist to ensure cohesive storytelling across earned and digital media. The role requires strong collaboration with policy, legal, and development teams, as well as coordination with the national ACLU and other affiliates.

This is a hybrid role and the position is a member of the ACLU-MD staff bargaining unit.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

This role demands a skilled visual designer. Candidates must demonstrate professional proficiency with the ability to produce high-quality original design work independently.

• Independently design compelling visual content including graphics, infographics, digital ads, reports, email headers, event collateral, and campaign assets using Canva and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro).
• Translate complex civil rights and civil liberties issues into clear, visually compelling storytelling for digital audiences.
• Develop and maintain ACLU-MD's visual brand standards across all digital platforms, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and impact.
• Create platform-optimized visual content with awareness of each platform's format specifications, aesthetic norms, and audience expectations.
• Produce and edit short-form video content, including motion graphics and Reels/Tik Tok-style videos.
• Develop graphics and multimedia toolkits for advocacy campaigns, coalition partners, and rapid response communications.
• Maintain and organize a digital asset library for consistent and efficient content production.

We are seeking a storyteller who understands that each platform is a different medium for narrative.

• Lead ACLU-MD's social media strategy across Instagram, Tik Tok, You Tube, Linked In, and Facebook, with a clear understanding of each platform's algorithm, audience behavior, content formats, and best practices.
• Develop and execute platform-specific content strategies, tailoring tone, format, length, and cadence for each channel rather than replicating content across platforms.
• Produce and publish engaging, timely, platform-native content that educates, motivates, and mobilizes audiences around civil rights and civil liberties issues.
• Manage and optimize paid social media advertising campaigns, including audience targeting, A/B testing, budget management, and performance optimization across Meta, Tik Tok, and other platforms.
• Monitor platform algorithm changes and adjust content strategy proactively to maintain and grow organic reach.
• Track and analyze KPIs, including reach, engagement, follower growth, conversion rates, and campaign ROI, and use data to continuously refine strategy.
• Monitor online trends and news events, respond strategically in real time, and evolve ACLU-MD's social media tone and approach to stay culturally relevant and mission-aligned.
• Appear in short-form videos and capture photo and video content at events to support authentic digital storytelling.
• Represent ACLU-MD at community events to capture live digital content and extend our reach in real time.

• Develop and manage a comprehensive digital content calendar across all platforms and channels.
• Lead strategy for digital advertising, including ad creative development, placement, and optimization.
• Support digital storytelling and content development for email, web, and multimedia channels in partnership with the…