Communications Director

The Communications Director is responsible for planning, supervising, and executing the ACLU of Kentucky’s communications strategies. Through their work, and collaboration with staff, the Communications Director advocates for positive changes in the civil rights and civil liberties landscape in the Commonwealth and grows the ACLU of Kentucky’s political power to energize the fight for civil liberties and protect our hard-won victories.

The Communications Director manages the work of the Communications Department and supervises the work of all other employees and contractors in the department, including communications interns and volunteers. The Communications Director is a member of the management team, which includes all other department heads.

• Lead communications strategic planning and development by collaborating with other staff, across teams, to develop messaging about specific legal cases, policy issues, and programs that aid the organization’s legal, advocacy, and public education work.
• Implement strategies that engage members, policymakers, elected officials, public figures, and the public in our work, encouraging them to support our mission to protect and expand civil rights and liberties.
• Spearhead multimedia public education campaigns that engage members and the broader public in the organization’s advocacy work.
• Enhance the visibility of the organization in communities statewide.
• Respond rapidly to emerging civil liberties issues with appropriate and influential messaging.
• Work with ACLU-KY staff, national colleagues, and allies to maintain consistent framing of current issues.

• Collaborate with colleagues in the Legal and Advocacy Departments, as well as with national communications staff, to ensure communications, public education, and content support and serve ACLU-KY's goals and mission.
• Work in partnership with relevant staff to co-produce external communications on legal and policy issues, including legislative action alerts, fact sheets, talking points, letters to the editor, press statements, and op-eds.
• Work in partnership with staff and coalition partners to coordinate speaking requests and community education events.
• Directly supervise the work of, and delegate tasks to, department staff, contractors, interns, and volunteers.

• Manage overall media relations strategy for the organization.
• Draft and distribute press releases and advisories, pitch stories to targeted reporters, field media requests, manage a media database, draft talking points and messaging grids, produce media statements, and arrange interviews with appropriate topic experts.
• Prepare ACLU-KY staff for interviews, including practicing potential questions, how to appear on camera, and messaging.
• Monitor media for opportunities to engage and to evaluate the success of media outreach.

• Manage written content for all ACLU-KY publications, including our newsletter, The Torch, the Annual Report, pamphlets, flyers, policy reports, event invitations, and other informational materials.
• Coordinate graphic design of print material.
• Serve as the organization’s Editor-in-Chief.

• Support the Digital Communications Strategist in developing strategies for online advocacy and social media.
• Ensure that online content is accurate, compelling, and strategically placed.
• Public Relations and Internal Communication
• Manage organizational promotion, coordinating communications for engagement events and public speakers, developing promotional materials, and advertising.
• Keep the Board of Directors informed on organizational activities and current messaging on emerging issues.
• Other Responsibilities

• Cross-promoting events and activities.
• A…