Communications Strategist

Job Description

Department:
Communications

Employment Type:

Regular Full-time

Supervisory:
Yes

Salary

Schedule:

L2

Location:

TBD

BU/NBU:
Bargaining Unit

The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is one of the leading civil rights organizations in the Lone Star State. We work in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect and extend the civil rights for Texans throughout the state. The ACLU of Texas is both a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. The ACLU of Texas operates professional offices in Houston, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, and Brownsville, Texas.

The Communications Department educates and activates Texans to work with the ACLU of Texas for strategic change in the areas of criminal legal reform, democracy and voting rights, border and immigrants' rights, free speech and pluralism, LGBTQIA+ equality, and reproductive freedom across the state.

The ACLU of Texas seeks a Communications Strategist to design communications efforts that protect and advance the rights of all Texans. This person plays a critical role in educating the public, building political power, and achieving advocacy wins across two or more issue areas of the ACLU of Texas, including voting rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, immigrants’ rights, smart justice, and reproductive freedom.

We’re looking for someone who thrives in the energy and intensity of advocacy work and knows how to craft messaging and tactics that move issues forward. Ideal candidates will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, manage time and projects well, be willing to take creative risks, pay close attention to detail, and demonstrate a commitment to civil rights and racial equity.

The Communications Strategist reports to the Strategic Communications Manager and works closely with colleagues within the department and across the organization.

• Campaign Development: Proposes and designs communications plans for advocacy campaigns and rapid response moments that advance integrated advocacy goals related to two or more issue areas; implements plans across paid, earned, shared, and owned media in coordination with colleagues and vendors; brings a strategic communications lens to issue-area meetings across teams and in coalition.
• Content Production: Supports digital and press experts in drafting messaging, press releases, blogs, op-eds, social posts, reports, fact sheets, and other communications materials for advocacy efforts; uses analytics to evolve content.
• General: Develops relationships with colleagues across the ACLU network to collaborate on campaigns and share resources; supports the department with other duties as assigned.

• Written and Verbal Communication: Contributes to the development of original messaging and builds out talking points. Quickly produces high-quality written products for different media channels and audiences. Able to communicate with internal and external stakeholders clearly and with empathy.
• Strategic Mindset: Expands knowledge of how to anticipate future opportunities and consequences. Learns from past experience. Proposes original strategies and plans for two issue areas that are inclusive, prudent, and actionable. Triages complex situations and encourages stakeholder buy‑in.
• Project Management: Able to develop task concepts and break down activities into manageable pieces that can be individually and collaboratively executed with internal colleagues and external vendors. Manages vendors for small-sized contracts. Tracks progress using project management tools. Completes deliverables on schedule.
• Teamwork: Brings a positive, problem‑solving attitude to relationships with colleagues and partners. Relates well with…