Job Opportunities

Communications Director

Founded in 2000 and headquartered in New York City, Demos works to achieve a more equitable and democratic America that promotes the common good. A multi-issue national organization, Demos combines research, policy development, litigation and advocacy to influence public debate and catalyze change. Demos, together with its partner, The American Prospect magazine, forge an institution that can combine the story-telling power of journalism, the ideas generation and policy analysis of a think-tank, and the organic connections to advocacy work needed to make change at the state and national level.

We're looking for a creative thinker, excellent manager and brilliant strategist who can lead our growing communications team and help our organization achieve major impact on key challenges facing our nation. This position will report to the Vice President of Policy and Programs and will work closely with our growing roster of issue experts, thought leaders and advocates.

Objectives and Responsibilities:

• Determine communications priorities and opportunities to best amplify our core messages and build a cohesive identity among targeted audiences;

• Identify new strategies and innovative products for injecting our ideas in the public debate to help sustain and grow a progressive narrative;

• Support the development of a more campaign-oriented approach to our issue advocacy and policy reform work;

• Improve our ability to provide interactive data visualization and static infographics to communicate key trends and highlights from our reports and articles;

• Increase overall traffic to the Demos website and blog by developing experiments and testing new approaches to disseminate information, build our email list and social media presence and increase referrals;

• Expand Demos and The American Prospect’s television and radio presence by cultivating relationships with key producers at cable and network news shows and with NPR and its affiliates;

• Develop or support events or event series, sometimes in coordination with our Development Program, that strategically advance our issues and achieve our impact goals.

• Work with allies in the movement to strategically align our goals and create an echo chamber for key messages and ideas;  

• Manage communications department of five full-time staff and two part-time staff, as well as manage and monitor the annual department budget and maintain ongoing evaluation and reporting on key benchmarks;

• Serve as part of organization’s senior management team charged with aligning our work for maximum impact.

Requirements:

• Excellent strategic thinker and devout news junkie. You follow the daily news cycle but also see the big picture and how a series of aligned projects can get us there.

• Exceptional detail-oriented project management. You can delegate effectively, manage multiple priorities, organize a large volume of work and keep it flowing through the pipeline.

• Strong self-starter. You come to the table with ideas and a plan, and can make it happen with support and good direction.

• Proven track record. You can point to specific examples where you lead a project and team that produced demonstrable results, ranging from media hits to increases in web traffic to policy reform. You have strong relationships with a range of media contacts.

• Solid experience in the field. You’ve worked in communications for at least 7 years, either at a think-tank, advocacy organization or political campaign and are very familiar with the progressive issues and organizations.

• Good political judgment. You can navigate the terrain of being a non-partisan and credible think-tank while advancing strong progressive values and policies.

• Dynamic leader. You know how to build a team, encourage innovation, and work within an organization to set a vision and execute it effectively.

• Work well with others. You know how to achieve your goals without stepping on other people and are particularly skilled at nurturing talent and supervising staff. Approachability and a sense of humor are a plus.

Salary and Benefits:

Competitive non-profit salary and generous benefit package, including health, vision and dental insurance, 20 days of paid vacation, and option for 401(k) investment.

How To Apply:

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. This position is based in New York City. Please submit cover letter and résumé to lstrayer AT demos DOT org. Include in the subject line "Communications Director -- Your Name". Applications must be complete to be considered. Only applicants being considered for the position will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

Demos is an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and LGBT applicants. We are committed to a diverse workplace, and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities.

Internships

Demos offers internships across our different programs and departments throughout the year to students, recent graduates and exceptional candidates. Please check this space to learn of new internship opportunities.