Communications Strategist

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) seeks a full-time Communications Strategist to join its growing Communications Department. This role is designed for an experienced, mission-driven communications professional looking for a meaningful opportunity in a proven, growing, and vibrant organization that makes profound differences in the lives of people across our state.   

The Communications Strategist is responsible for the development and execution of strategic communications projects that further the advocacy goals and mission of the ACLU-NJ, including press releases, media outreach, rapid response, and public education. Their work will inspire, inform, and move people to action. Candidates for this position should have experience writing public-facing communications materials, especially under tight timelines, while building consensus with a wide array of stakeholders. 

 This position will be supervised by the Deputy Communications Director and will be based in Newark with a hybrid work schedule where we work in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

 Organizational Overview  

For more than 60 years, the ACLU of New Jersey has defended liberty and justice guided by the vision of a fair and equitable New Jersey for all. Our mission is to preserve, advance, and extend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every New Jerseyan by the state and federal constitutions in courts, in the legislature, and in our communities. We are committed to repairing and transforming spaces where constitutional promises have not been delivered. 

The Communications Strategist will join a communications team that advances the organization’s civil rights and civil liberties priorities by catalyzing lasting narrative change through strategic communications, and works collaboratively with policy, legal, and development colleagues to maximize the ACLU-NJ’s impact and visibility. 

What You’ll Do 

• Develop and execute communication content in collaboration with policy and legal teams designed to advance ACLU-NJ priorities through legislation, litigation, and public education efforts. 
• Contribute to media strategy, including drafting press releases, opinion pieces, and other earned media assets. 
• Develop and prepare spokespeople for events, press conferences, and media interviews. 
• Identify key audiences and develop messaging and talking points guided by ACLU-NJ values, best practices, and research. 
• Collect, analyze, and report data from ACLU-NJ media campaigns, including media engagement and outreach, campaign milestones and events, and building analytics reports. 
• Co-manage a communications calendar for content publication and support the execution of communications projects, including website maintenance and digital advocacy campaigns. 
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and meet quality standards. 
• Other projects and duties as assigned. 

What You’ll Need 

• At least three years of relevant professional experience in media relations and/or advocacy communications, with a working knowledge of earned and owned media relations tactics, platforms and strategies. 
• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely to inform and engage various audiences.  
• Demonstrated experience working with the media, including during breaking news and rapid response environments.  
• An understanding of media trends and best practices for story pitching, message development, and storytelling. 
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Meltwater, Cision, WordPress, and additional web-based applications as needed. Basic understanding of HTML is welcomed but not required. 
• Creative, diplomatic, cool under pressure, detail-oriented, and strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work inclusively and collaboratively across diverse dimensions under tight deadlines. 
• Results-oriented critical thinker with demonstrated ability to plan, track progress, and meet goals on time. Familiarity with Asana or other project management software is a plus. 
• Unwavering commitment to the mission and goals of the ACLU, including a demonstrated commitment to equity and racial justice. 
• Ability to travel as needed for the job and work occasional evenings, weekends, and irregular hours. 
• Flexibility and willingness to learn new tools, technology, and resources. 
• Knowledge of additional languages other than English is welcomed but not required. 

Compensation 

This position starts at $85,000 and will be commensurate with experience based on the ACLU-NJ salary bands. The ACLU-NJ supports and plans for staff member professional growth and skill development through internal and external opportunities. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which currently includes 30 days paid time off, 12 office holidays and 16 health care leave days; medical, vision, and dental insurance; 20 weeks (100 days) paid family leave; life and long-term disability insurance; pre-tax transit benefits; and a 401(k) plan with employer match. This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

About our Culture 

We are a diverse workforce and take pride in our ability to attract and retain employees with a huge array of backgrounds and experiences. We work hard but also like to celebrate our successes. We strive to bring humility, empathy, kindness, and generosity to our work, internally within the organization and externally with our partners and those whom we are serving. We seek to build a work culture with a sense of respect and collegiality, and a willingness to be generous with our expertise and resources. 

TO APPLY 

Please complete the application by uploading a cover letter, resume, and two writing examples. We invite applicants to include in their cover letter information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and advocacy work. [Applicants who proceed beyond a first interview will be required to complete a short skills assessment] 

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled; at which time the job announcement will be removed from our website. 

The ACLU-NJ is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture of belonging. It is our policy to employ qualified people without regard to race; color; gender, gender identity or expression; religion; sex; national origin or ancestry; age; disability; sexual orientation; veteran’s status; marital status; civil union status; arrest or court record; citizenship; credit history; genetic information; status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking; or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people, women, people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply. 

The ACLU-NJ makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions. The ACLU-NJ is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email careers@aclu-nj.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodations for the interview process.