ABOUT COLOR OF CHANGE

Color Of Change is the nation's largest online racial justice organization. We help people respond effectively to injustice in the world around us. As a national online force driven by millions of members, we campaign on issues of criminal justice, economic justice, voter freedom, big tech, and culture change and work to move decision-makers in corporations and governments to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America. Visit www.colorofchange.org to learn more.

TEAM SUMMARY

The Communications Department at Color Of Change includes the organization’s narrative, press, social media, design, video, digital, brand marketing, and cultural advocacy efforts. Using a variety of platforms and mediums, the team collaborates to reframe the conversation on Black experiences, elevate the stories and solutions we believe in, increase the demand for change, and help to spark a level and frequency of action that can force the hand of decision-makers and shift societal norms—all in service of achieving real, lasting and systemic change.

POSITION DESCRIPTION 

The Chief Communications Officer is the highest communications position in the organization and leads the Communications Department, which consists of staff focused on narrative, press, social media, design, video, digital, brand marketing, and cultural advocacy. This role also manages internal communications in partnership with the Human Resources Department and other members of the organization’s leadership team. The Chief Communications Officer is responsible for managing the Communications Department and is a member of the Organizational Leadership Team (OLT). In this capacity, this position leads fast-paced, high-level narrative and communications strategy for campaigns, and crisis communications for the organization.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

15% Organizational Leadership: 

• Serve as a member of the Organizational Leadership Team.

• Collaborate with other members of the OLT on organizational strategy development and alignment. 

• Participate in board presentations and organizational budget development sessions.

30% Department Management:

• Own the bottom-line execution and excellence of the Communications Department, including goal-setting, performance management and evaluation, work quality, and strategic impact.

• Manage three Senior Directors who lead staff across public relations, brand marketing, and digital teams. 

• Manage the department’s budget, and approve all contracts and invoices.

• Hire, manage, and regularly evaluate staff and contractors’ work and performance. 

• Prioritize the team's professional development and execution, cultivating a group of highly-skilled and well-rounded communicators that approach the department’s work from a culturally relevant, racial justice lens.

• Organize, produce, and/or coordinate team meetings and collaborative workspaces in order to build out a winning strategy and culture

• Be able to customarily and regularly exercise discretion and independent judgment in performing your job duties, and be comfortable in working in fast-paced environments under general supervision.

20% Brand Management:

• Provide strategic direction on brand partnership development.

• Manage relationships with high-level external partners and leverage relationships to develop new ones. 

• Support the president and senior leadership in the development of thought leadership op-eds, speeches, and other communications. 

20% Programmatic Communications Strategy & Narrative:

• Own the development and deployment of messaging and narrative strategy, including alignment with campaigns, collaboration with organizational and external stakeholders, and the tailoring of messages to COC’s many audiences and platforms.

• Drive the organization’s member engagement through the execution of digital strategy.

• Driving the day-to-day and long-term visibility of the organization in mainstream, social, and specialty media in service of campaigns and the larger organizational brand goals

• Collaborate with issue area experts to align comms work with the goals of specific campaigns and the larger campaigns team.

• Lead the media and social media engagement and activation strategy, including long-term and short-term media plans to expand the reach and visibility of the organization through leadership-level spokespeople.

• Oversee the development and delivery of communications and spokesperson training for staff. 

10% Internal Communications:

• Partner with the Organizational Leadership Team to create a strong, effective, and clear drumbeat of information to staff. 

• Keep various internal stakeholders informed of organizational changes and updates.

• Project manage the development of updates from the leadership team to deliver to all staff.

• Develop regular updates on union bargaining or negotiations.

5% Crisis Communications: as needed

• Coordinate with senior leadership, board members, and crisis communications consultants during response moments. 

• Develop and lead collaborative review processes for written crisis communications. 

• Balance various audience needs – staff, public, funders, partners, members, etc. – in crisis communications development. 

• Other duties as assigned by management.

QUALIFICATIONS

The CCO will be incredibly passionate about racial and social justice issues — and

the unique role of Black leaders and leadership in winning change — and possess unparalleled

emotional intelligence, coupled with excellent writing and communication skills across varied

formats and contexts.

Specific qualifications include:

• 10+ years of professional experience, with at least 5+ years of working closely with C-suite/VP-level management while also influencing across multiple levels and functions of an organization

• 5+ years of people management experience; with management of other people leaders preferred

• Experience with board meeting coordination or comparable experience

• Experience developing and managing a department’s budget

• Demonstrated program and/or project management skills and significant internal and external stakeholder/partnership experience (nonprofit/social justice organization experience strongly preferred)

• Extensive experience winning the news cycle by managing communications for many campaigns, projects, and rapid response moments at once.

• Impeccable verbal, written, research, communication, and deck creation skills and experience

• A strong structural racial analysis in agreement with Color Of Change’s vision and values

• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to communicate complex ideas in clear, concise terms (verbally and written)

• Ability to exercise independent judgment and take initiative in an environment with shifting priorities

• High-level proficiency in MS Office, Google Suite, press management software, social media platforms, and management software, and experience with CRMs.

• Ability to prioritize competing projects and multi-task across a broad spectrum of collaborators based in various office locations or working remotely in the US

• Able to work independently and use discretion in a fast-paced environment with a proactive approach

• Dedication and ability to work flexible hours and travel

• Commitment to confidentiality and ability to exercise absolute discretion

• Crisis management experience

• Be able to customarily and regularly exercise discretion and independent judgment in performing your job duties, and be comfortable in working under general supervision.

MORE INFORMATION 

Location: New York, NY or Washington, D.C.

FLSA Status: Exempt 

Employees Report to this Position: Yes 

Job Classification: Non-Bargaining Unit

Reporting Structure: This role reports to the Managing Director

COMPENSATION

The salary range for the Chief Communications Officer position is $194,229 - $203,940 per year. Color Of Change also offers a competitive benefits package. This is a full-time, exempt position.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

Working at Color Of Change (COC), you should be prepared to work remotely and/or in the assigned office location when hired. This position requires working core hours, Monday - Friday, on a laptop for most of the work day and additional time as required by job duties. We are not offering U.S. visa sponsorship for this role.

Color Of Change is an equal opportunity employer. Color Of Change prohibits unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic characteristics, disability, status as a special disabled veteran or veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identity or any other basis prohibited by law.