Senior Director of Media Relations

Job Summary

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the global organization’s presence in the United States. We engage people in the U.S. to fight injustice all around the world, while we also work to protect people’s human rights here in the U.S. AIUSA has more than a million members and activists in all 50 states and the District of Colombia, who are part of a larger global movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. We are a non-partisan, democratically governed, grassroots membership organization, which means that our members vote on key governance and deep policy issues and elect our Board of Directors. Some of our members are experts on specific human rights issues, parts of the world, or advocacy areas, and they serve as volunteer leaders. Others are volunteer leaders of local or student groups in towns, universities, states, or regions of the country. Members work together with a talented staff, deployed across six departments to deliver on our mission.

The Senior Director of Media Relations helps lead AIUSA’s Marketing and Communications Unit and reports directly to the National Director, Marketing Communications. The Senior Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of AIUSA media relations team and efforts. This person has an extensive background in media relations strategy, building and cultivating relationships with media outlets and reporters, managing a team, and working directly with senior leaders on media-engagement tactics.

External Responsibilities

• Ensure all AIUSA digital content efforts uplift and center AIUSAs Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) principles.

• Serves as a spokesperson for the organization

• Oversees a team of in-house staff, as well as consultants, working on earned media strategy and tactics, including:

  • Creating and implementing organization-wide and project-specific media relations strategies

  • Overseeing crisis communications

  • Designing and approving various outreach activities such as media interviews, editorial boards, television, digital, and/or radio to further educate members and the public on our human rights campaigns and programs

  • Overseeing the distribution of news releases, statements, advisories, announcements, fact sheets, notes, and other printed, filmed or recorded materials to the media, as well as press conferences

  • Supervising media coverage of appearances by the Executive Director and other AIUSA spokespeople

  • Working directly with the organization’s principles, including the Executive Director, to develop thought leadership initiatives that amplify their voices and areas of expertise

  • Developing a strategy for leadership briefing materials in advance of interviews and appearances

• Develops big picture earned media strategy, including messaging, which helps amplify and elevate the organization’s work

• Highly skilled in media planning, media pitching, producing media events, including press conferences (virtual for now), expertly promotes, develops and implements policies, procedures and programs to meet AIUSA’s responsibilities for dissemination of information to the media – both online and offline

• Works with the marketing and communications team to continuously develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with reporters, producers, bookers, and editorial decision makers at national and local media outlets

• Leads or oversees the writing of press releases, media statements, messaging.

• Leads or oversees direct media engagement–responding to media inquiries, pitching new stories.

• Leads or oversees interview preparation, editorial board engagement, media trainings of staff and board members. Travels, as required, to supervise media work and the execution of scheduled media events for AIUSA spokespeople or on AIUSA missions

• Focuses on media strategies to expand reach and authentically engage Black, Latino, and Spanish-speaking communities

• Closely monitors human rights news and events to identify and develop media opportunities

• Keeps abreast of current and ongoing advances in digital strategy and communications including public relations developments and news

Internal Responsibilities

• Ensure all AIUSA digital content efforts uplift and center AIUSAs Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) principles

• Works closely with the National Director, Marketing and Communications, executive team members, AIUSA departments to ensure that critical human rights policies, programs, campaigns and goals of AIUSA are reflected in all press conferences, releases, and public appearances of all AIUSA staff

• Advises the Executive Director, National Director Marketing and Communications, and other senior AIUSA staff on communications plans and outreach activities ensuring that members and the public are fully informed of AIUSA activities and given

• Manages the Media Relations Manager and Press Officer

• Provides expert communications advice to senior staff of the organization.

• Leads on monthly media training and daily high-profile opportunity-specific media prep for spokespersons and senior management

• Acts as the focal press point on specific programs like Criminal Justice, specific campaigns, like the campaign to End Gun Violence, as well as various regions, like Asia

• Drafts and make edits to movement wide and AIUSA specific messaging documents, shaping framing, messaging, and the larger current organizational and public discourse

• Develops media training materials for staff and members and conducts trainings

• Drafts and/or reviews op-eds and LTEs by staff and AIUSA members

• Produces background information and context and 'if-asked' guidance notes for sharing across Amnesty’s movement

• Advocates constantly for highest strategic communications standards internally for media work

• Ensures processes and systems work properly and that staff understand and follow them

• Reviews quarterly and bimonthly reports, analyzing data, sharing learning with staff, adopting opportunities, and responding to requests for further information

• Uses weekly clip reports developed by a team member to determine what worked best and what did not each week

• Makes sure staff are aware of critical and newsworthy decisions and issues made the media team

• Designs media outreach strategies for priority campaigns and collaborates with the team on implementation

• Generates story ideas for campaigns and programs

• Conducts sensitivity reading for campaigns and programs

• Designs media plans for report and investigation launches and publications and works with the team on implementation

• Works fast on a results-oriented basis with teams in the U.S., sections around the world, as well as the International Secretariat Conceptualizes and plans compelling content with AIUSA and International Secretariat Producers and campaigners

Qualifications and Experience

Skills or Related Knowledge

• Excellent writing, speaking, and presentation skills including specific experience in writing for the web across various online platforms and audiences

• Knowledge of AP-style guidelines and editing experience preferred

• The ability to persuasively present complex concepts, programs, and human rights policies to both internal and external audiences

• Knowledge and skill working in a fast-paced environment with the ability to produce high-quality online and offline content under tight deadlines

• Outstanding media relations skills, including the experience and confidence to drive coverage and relevance among key audiences such as national media, regional media, etc.

Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, English or related field, or equivalent professional experience

• 10 years’ experience in a fast-paced digital and/or communications role, minimum of 5 years of direct experience working in earned media and overseeing a team

• Experience developing and executing strategic communications strategies across multiple channels with track record of generating earned media

• Extensive experience pitching reporters with strong relationships with national and regional media

• Experience working with media outlets focused on diversifying audiences

• Experience with rapid-response and crisis communications

• Non-profit, electoral, and/or community organizing experience preferred

We recognize the valuable skills that can be gained through internships, fellowships, volunteer work, and non-traditional work experience. This experience helps build competencies and knowledge that may translate to our job openings. We seek a diversity of experience and skills for our workplace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our openings.

OUR COMMITTMENT AS AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION AND TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY (IDEA)

Dismantling white supremacy is central to the fight for human rights in the United States and around the world. As we mobilize staff and activists and work with partners to help transform the multiple systems where oppression operates in the world around us as part of our human rights mandate, anti-racism must be integral to our work. What does that mean for Amnesty International in the United States? It means using our people power to fight injustice and centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by racist structures, beliefs, and laws. Fundamentally, it means doing our human rights work differently than it has been done before, because we know that who we work with, how we work, the work we do, and ultimately who we are, are all interconnected. As an international, intercultural, intergenerational and intersectional movement of activists committed to protecting and advancing human rights for all, Amnesty is deeply committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA). To learn more about how we integrate these concepts into our work and workplace visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/idea/

COVID-19 Consideration

Because the health and safety of our employees and candidates are a top priority, we are currently conducting our hiring process virtually. We are currently starting our positions as fully remote but will transition to a hybrid work environment when our offices re-open, expected to be in Winter 2023.