Communications Director

housingcalifornia; Sacramento (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Housing California in Sacramento is seeking a seasoned Communications Director to own our narrative and public- facing strategy end-to-end. You will lead media relations, rapid response, and campaigns, translating policy into accessible storytelling while guiding a small team and external consultants.

You will align communications with legislative and organizing work, manage the annual plan, and represent Housing California at events.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in strategic communications, narrative change, or advocacy communications.
• Experience leading rapid response communications in fast-moving environments.
• Experience managing consultants or agency partners.
• Ability to prep senior leaders for public-facing moments.
• Fluency with digital communications, email marketing, CMS, social media, and analytics.

Responsibilities

• Owns and executes the annual communications plan and calendar across channels.
• Leads media relations, op-eds, press releases, and rapid response efforts.
• Guides narrative strategy for major campaigns and coalitions.
• Manages communications consultants and briefing for executives.
• Represents Housing CA at public events and coalition spaces.

Skills

Media relations

Rapid response

Narrative strategy

Digital communications

Analytics tools

Public speaking

Tools

CMS

Email marketing

Social media tools

Job description

ABOUT HOUSING CALIFORNIA

Since 1988, Housing California (Housing CA) has worked to create a California with homes, health, and prosperity for all in thriving, sustainable communities. We bring together a diverse, cross-sector network to prevent and end homelessness, increase the supply of safe, stable, affordable homes, and reverse the legacy of systemic racial and economic inequities by building power among the people most impacted by housing injustice in partnership with cross-sector partners, shaping the narrative, and advocating for the passage of transformative statewide policy solutions. Learn more about long term policy agendahereand explore additional information about Housing CA’s current legislative priorities on our website at www.housingca.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

California's housing and homelessness crisis will not be solved by policy wins alone; it requires a fundamental shift in how the public understands who deserves a home and why. As Communications Director, the incoming leader owns Housing CA's narrative and communications strategy end-to-end: setting the organization's voice, translating policy and legislative work into public narrative that moves people, and running the media and content operation that gets that narrative into the world.

This is a senior leadership role. The Director manages a small communications team and consultants, and integrates communications work across legislative and regulatory affairs, power building, and organizational strategy. Externally, they lead media relations, rapid response, and public narrative strategy in service of Housing CA's "big tent" approach, building a shared voice across a broad and diverse constituency and centering the people most affected by housing instability and homelessness.

The position is based in Sacramento (hybrid), with regular statewide travel and occasional early-morning, evening, and weekend commitments. The right candidate is energized by the pace of a live legislative and campaign calendar, including a current statewide affordable housing bond campaign and brings the seniority and judgment to lead the function independently.

AREAS OF LEADERSHIP AND EXPERTISE

Strategic Communications Execution & Media Advocacy

Responsibilities:

• Owns and executes the annual communications plan and calendar, including newsletters, e-blasts, social media, and the op-ed pipeline.


• Leads media relations and advocacy: writing, editing, and distributing op-eds, press releases, and statements, and identifying earned media opportunities.


• Leads rapid response communications, positioning Housing CA quickly and credibly as news and political developments unfold.


• Leads communications strategy for major campaigns, including the current statewide affordable housing bond campaign.


• Prioritizes competing media requests, speaking engagements, and writing opportunities, and prepares the Executive Director and other key staff for interviews and public appearances.


• Manages communications consultants, briefing them clearly and holding their work to a high standard.


• Leads communications planning for major organizational moments, including the annual conference and Advocacy Day.


• Represents Housing CA at public events, coalition spaces, and media engagements.

Key qualifications:

• Track record running a communications calendar and media relations function end-to-end.


• Experience leading rapid response communications in a fast-moving news or political environment.


• Experience managing consultants or agency partners.


• Comfortable representing an organization externally and prepping senior leaders for public-facing moments.


• Fluency with digital communications, media monitoring, email marketing, CMS, social media, and analytics tools.


• Experience supporting a live campaign — ballot measure, legislative push, or comparable — under real time pressure.


• Strong writing and editing skills across press, digital, and public-facing formats.

Narrative & Communications Strategy Leadership

Responsibilities:

• Develops and executes Housing CA's narrative change strategy, applying tested frameworks and research to shift the stories, values, and perceptions that shape public understanding.


• Owns Housing CA's strategic communications plan and style guide, maintaining a consistent, values-forward voice across every channel and audience.


• Guides the writing, editing, and production of publications, campaigns, and communications materials to a high editorial standard.


• Partners with the power-building team to elevate resident voice and develop spokespeople, keeping policy work grounded in lived experience.


• Serves as Housing CA's internal thought partner on narrative, building staff capacity to apply narrative strategy across programs and campaigns.

Key qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in strategic communications, narrative change, or advocacy communications, ideally on behalf of low-income communities and communities of color.


• Working knowledge of narrative research and tested frameworks, and fluency applying them practically.


• Demonstrated commitment to racial, economic, and housing justice reflected in prior work.


• Skilled at translating complex policy or legislative material into accessible public narrative.

Organizational & Systems Thinking

Responsibilities:

• Aligns communications strategy with organizational planning, budgeting, and impact tracking.


• Collaborates with the legislative/regulatory affairs and power-building teams so communications reinforces policy and organizing strategy.


• Operates with a high degree of autonomy and sound judgment as a senior organizational leader.


• Brings fresh thinking to a fast-changing coalition and legislative environment, adapting priorities as opportunities shift.

Key qualifications:

• Experience operating in advocacy, legislative, or coalition-based environments, with a well-developed communications toolkit.


• Demonstrated ability to own and manage narrative and messaging strategy at a senior level.


• Comfort holding "inside voice / outside voice" tension across public, coalition, and legislative spaces.

Team Leadership & Development

Responsibilities:

• Manages direct reports, coaching for growth in craft, judgment, and career development.


• Builds a collaborative, low-ego team culture that supports growth at every level.


• Contributes to organizational leadership: shaping culture, advancing equity commitments, and participating in strategic planning.


• Proposes and monitors the communications budget and supports fundraising for the program.

Key qualifications:

• Experience managing and developing communications staff, including hands-on coaching.


• Collaborative, low-ego leadership style.


• Track record as a senior leader who integrates team output into broader organizational strategy.
  

Our ideal candidates may have experience that doesn\'t directly match the qualifications above, and we encourage people with equivalent experience to apply.

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND LOCATION

This is a full-time, exempt position that reports to the Deputy Director of Programs. The Director will provide leadership for a communications manager. The salary range $120,000 - $150,000 depending on experience.

Benefits package includes fully paid medical, dental, and vision for employee and 25% paid medical, dental and vision for dependents, paid parental leave, long-term disability and group life insurance coverage; commuting subsidy; cell phone/at home internet subsidy; 403(b) retirement plan with 3.5% employer contribution; generous vacation (3+ weeks, depending on tenure), sick leave (8 hours per month + employees start with 8 hours of leave), 12 paid holidays; organization-wide closure during the last week of December and a shortened workweek during the summer legislative break; training and professional development opportunities; and a hybrid work environment.

This position is based in our office in Sacramento and requires a significant in person presence in and around our office and the state capitol in downtown Sacramento. The position will have the opportunity to work remotely from their home if their presence is not needed in the office or around the capitol.

The position is expected to participate in regular travel (mostly in California) including the following engagements: twice yearly Board of Directors meetings (sometimes held in Sacramento); annual 2-3 day staff retreat; annual 3-day Housing California conference (often in Sacramento); annual 2-3-day statewide RUN summit (sometimes in Sacramento); plus various conferences or in-person partner meetings, based on need and interest.

OUR CULTURE

Housing California is committed to creating a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace that fosters a culture of belonging, ongoing learning and collaboration, and supports, stabilizes, and incentivizes people to join the Housing California team and stay for the long game.

We value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we address. We especially encourage Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and people of color; people from families that have immigrated to the U.S.; people who have been unhoused or experienced housing instability; women; LGBTQIA+ people; system-impacted people; and people with disabilities to apply for these positions.

We aim for our work to be both effective and sustainable; we balance required travel during some parts of the year and the fast-paced legislative calendar with a commitment to our team’s mental and physical health.