Communications Manager

Local Progress; California; Remote; USD 91,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Five weeks of vacation per year

20 sick days per year

Paid holidays

403(b) plan contributions

Job summary

Local Progress and Local Progress Impact Lab seek a Communications Manager to lead comprehensive campaigns and media strategies across the local governance spectrum, with a focus on California and national issues. The role drives messaging, media outreach, and digital engagement to amplify the organization’s vision for racial and economic justice in communities.

The ideal candidate will manage day-to-day communications, develop issue-based campaigns, and coordinate with staff nationwide.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience with at least 3 years of communications experience in advocacy, political, or public policy-related fields.
• Experience developing and executing communications plans with strong experience in both media relations and social media management.
• Ability to keep multiple projects on track, drive projects independently, anticipate obstacles and communicate progress regularly with a remote team.
• Attention to detail with the ability to convey and translate complex information for a variety of audiences and settings.
• Creative and proactive in identifying and co-conceiving creative communications opportunities and executing on them.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships with Local Progress members, organizational partners, and staff.
• A demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and an interest in local policy, politics, and government.
• Proficiency with EveryAction, Wordpress, and/or other content management system.
• Proficiency with Muck Rack or other media relations/public relations platform.

Responsibilities

• Support and lead key aspects of the organization’s day-to-day communications needs, including executing network-wide emails, responding to media inquiries, supporting brand development, and managing LP’s website and social media channels.
• Collaborate with national and state-based LP staff to lead, develop, and execute communications strategies for issue-based campaigns and projects. This includes developing messaging frames and talking points; drafting and pitching press releases, statements, op-eds/letters to editors, and other public-facing materials; and writing social media copy and creating graphics to be used by LP, members, and coalition partners.
• Provide direct support to LP members, including strategic communications guidance and media training/media prep.
• Work closely with and collaborate across the entire LP team to effectively disseminate network-related news, organizing opportunities, reports and policy briefs, and other resources.
• Help to grow Local Progress's press lists and cultivate relationships with national and local reporters.

Skills

Communications strategy

Media relations

Social media management

Project management

Advocacy experience

Remote collaboration

Tools

EveryAction

Wordpress

CMS

Muck Rack

Job description

Local Progress and Local Progress Impact Lab are seeking a Communications Manager

About Local Progress and Local Progress Impact Lab

Local Progress (501(c)4) and the Local Progress Impact Lab (501(c)3) - together known as Local Progress and the Impact Lab - work collectively to advance a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of government. Local Progress (LP) is a movement of nearly 1,800 local elected officials advancing a racial and economic justice agenda through all levels of local government. The Local Progress Impact Lab (the Impact Lab) brings together local leaders, partners, and experts to build the knowledge, skills, and leadership needed to advance racial and economic justice at the local level.

About the Position

The Communications Manager will help develop and execute comprehensive communications campaigns, using media and digital strategies to set and amplify the narrative of the power and possibility of progressive local governance through multimedia channels. This role will be responsible for managing key aspects of the organization’s day-to-day communications needs and driving communications strategy for key issue areas, like our school board work, across staffed states like California and regions of our network like the Pacific Northwest. An ideal candidate will have experience working across issue areas and has firsthand experience developing communications campaigns. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is eager to learn and develop communications capacity and strategy around local and national issues, gain experience supporting local leaders across the country, and drive creative work around some of the biggest issues facing communities today. The Communications Manager will report to the Deputy Communications Director.

Location: This is a remote, U.S.-based position with no in-office requirement. However the candidate must live in California. Travel requirement: This position is required to travel to in-person events up to 6 days a month.

Primary Responsibilities

• Support and lead key aspects of the organization’s day-to-day communications needs, including executing network-wide emails, responding to media inquiries, supporting brand development, and managing LP’s website and social media channels.
• Collaborate with national and state-based LP staff to lead, develop, and execute communications strategies for issue-based campaigns and projects. This includes developing messaging frames and talking points; drafting and pitching press releases, statements, op-eds/letters to editors, and other public-facing materials; and writing social media copy and creating graphics to be used by LP, members, and coalition partners.
• Provide direct support to LP members, including strategic communications guidance and media training/media prep.
• Work closely with and collaborate across the entire LP team to effectively disseminate network-related news, organizing opportunities, reports and policy briefs, and other resources.
• Help to grow Local Progress's press lists and cultivate relationships with national and local reporters.

Required Qualifications

• Must reside in California
• 6 years of experience with at least 3 years of communications experience in advocacy, political, or public policy-related fields. Ideal experience is work on racial and economic justice issues;
• Experience developing and executing communications plans with strong experience in both media relations and social media management;
• Ability to keep multiple projects on track, drive projects independently, anticipate obstacles and identify ways to navigate challenges, and communicate expectations and progress regularly with a remote team.
• Attention to detail with the ability to convey and translate complex information for a variety of audiences and settings
• Creative and proactive in identifying and co-conceiving creative communications opportunities and executing on them;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships with Local Progress members, organizational partners, and staff.
• A demonstrated commitment to social, racial, and economic justice and an interest in local policy, politics, and government.
• Proficiency with EveryAction, Wordpress, and/or other content management system.
• Proficiency with Muck Rack or other media relations/public relations platform.

The Ideal Candidate Has

• Spanish language fluency and experience with working with Spanish language media.
• Issue area experience related to racial and economic justice in a local context, including education, school boards, and state preemption.
• Experience working on and leading state communications campaigns.

Salary and Benefits

This position is expected to start at step 22 of our salary scale, and other factors such as years of
experience and advanced degrees will be taken into account, with an expected range of $90,900- $102,900.

This position is included in a union-represented collective bargaining unit, and specific terms and conditions of employment will be subject to a collective bargaining agreement. With a collectively bargained salary scale, we are not able to negotiate once a salary offer is calculated based on the factors that determine placement on the scale.

We operate on a default work schedule of Monday through Thursday. We have a generous benefits package, including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, five weeks of vacation per year, 20 sick days per year, paid holidays, and contributions to individuals’ 403(b) plans. The Local Progress office is closed between December 24 and January 1 annually.

Timeline

We encourage applicants to apply by October 1, 2026. Applicants will be screened on a rolling basis, and the job posting may close before the deadline if we receive an overwhelming amount of applications. If you have any time constraints, please indicate as much in your application. This role has a required start date of January 19, 2027.

Local Progress Values

• Respect: We value people and treat each other with dignity. We strive to understand each other as full human beings, and give each other grace and room to grow.
• Honesty: We communicate directly with each other, are honest about our strengths and our shortcomings, and are transparent about who has what level of information and authority and why.
• Groundedness: We are authentic, and have high humility and low ego. We ground our work in the day-to-day reality and needs of our members.
• Mutual accountability: We do what we say we're going to do, follow through on our commitments to each other and to our members, and we hold each other to a high bar. We self-reflect and develop each other’s skills as leaders.
• Nuance: We understand that our work is complex and hold space for multiple viewpoints, contradictions, and tensions. We can hold many things as true while making decisions that advance our mission.
• Impact: We empower our team to make decisions to drive their work. We are focused on results, persistent in overcoming obstacles, and adapt to changing external conditions. We take pride in our work.
• Collaboration: We come together across different levels of power to advance shared interests. We center what’s best for the organization and are team players.
• Joy: We value playfulness, humor, and joy as ways to create community, connection, and goodwill that sustains us through the challenges inherent in our work.

Local Progress is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and actively recruits people of color, womxn, individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTIQAA+ community.