Director, Media Strategy & Campaigns

Vera Institute of Justice; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Student loan repayment

Professional development

Employer-funded retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Vera Institute of Justice is seeking a Director of Media Strategy & Campaigns to lead national, regional, and local media engagements. The role partners with Vera Action and cross-functional colleagues to shape messaging, develop talking points, and drive high-impact media campaigns.

You will oversee media relations, messaging, and rapid-response operations while managing a team, ensuring deadlines, and optimizing campaigns for ROI. Hybrid work with a Brooklyn base is expected.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience conceiving, developing and executing media strategies for national, regional, and local levels.
• 8+ years leading advocacy campaigns.
• 5+ years supervising teams of 3+ people.
• Strong crisis communications experience.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute Vera’s media strategy and campaigns across high-profile media.
• Lead development of talking points, press releases, pitches, memos, briefings and background materials.
• Cultivate relationships with journalists and media outlets; pitch engagements across media.
• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the media team with KPI-driven goals.

Skills

Media strategy

Crisis communications

Campaign leadership

Staff supervision

Messaging development

Job description

About the role:

The Director of Media Strategy & Campaigns reports to the Managing Director of Communications & External Affairs partners with colleagues across Vera Institute and Vera Action to conceive and implement strategic campaigns, owns Vera’s consistent presence in high-profile media and targeted local and regional outlets, shapes the Institute’s messaging, and influences public conversation on Vera’s issues.

1. Strategy development

• Set and execute media strategy to advance Vera Institute and Vera Action’s priorities
• Strengthen a rapid response operation to activate around newsworthy moments on Vera’s issues
• Track daily media coverage and public sentiment on Vera Institute and Vera Action’s issues to continuously inform and shape campaign strategies

2. Messaging development

• Lead the drafting of talking points and messaging framework on Vera’s priority issues and campaigns
• Oversee the development and distribution of talking points, press releases, pitches, memos, background briefings, fact sheets and other materials
• Partner with colleagues in Advocacy, Research, and Initiatives to build overall media and communications strategy
• Ensure staff are prepared for media and public appearances via formal media training and informal prep sessions

3. Media relations

• Cultivate,maintain, and expand relationships with journalists, producers, bloggers, and other influential media figures who regularly cover criminal justice and immigration issues
• Proactively pitch media engagements across print, digital, radio, podcast, TV, and new media
• Draft and place op-eds and LTEs bylined by internal spokespeople and partners
• Provide journalists and staff with concise, compelling messages and summaries

4. Effectively supervisethemedia team

• Train, mentor, give feedback, and evaluate media specialists;effectively assign workloads, set clear project deadlines, and hold team accountable for KPIs
• Foster collaborative culture that emphasizes independent problem solving; guide team in interpreting analytics andutilizetools tooptimizecampaigns and improve ROI
• ability to manage high-pressure situations, negotiate effectively internally and externally, and serve as a strong bridge between departments and partners

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required :

• At least10years of experience with successfultrack recordof conceiving, developing, and executing innovative and effective strategies for engaging media at the national, regional, and local level for a government office or elected official
• At least 8 years of experience leading advocacy campaigns
• At least 5 years of experience as a supervisor managing at least 3 people
• Strong experience managing crisis communications

Preferred :

• Advanced degree a plus. In lieu of degreerequirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered. Experience should include media, journalism, or public relations work, includingsignificant experiencesupervising and managing media relations personnel as a director.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you’ll bring:

• Ability to work under tight deadlines, draft near-final copy, and adept at being able to adjust effectively in a fast-changing work environment.
• Excellent writer and communicator who can adeptly distill research into public facing messages and take storytelling to the next level

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $140,000 - $160,000. __ Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institute’s total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field, supporting Vera staff - both personally and professionally - is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time.To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.

Vera is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, includingwith regard toeducational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.