Public Affairs Specialist

Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA); Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

No-cost medical plan

Dental & Vision health plans

401(k) retirement plan

Generous PTO

EAP

Transit benefits

Professional development

Flexible work environment

Employee discounts on adoptions

Job summary

Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) in Washington, DC is seeking a Public Affairs Specialist to shape our presence online and in the community. You will craft stories for social channels, handle media inquiries, and collaborate with the Marketing team to keep content timely and on-brand.

You will also build relationships with reporters, elected officials, and sponsors, coordinating events and activations while preparing spokespeople for interviews.

Qualifications

• Experience managing partnerships, sponsorships, or external engagement initiatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication; experience drafting external materials.
• Experience coordinating events or managing multi‑stakeholder projects.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a point of contact for routine media inquiries.
• Draft press releases, advisories, statements, and background materials.
• Coordinate interviews and prepare briefing materials for spokespeople.
• Monitor media coverage and maintain tracking reports.
• During Director absence, manage day-time media coordination per escalation protocols.
• Coordinate meetings with elected officials and community leaders.
• Monitor local legislative developments and flag updates to leadership.
• Assist in preparing talking points and stakeholder communications.
• Support social media strategies and maintaining the content calendar.
• Oversee sponsor activation, benefits fulfillment, and reporting commitments.
• Lead coordination of external events and community activations.

Skills

Partnership management

Media relations

Communication skills

Event coordination

Project management

Raiser's Edge CRM

Education

Bachelor's degree (communications/public relations/nonprofit management/political science)

Tools

Raiser's Edge

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Like being in the know? Like talking to people, telling good stories, and making things happen online and out in the community? As a Public Affairs Specialist at the Humane Rescue Alliance, you’ll help shape how HRA shows up in the world—from social media and digital storytelling to news coverage, community events, corporate partnerships, and conversations with local leaders.

About the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA)

For more than 150 years, the Humane Rescue Alliance has championed the protection of animals, support for people, and service to the community. With campuses in the District of Columbia and New Jersey, along with the nation’s leading pet transport initiative, it stands as the largest and most comprehensive animal services provider in the region. Each year, HRA transforms the lives of tens of thousands of animals through rescue and adoption, humane protection, access to medical care, innovative community programs, and legislative leadership. Its broad reach and deep expertise enable HRA to reimagine traditional sheltering and address the most complex challenges facing animals and the people who love them.

Job Summary

A big part of your day-to-day work will be telling HRA’s stories on social media. You’ll help develop and create engaging content, manage day-to-day activity across HRA’s social channels, respond to, and interact with our online community, and look for opportunities to turn what’s happening across the organization into stories people want to see, share, and talk about. You’ll work closely with the Marketing team to keep our content fresh, timely, on-brand, and connected to what’s happening in our shelter and programs.

You’ll also help HRA build relationships and stay connected beyond our social channels. You might talk with a reporter about an animal in our care, coordinate a meeting with an elected official, work with a corporate partner on an activation, attend a community event, or help prepare an HRA spokesperson for an interview. You’ll be someone who can move comfortably between writing a social post, answering a media request, planning an event, and talking with people in the community.

Reporting to the Director of Public Affairs, you’ll help make sure HRA’s voice is present, engaging, and consistent wherever people encounter us. We’re looking for someone who is curious, creative, organized, comfortable meeting new people, and able to spot a good story when they see one. If you enjoy variety, love social media, and want your work to connect people with animals and a mission you care about, this could be the role for you.

The Role: What You’ll Do

Media & Communications Support

• Serve as a point of contact for routine media inquiries.
• Draft press releases, media advisories, statements, and background materials.
• Coordinate interviews and prepare briefing materials for organizational spokespeople.
• Monitor media coverage and maintain tracking reports.
• During Director absence, manage day‑time media coordination with established escalation protocols for strategic or sensitive matters.

Government & Community Relations Support

• Coordinate meetings and logistics with elected officials, community leaders, and key stakeholders.
• Monitor local legislative and civic developments and flag relevant updates to leadership.
• Assist in preparation of talking points, briefing materials, and stakeholder communications.
• Support public affairs initiatives designed to advance HRA’s policy and community engagement priorities.

Digital Media

• Contribute to and execute integrated social media strategies, managing content creation and storytelling for HRA’s social media channels in alignment with organizational brand, communications, and engagement goals.
• Support Marketing Specialist in maintaining the content calendar.
• Read, review, and respond to the community through social media channels.

Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorship Management

• Manage and steward an assigned portfolio of corporate sponsors and business partners.
• Identify and cultivate prospective corporate sponsors in coordination with the Director of Public Affairs and Development leadership.
• Draft sponsorship proposals, agreements, and benefit summaries.
• Ensure fulfillment of sponsor benefits, recognition, and reporting commitments.
• Track corporate engagement activity and maintain accurate records in CRM systems.
• Contribute to annual corporate revenue goals through strategic outreach, sponsor retention, and expansion of partnerships.

Events & Community Engagement

• Lead coordination and logistical execution of external‑facing events, corporate activations, and community engagement initiatives.
• Manage sponsor activation, benefit fulfillment, and on‑site representation at events.
• Coordinate cross‑functional teams to support successful execution of events and activations.
• Represent HRA at community gatherings, business forums, and civic meetings as delegated.

About You: Skills & Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience managing partnerships, sponsorships, or external engagement initiatives.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience drafting media and external materials.
• Experience coordinating events or managing multi‑stakeholder projects.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Professional presence and confidence representing the organization in external settings.
• Familiarity with CRM systems such as Raiser's Edge preferred.
• Commitment to HRA’s mission and values.

Qualifications – Education & Experience

4–6 years of experience in communications, public affairs, nonprofit engagement, corporate relations, or related field.

Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, nonprofit management, political science, or related field preferred.

An equivalent combination of education and professional experience may be considered.

Where You’ll Work:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Regularly sits at a computer station and operates electronic equipment.

Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends in support of events or media needs.

Ability to perform physical activity associated with event setup and coordination, including lifting, carrying, reaching, stooping, and standing for extended periods.

Comfortable working around cats, dogs, small animals, reptiles, fish, and wildlife.

Due to the nature of shelter work, may be exposed to deceased, fractious, or aggressive animals; common allergens; hostile or irate persons; zoonotic or other diseases; unpleasant noises, odors, or sights; and extreme temperatures.

Benefits Overview: Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA)

At the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA), we are committed to supporting the well‑being of our employees so they can continue making a meaningful impact for animals and the community. We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support your health, financial security, and work‑life balance.

• $0-Cost Medical Plan Option: Access to a no‑cost employee‑only medical plan through CareFirst, making healthcare more accessible and affordable.
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Multiple plan options available to meet individual and family needs.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Pre‑tax options to help manage healthcare and dependent care expenses.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Employer Support: Administered through Empower, with tools and resources to help you plan for your future.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO): Including vacation, sick leave, and holidays to support rest and work‑life balance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential resources to support mental health, wellness, and life challenges.
• Commuter Benefits (WMATA SmartBenefits): Pre‑tax transit benefits for metro, bus, and eligible commuting expenses.
• Professional Development & Training Opportunities: Including Fear Free Certification and ongoing learning initiatives to support career growth.
• Flexible Work Environment (Role‑Dependent): Opportunities for hybrid or flexible scheduling based on position and operational needs.
• Employee Discounts & Perks: Discounts on pet adoptions, veterinary products, and partner offerings.

The Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) offers a comprehensive benefits package including healthcare, vision, dental and select offerings for pets. Additional information may be provided upon request. A salary premium may be offered for multilingual candidates who demonstrate proficiency in written and oral testing. HRA is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate because of race, color, creed, gender, religion, national origin, disability, age, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, marital status, citizenship status, or sexual orientation. Accommodation will be provided to qualified individuals requiring them.