Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Jobtailor; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Common Cause in Washington, DC is seeking a senior leader to set and drive the organization's communications strategy, overseeing marketing, digital, and external affairs.

You will manage teams, advise senior leaders, and guide national and state campaign communications while building cross-departmental processes. The role requires in-person presence in DC at least two days per week and some travel.

Qualifications

• Strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and pro-democracy civil rights agenda.
• Ability to distill complex concepts for broad audiences and tailor messaging for executives, boards, and diverse groups.
• Experience leading communications and digital teams in nonprofit, advocacy, or private sectors.
• Knowledge of national and state media outlets and multiple media relationships.
• Authorized to work in the United States; Common Cause cannot sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas.

Responsibilities

• Set and drive the strategy to reach organizational communications goals.
• Define and execute integrated marketing, communications, and digital strategies to expand external audience reach.
• Lead the transition toward a fully digital-first communications model and drive measurable digital growth.
• Propose and pilot innovative initiatives, channels, and messaging strategies.
• Advise senior leaders on communication opportunities, risks, and emerging developments.
• Manage the Marketing & Communications teams and External Affairs digital, marketing, and communications functions.
• Set goals with direct reports, coach and develop them, and support career progression and retention.
• Foster an inclusive culture of accountability.
• Strengthen organization-wide communication strategy.
• Establish team structures, workflows, and cross-departmental processes.
• Build and maintain rapid-response systems for breaking news and emerging policy issues.
• Oversee national and state-level campaign communications, including media relations, messaging, graphic design, social media, and content creation.
• Serve as communications and marketing liaison to senior stakeholders across Policy & Litigation, Campaigns & Organizing, and State departments.
• Ensure national priorities and state-specific efforts reinforce each other.
• Represent Common Cause in coalition meetings.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Crisis comms

Digital strategy

Audience engagement

Team management

Executive communication

Nonprofit knowledge

Tools

Microsoft Office

Zoom

Job description

• Set and drive the strategy to reach organizational communications goals
• Define and execute integrated marketing, communications, and digital strategies to expand external audience reach
• Lead the transition toward a fully digital-first communications model and drive measurable digital growth
• Propose and pilot innovative initiatives, channels, and messaging strategies
• Advise senior leaders on communication opportunities, risks, and emerging developments
• Manage the Marketing & Communications teams and External Affairs digital, marketing, and communications functions
• Set goals with direct reports, coach and develop them, and support career progression and retention
• Foster an inclusive culture of accountability
• Strengthen organization-wide communication strategy
• Establish team structures, workflows, and cross-departmental processes
• Build and maintain rapid-response systems for breaking news and emerging policy issues
• Oversee national and state-level campaign communications, including media relations, messaging, graphic design, social media, and content creation
• Serve as communications and marketing liaison to senior stakeholders across Policy & Litigation, Campaigns & Organizing, and State departments
• Ensure national priorities and state-specific efforts reinforce each other
• Represent Common Cause in coalition meetings

Requirements

• Strong commitment to Common Cause’s nonpartisan mission and pro-democracy civil rights agenda
• Ability to compel action through written and verbal communication and distill complex concepts for broad audiences
• Ability to tailor communications for executive leadership, board members, and varied audiences
• Innovative and strategic thinking; ability to navigate ambiguity and solve problems resourcefully
• Ability to manage multiple short- and long-term priorities, deadlines, organization, and time independently
• Collaborative track record building rapport, trust, and credibility with diverse stakeholders
• Ability to navigate organizational and power dynamics and respectfully manage conflict
• Commitment to equity in work goals and collaboration
• Openness to feedback and awareness of strengths and growth areas
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Zoom
• Proven track record leading high-performing communications and/or digital teams in the nonprofit, advocacy, or private sector
• Experience leading successful marketing campaigns related to democracy and/or civil rights
• Knowledge of key national and state-level media outlets; multiple media relationships ideally
• Knowledge of current national democracy issues, including voting rights, redistricting, and ethics
• Demonstrated success managing and developing multidisciplinary teams and setting strategic direction
• Track record leading organization-wide change initiatives
• Ability to work in person at the Washington, DC office at least 2 days per week
• Willingness to travel 3–4 times per year for team and/or all-staff retreats
• Willingness to maintain a social media presence on behalf of Common Cause
• Must not currently hold elected office, run for office, serve on a political candidate’s Steering or Finance Committee, or be affiliated with political-party leadership
• Must be authorized to work in the United States; Common Cause cannot sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in developing and executing integrated marketing and communications strategies, with a strong focus on digital growth and audience engagement. Proven ability to lead and manage high-performing teams while fostering an inclusive culture and navigating complex organizational dynamics.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Integrated Marketing Strategy
• Digital Communications Leadership
• Team Management and Development
• Media Relations Expertise
• Campaign Communications

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Digital Strategy
• Marketing Campaigns
• Content Creation
• Graphic Design
• Social Media Management
• Communications Strategy
• Audience Engagement
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Crisis Communication
• Stakeholder Engagement

Soft Skills

• Strategic Thinking
• Collaboration
• Conflict Management
• Adaptability
• Effective Communication

Industry Keywords

• Nonprofit Sector
• Civil Rights
• Democracy Issues
• Media Relationships
• Advocacy

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Office
• Zoom