Press Secretary

Washington, D.C.

NAACP

Date Posted: 4/1/2025

Position Summary

The NAACP is seeking a strategic, media-savvy Press Secretary to serve as the primary spokesperson and media liaison for the Association. This role requires a skilled communicator with a deep understanding of racial justice, policy advocacy, and the media landscape. The Press Secretary will develop and execute media strategies that amplify the NAACP’s mission, protect its brand, and proactively shape public narratives on key civil rights issues.

Key Responsibilities

Media Relations & Messaging

• Serve as a principal spokesperson, managing rapid response and proactive media engagement on behalf of the NAACP.

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with national, regional, and local media, ensuring widespread and accurate coverage of the organization’s initiatives.

• Develop and pitch compelling storylines to drive coverage of NAACP’s policy priorities, campaigns, and leadership.

• Draft, edit, and distribute press materials, including statements, op-eds, talking points, media advisories, and press releases.

• Monitor news cycles, identify opportunities for strategic media engagement, and provide rapid response communications as needed.

Crisis Communications & Reputation Management

• Lead crisis communication strategies, ensuring a coordinated and effective response to potential reputational risks.

• Act as a key advisor to leadership on sensitive media matters, providing strategic counsel on public positioning and messaging.

• Coordinate with legal and policy teams to align messaging and public statements on critical issues.

Media Engagement & Event Support

• Prepare and brief NAACP leadership, including the President & CEO and other key spokespeople, for media interviews, public speaking engagements, and press conferences.

• Organize and facilitate press briefings, interviews, and media availabilities at major NAACP events, including the National Convention and advocacy summits.

• Manage media accreditation and coordination for key NAACP initiatives, rallies, and partner events.

Strategic Communications & Digital Amplification

• Work closely with the digital and social media teams to ensure consistent messaging across all platforms.

• Identify opportunities to leverage digital storytelling, influencer engagement, and multimedia content to expand the NAACP’s reach.

• Analyze media trends and coverage data to inform communications strategies and improve message effectiveness.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, Political Science, Public Affairs, or a related field.

• 5-7+ years of experience in media relations, journalism, public affairs, or political communications, preferably in advocacy, civil rights, or government sectors.

• Proven track record of securing high-impact media coverage and managing press relationships.

• Strong crisis communications experience and ability to navigate complex media environments.

• Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives.

• Deep understanding of racial justice issues, public policy, and the political landscape.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

• Experience with digital media strategies and social media engagement is a plus.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively with leadership, internal teams, and external partners.

Director of Marketing & Communications

Seattle, WA

Washington State Opportunity Scholarship

Date Posted: 4/1/2025

OUR ORGANIZATION

We envision a Washington where all residents have access to our state’s best jobs and our companies have the diverse, local talent they need to innovate for the world. We are on a mission to transform Washington state by building pathways to high-demand jobs that strengthen our communities and economy.

The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS) is the first public-private scholarship program dedicated to building lasting pathways to secondary education and high-demand STEM, health care, and trade careers for all Washington students. We accelerate equitable change for historically excluded students and increase the local talent pool for Washington businesses. Our unique scholarship model supports students beyond tuition dollars, providing career readiness training and mentorship opportunities. Student pathways to a career include bachelor’s degrees, career and technical education, apprenticeships, certificates, and graduate school. Our impact is strengthened by our one-of-a-kind partnerships with local companies, like Microsoft and Boeing, and a dollar-for-dollar match from the state of Washington. It is administered by the WSOS Foundation (WSOSF).

The workplace culture at WSOS is mission-driven and equity-focused. We focus on the few things that matter most to achieving our mission. We create a space built on trust where people can think creatively, voice their opinions and iterate to great. We have built a collaborative team, and we spend time investing in relationships. We acknowledge the humanity of our Scholars, staff, and partners. We believe we are powerful because of the diverse perspective staff bring and we seek to understand and offer one another grace and acceptance. We commit to giving and receiving feedback honestly and often. We set bold goals centered around impact and have high expectations for ourselves, and we hold ourselves and others accountable to them. We have generous PTO and holiday schedules. We are flexible with staff, allowing work to better integrate with life. We encourage you to visit our Careers page to learn more about our team culture and the values that guide our work.

THIS OPPORTUNITY

The Director of Marketing and Communications role reports to the Managing Director of Advancement and is a member of the Advancement team. The Director is responsible for leading and executing marketing and storytelling strategies that elevate WSOS’s brand and amplify its impact. From crafting compelling narratives to overseeing multi-channel campaigns, this role is critical in building awareness and engaging stakeholders across the state. As a member of the Directors team, this role will work with all teams across the organization to champion innovation and to illustrate the power of the WSOS mission. They lead and inspire a team of two FTE and several independent contractors to build and execute strategies for public relations, fundraising efforts, scholar communications, scholarship promotion and storytelling. The ideal candidate is: 1) a strong and experienced people manager; 2) a strategic thinker who is adept at managing competing projects in a fast-paced environment 3) skilled writer and storyteller adept at using data to captivate audiences and tailor messages to resonate across diverse audiences 4) skilled at collaborating with fundraising professionals to develop, launch, and sustain fundraising communications and marketing.

The main WSOS office is in Seattle’s Mt. Baker neighborhood. Most staff work on a hybrid schedule, generally working from the WSOS office two days per week. This role is expected to follow this schedule.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities 

• Lead and inspire a team: Manage the Communications Officer and Digital Media and Design Officer and external graphic designers, printers, photographers, videographers and additional vendors as needed.

• Develop and implement marketing strategies and the execution of an annual marketing plan to enhance brand visibility, grow diverse audiences, and execute WSOS goals across the organization’s fundraising, public relations, student relations, and scholarship promotion efforts.

• Oversee and curate mission driven content: ability to interpret and leverage data and stories for diverse audiences across multiple channels including print and digital content.

• Manage the Marketing and Communications budget, strategically allocate resources and make recommendations to support the organization’s initiatives.

• Other duties as assigned

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

We share our preferred qualifications to help candidates understand the experience, knowledge, skills and abilities we expect the ideal candidate to bring. If you feel you would be a strong fit for the role but do not meet every one of these criteria, we highly encourage you to apply.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience), preferably in a field related to marketing, communications or a similar field

• Minimum of seven (7) years of related work experience

• At least five (5) years of experience leading an effective team

• Active desire to opt in to the eight WSOS values as outlined on our Careers page

Knowledge of:

• Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, Google analytics, WordPress, Canva, Salesforce, email marketing platforms, social media

• Marketing and communications best practices including fundraising and donor stewardship.

• Systems of power and oppression and how they impact the lived experience of students of color, first-generation college students, students from low-income families and other historically marginalized communities

Skill in: 

• Designing and implementing multi-channel marketing and communications campaigns.

• Strong organizational and project management experience with an ability to execute multiple, simultaneous projects across teams

• Guiding clear decision-making processes and get necessary input to support actions as needed

• Having respectful, courageous and honest conversations

Ability to: 

• Create and lead plans for action, clearly communicate with others and deliver excellent results under tight deadlines

• Develop and build comprehensive reports that showcase organizational achievements and influence, using a blend of data-driven insights and impactful stories.

• Effectively utilize analytics and reporting to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and channels. 

• Thrive working independently and under supervision in an energetic, fast-paced team environment toward shared aspirational goals with quantifiable measures of success

• Learn from experience with an appetite for doing better next time in service of mission

Licenses, Certificates and other requirements

• Valid Washington state driver’s license or identification card

• Criminal background check absent of offenses impacting ability to perform in the role

• References will be required of short-listed candidates

Work Environment

• Moving to and from meeting spaces with sitting, bending, twisting, and reaching, occasional lifting of up to 20 pounds

• Open to dialogue about issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion

• Hybrid workplace including work-from-home time blended with shared office environment with moderate noise levels from standard office equipment

• Ability to perform consistent work on a PC

• Travel very occasionally as required

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, and prescription coverage where employer pays 100% of the employee portion; long-term disability, short-term disability, and life insurance

• Support for setting up and optimizing home office ($500 to set up a home office plus $35 per month thereafter; $65 per month cell phone stipend)

• Comprehensive employee recognition program including performance-based and extenuating circumstances awards available

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and holidays

• 401(k) with employer match up to 4%

How to Apply:

Please visit www.waopportunityscholarship.org/about/jobs/ and click on “Check for open roles” to submit the following documents:

• Cover letter outlining your interest in the position

• Resume highlighting relevant aspects of your experience

All applications received by 4/30/25 will be reviewed. The position will remain open until it is filled.

Equal employment opportunities and diverse staffing are fundamental principles of WSOS. People who have personal experience as a first-generation, under-resourced or historically excluded student like the majority of those WSOS serves are especially encouraged to apply. To learn more about the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, please visit www.waopportunityscholarship.org. 

Digital Engagement Strategist

Washington, D.C.

Collaborative Communications

Date Posted: 4/1/2025

Our digital engagement and campaign work is growing. Collaborative seeks Digital Engagement Strategist candidates with strong social media and digital marketing skills to support client projects across multiple platforms and digital channels.

We need a strategist who can:

• Design and execute comprehensive digital engagement strategies that deliver on reaching audiences with nuanced and complex messaging across platforms—from traditional media to social—while leveraging platform trends and performance insights to optimize content, reach diverse audiences, and elevate client thought leadership.

  1. Create and manage content across multiple platforms, including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky, etc.—with an eye toward engagement, growth, and social impact.

  2. Translate complex information and data into clear, compelling narratives, including calls to action and campaign messaging.

  3. Audit clients’ exisiting marketing strategies, researching what works in their specific industry, studying what competitors or similar campaigns are doing, and predicting upcoming trends in the digital landscape that could impact a client and/or their campaign.

  4. Tailor messaging and content strategies to align with each client’s goals, brand identity, and target audience while ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.

  5. Work on multiple clients concurrently, meeting deadlines in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

  6. Monitor for digital campaign performance based on clear metrics and optimize strategies as necessary.

This position requires an individual with the following skills and experience:

• Deep experience and background in the education, nonprofit, and philanthropic fields.

• Experience with digital marketing, social media strategy, integrated campaign development, and advocacy communications, ideally at the nexus of all four.

• Strong background in short-form storytelling, identifying audiences, and pairing down information and data into bite-sized messages that will best reach those audiences. This could include development of calls to action, new materials, and social media (both organic and ideally paid social).

• Understanding the many ways of designing and delivering digital content, from social graphics to real-time engagement; an instinct for new forms of digital storytelling, particularly to achieve social impact.

• Nimble handling and sophisticated understanding of various social platforms and their benefits, drawbacks, and the techniques needed to break through on each, including X, Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.

• Knowledge of best practices for audience engagement and community management across different platforms.

• Experience using social media analytics tools to track and report on performance.

• Equal parts digital marketing savvy and policy aptitude, with a demonstrated ability bridging the two on complex social-impact related campaigns or projects.

• Experience working in WordPress to make text and formatting updates; comfortable communicating with technical developers. Knowledge of SEPO best practices.

• Ability to thoughtfully articulate design concepts and thinking with the creative team.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Benefits are excellent. This is a full-time position based anywhere in the United States with ability to travel to clients and our Washington, DC office.

To Apply:

Please provide a cover letter and resume and add a link to your portfolio of work (with subject line “Digital Engagement Strategist”) to jobs@collaborativecommunications.com. Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No phone calls please.

The statements in this description represent the typical elements of, and criteria for, the general work that the applicant should expect to perform in this role. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties ,and skills for this job.

Collaborative is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. It is a strongly held value of Collaborative that power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, disability, or age. All candidates will be evaluated on a merit basis.