Chispa Communications Director

Title: Chispa Communications Director
Department: Communications
Status: Exempt
Reports to: Senior Vice President of Communications
Positions reporting to this position: Chispa Digital & Creative Campaigns Manager, Chispa State Communications Manager
Location: Flexible (the employee may decide whether to work remotely and/or from an LCV office)
Travel Requirements: Up to 15%
Union Position: No
Job Classification Level: M-I
Salary Range (depending on experience): $89,557 –  $108,000

General Description:

LCV believes our earth is worth fighting for because everyone has a right to clean air, water, and a safe, healthy community. To ensure those rights are protected, we help people use their power to shape policy, hold politicians and polluters accountable, and influence elections.

For more than 50 years, LCV has grown into a potent political force for protecting our planet and everyone who inhabits it. We have built a powerful national movement with 30 state affiliates, and grassroots and community organizing programs across the country.

Chispa, a program of LCV, works to ensure that Latinx communities and leaders have a strong voice in the movement for climate justice and to influence the environmental policies and decisions that impact our health, environment and democracy. Currently, Chispa has programs in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada, and Texas.

LCV is hiring a Chispa Communications Director to oversee and implement the Chispa program’s communications strategies by managing a team and developing opportunities and materials that engage various audiences, particularly Latine/a/o families and leaders, in climate and environmental justice and other issues. The ideal candidate is a skilled supervisor, bilingual, culturally competent, possesses strong written and oral communication skills, results-focused, highly driven, thoughtful, and strategic.

Responsibilities:

• In consultation with Chispa national and in-state programs and the broader Communications team, develop, implement and evaluate strategic communications plans, including traditional media and digital campaigns that advance Chispa’s national federal and state advocacy goals.
• Supervise, lead and develop the Chispa communications team, ensuring that program goals and strategies are grounded in organizational values of accountability, anti-racism, community, innovation, learning and sustainability.
• As part of the Communications Management Team, ensure quality and consistency of values, including racial justice and equity, brand identity, narrative, tone, and personality across all communications channels.
• Oversee the development of social media and online content that builds a strong and active social media presence and following for national and state Chispa programs. Work with the Chispa Digital & Creative Campaigns Manager to implement strategies and share content.
• Supervise Chispa State Communications Manager to support state program communications needs.
• Collaborate with Chispa teams, including the Chispa National Organizing Director, to develop campaign-specific communications strategies.
• Build relationships with national and local media, including Spanish-language and Latinx-focused outlets, and ensure ongoing coverage of Chispa’s advocacy issues, message and spokespeople at national and state levels.
• Develop messaging for Chispa national and state programs. Maintain the Chispa brand guide. 
• Write press statements, advisories, releases, opinion editorials, letters to the editor and other materials that integrate relatable and culturally competent environmental and pro-climate justice messaging that  advance program goals. 
• Manage relationships with contractors for website, video, media buys and digital services.
• Provide coaching, training and strategy support for communications in all six state-based Chispa programs, in coordination with the Chispa State Communications Manager. 
• Work with the Chispa teams to develop bilingual, culturally-competent content for physical and digital content for a variety of audiences.
• Serve as an on-the-record spokesperson for the Chispa program and LCV.
• Travel up to 15% of the time for occasional press staffing needs, staff retreats, conferences, and professional development opportunities, as needed.

Qualifications:

• Work Experience: Required – Minimum 5 years experience in media communications, including supervision of others. Experience developing, implementing and evaluating communications plans for short and long-term campaigns or programs. Experience with speaking on the record to press. A track record of successfully engaging different audiences in different levels of advocacy. A track record of using social media platforms to advance program goals, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram 
  • Preferred – Experience in grassroots community, issue or labor organizing, movement-building work, storytelling, and creative strategies; experience in press engagement; Experience in communications for bilingual programs. Experience working with state programs.
• Skills: Required – Excellent writing and spoken fluency in English and Spanish; commitment to measuring and tracking progress and outcomes; reliable, consistent, detail-oriented, and self-motivated; works well in a fast-paced environment and is able to multitask without sacrificing the quality of work. Strong team player with experience incorporating significant feedback received from a variety of partners and consultants. Demonstrated knowledge of and relationships with the Spanish-language and Latinx-focused media market and outlets. 
  • Preferred – Desktop publishing and design experience.
• Cultural Competence: Passionate about protecting our democracy, the environment, and communities impacted by climate change and environmental injustice. Committed to confronting institutional racism and inequity within our political system. An ability to apply a racial justice lens, and a variety of communities’ distinct perspectives to communications strategies. Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture. Understanding the ways in which principles of racial justice and equity are vital to improving our democratic systems and environmental challenges effectively.
• Working Conditions: This job operates in a professional office environment, and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and audiovisual systems. This position is largely sedentary, often standing or sitting for prolonged periods. Ability to occasionally work evening and weekend hours as needed. Applicants need to be located in and legally authorized to work in the United States. LCV requires all employees working from our offices or participating in in-person meetings or events to be fully up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law.

LCV offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes vacation, sick and parental leave, personal days, paid holidays, health insurance (two plan options for staff to choose from), dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance (short- and long-term), Flexible Spending Account, 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contribution, commuter benefits program, sabbatical, and student loan assistance.

To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “Chispa Communications Director” in the subject line no later than August 20, 2023. No phone calls, please.

LCV is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a racially just, equitable, and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other protected status. LCV is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact hr@lcv.org.

Website: https://www.lcv.org/careers/chispa-communications-director/

To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to hr@lcv.org with “Chispa Communications Director” in the subject line no later than August 20, 2023. No phone calls, please.