Communications Director

The Equity Alliance•Nashville, TN

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Equity Alliance (TEA) is seeking a high-performing, independent, and collaborative leader for its new Communications Director position. This role is crucial for the organization's growth over the next three years and is ideal for someone passionate about advancing racial justice and Black power. The Communications Director will own both earned media (press, public relations, media relationships) and owned media (website, email, social, podcast, print), ensuring a consistent and unapologetic brand voice across all entities within the TEA network. The position offers opportunities for autonomy, advancement, and innovation within a fast-growing nonprofit startup environment.

Requirements

A passion and commitment for The Equity Alliance’s mission and theory of change.
Passionate about social justice and racial equity and a commitment to transformative change.
Experience working in social justice movements.
Strong attention to detail, planning, and execution skills.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in communications, public relations, journalism, public affairs, or a related field.
Political campaign, advocacy work, or Capitol Hill experience a plus.
At least 5–7 years of applicable senior-level communications, campaign, or related policy experience.
Experience building a strategic communications plan that targets multiple stakeholder audiences and leverages traditional, digital, and social media platforms.
Experience creating overarching communications plans for organizations, issue campaigns, or related contexts.
Experience managing a team.
Exceptional writing skills with a keen eye for proofreading and editing (experience with op-ed, news writing, and speech writing preferred).
Good eye for visual content and the ability to effectively present information.
Proven track record of pitching and placing in local and regional media outlets.
Proficiency across social media platforms and an understanding of how to grow and engage an audience.
Excellent problem-solving skills.
Ability to work gracefully under pressure with tight deadlines and multiple, competing priorities.
Ability to work both independently and within a team on multiple projects and across several time zones.
Good people skills and an infectious, positive attitude when communicating about The Equity Alliance’s work.
Impeccable judgment and discretion in dealing with sensitive information.
Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, G Suite (Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive), social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok), and basic web platforms, database software, project management software, web browsers, and conferencing software (Zoom and StreamYard).
Ability to travel multiple times per year, often across the state of Tennessee, including overnight travel for events, stakeholder meetings, and community partner meetings.
Ability to drive.
Must have reliable transportation, a cell phone, and a valid driver’s license.
Flexibility to work on evenings and weekends, as needed.

Nice To Haves

Graphic design skills, preferably proficient in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and/or InDesign, or Canva.
Working knowledge of EveryAction, NGP VAN, and Hustle, and ThruText civic engagement software tools.
Basic video editing skills.
Experience creating mass emails with MailChimp.
Strong media networks and relationships.
Experience using a race-class narrative in verbal and written communications.
A sense of humor, creativity and innovative thinking.
Competitive, warrior spirit to clap back in the face of opposition.

Responsibilities

Developing and implementing a comprehensive, data-driven communications and digital organizing strategy rooted in The Equity Alliance’s mission, goals, and initiatives.
Leading TEA’s earned and owned media efforts, including press, public relations, website, newsletter, social channels, and podcast.
Amplifying TEA's work and impact to various audiences including community members, disenfranchised constituencies, coalition partners, stakeholders, volunteers, policymakers, funders, and donors.
Supporting TEA in maintaining a strong public voice in the social justice movement and media to advocate for equitable policies and practices rooted in reparations, self-determination, and liberation.
Influencing shifts in power to grassroots organizing led by Black people, including those directly impacted by institutional harmful policies.
Implementing an integrated communication strategy that ensures brand consistency across all channels and aligns communication with TEA’s mission and objectives.
Contributing to increasing TEA’s racial equity, civic engagement, and power-building capacities.
Coordinating input from staff on communications materials and shaping external communication of values.
Expanding the reach of TEA’s message and communications projects to diverse audiences.
Developing and strengthening the organization’s unapologetic brand “voice”.
Developing and maintaining annual communications work plans, program budgets, and timelines across TEA’s network of entities.
Providing quality control for printed and digital materials.
Providing final approval of all outgoing communications and materials in partnership with executive leadership.
Monitoring developments in communications best practices, tools, and technologies.
Supporting the development of fundraising, campaign, and event materials, videos, and digital content.
Maintaining contracts and relationships with consultants and external vendors providing communications services and tools.
Supervising and providing strategic oversight of communications staff, interns, consultants, and contractors.
Working with team members to identify and respond to opportunities in the media, legal and political, and nonprofit advocacy landscapes.
Assisting in the development of speeches, op-eds, talking points, digital and web content, blog posts, press releases, and public statements.
Creating presentation slide decks for funders, donors, and public stakeholders.
Preparing directors for media interviews and speaking engagements.
Providing talking points for speaking engagements.
Providing production support for the Porch Politics podcast in collaboration with the TN Holler.
Synthesizing and operationalizing staff requests related to communications and streamlining the review and approval process.
Providing strategic leadership in the creation of a resource development strategy to grow independent annual revenue.
Leading the development of a new strategy for engaging individual donors in partnership with executive leadership and the Board of Directors.
Leading the branding, message development, and execution for annual fundraisers.
Developing and executing individual communications plans for key events.
Leading the overall project management and production of the Tennessee Voter Guides.
Creating communications toolkits for community partners to amplify events, projects, and issue campaign messages.
Coordinating creative services for communications materials.
Incorporating race-class narrative into persuasive communication messages.
Working with the Policy Department to craft narratives and strategies that communicate the impacts of policy decisions.
Deploying rapid response communications related to breaking developments with legislation, policy, policymakers, and lobbying efforts.
Designing strategies to engage core constituencies and public officials in communication, public education, and advocacy campaigns.
Supervising and managing the day-to-day effectiveness of social media, digital outreach, podcasts, and video development.
Writing, editing, and curating content for website, newsletters, social media, event announcements, print materials, media articles, and internal publications.
Developing digital organizing strategies and implementing content to support online fundraising and raise visibility.
Monitoring social media engagement and impact.
Maintaining the website and monitoring analytics.
Compiling data reports regularly to analyze and report on communications impact.
Overseeing and implementing an earned media plan, including media market research, press outreach, and maintaining press clippings and contacts.
Serving as press contact and drafting press materials including media advisories, press releases, talking points, and letters to the editor.