Deputy Director of Communications

FairVote•Silver Spring, MD

3d•$95,000 - $120,000•Remote

About The Position

FairVote is seeking an experienced Deputy Director of Communications to serve as a senior media relations and communications strategist and partner to the Director of Communications in strategic planning and agenda-setting. The Deputy Director will help advance FairVote’s national media and thought leadership presence and support state and local ranked choice voting (RCV) campaigns. The Deputy Director will lead national media outreach and communications campaigns, serve as a primary point of contact for national media, and identify opportunities to elevate FairVote’s policy priorities in an evolving and increasingly online media environment. The position provides communications strategy guidance to state and local partners and senior-level editorial direction and review of written products from FairVote’s Research and Communications teams. The role also provides leadership, mentorship, and supervision of Communications Department staff and specialized interns, and manages consultants and outside vendors as needed. It is intended to expand the department’s strategic capacity and strengthen coordination, quality, and effectiveness. This is a full-time, exempt, non-union position reporting to the Director of Communications. The role may be performed remotely, with regular travel to Silver Spring, Maryland; candidates local to the metro DC area are preferred.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in communications, public relations, political science, or a relevant field.
At least 7 years of increasingly responsible experience in positions relevant to public relations and media relations.
Outstanding political judgment and commitment to working across the political spectrum for FairVote reforms.
Excellent writing and verbal communication skills for a range of audiences and formats.
Proven track record leading impact-driven communications campaigns for organizations or policies.
Ability to take ownership of assignments and deliverables and to recognize when a decision requires supervisor input or sign-off.
Experience with new media platforms such as podcasts, Substacks, and YouTube/Meta-based news creators.
Experience with digital content strategy and social media platforms.
Experience editing or reviewing others’ written work for messaging, brand consistency, and clarity.
Experience developing and maintaining ongoing relationships with reporters.
Ability to contribute to a work environment that values integrity, adaptability, reliability, collaboration, learning, and humor.
Enthusiasm for FairVote’s central reform priorities: ranked choice voting (RCV) and proportional representation.
Position may be performed remotely, with regular travel to Silver Spring, Maryland.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading digital marketing campaigns.
Experience supporting state, local, or coalition partners with communications strategy.
At least 2–3 years of experience managing vendors, contractors, or consultants.
Additional vendor management experience and/or experience supervising staff and mentoring team members.
Candidates local to the metro DC area are preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior strategist for national communications and media relations campaigns in partnership with the Director of Communications.
Execute media outreach and serve as the primary point of contact for the press.
Pitch major FairVote initiatives to print, broadcast, podcast, online, and Substack outlets.
Identify and pursue high-impact news opportunities aligned with FairVote’s priorities.
Manage incoming media requests in real time and determine appropriate FairVote spokespeople.
Represent FairVote on the record as needed and lead media training and interview briefings for staff.
Build and maintain senior-level relationships with the national press.
Pitch FairVote and its allies for conferences, awards, and other thought leadership opportunities.
Establish and evaluate key metrics for national media relations and communications campaigns.
Provide high-level communications strategy and guidance to state and national RCV partners, with minimal supervision.
Develop press and communications materials for significant state and local legislative efforts and review materials when appropriate.
Serve as point person for complex or high-priority state and local issues.
Oversee development of toolkits and other resources for state and local partners.
Assign, shape, and review select mid- and long-form content produced by the Communications team.
Draft high-profile communications, including op-eds, news releases, video scripts, newsletters, and executive communications, as appropriate.
Lead creation of rapid-response messaging materials, as appropriate.
Lead messaging research and synthesize findings into recommendations to improve FairVote content.
Partner with the Director of Communications on department-wide strategy, planning, budgeting, staffing, and project prioritization.
Coordinate department-wide initiatives and cross-functional projects through their full lifecycle, including delegating tasks as appropriate.
Develop and recommend ideas for short-term campaigns and FairVote’s long-term strategic plan.
Recruit and manage public relations firms and other outside contractors engaged for specific communications initiatives.
Provide leadership, mentorship, professional development, and supervision for Communications Department staff and selected interns.
Lead and support additional high-priority initiatives and organizational needs as assigned.