Director, Media Relations & Editorial

Leadership Conference Education Fund•Washington, DC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a 501(c)(4) organization, is the premier coalition of more than 240 national organizations that promotes and protects civil and human rights in America. The Leadership Conference has coordinated federal strategy and action, including national lobbying and regulatory efforts on behalf of every major civil rights law since 1957. The Leadership Conference Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, builds public will for federal civil rights policies that promote and protect civil and human rights in the US. Founded in 1969 as the education and research arm of The Leadership Conference, the Education Fund’s campaigns empower people and advocates to push for progressive change in the US. The Leadership Conference is seeking a Director, Media Relations & Editorial to join our Communications Department. Reporting to the VP, Communications the ideal candidate is passionate about civil and human rights and will have extensive experience writing and editing print and digital media content, as well as media relations and message building for advocacy communication campaigns and issues that drive The Leadership Conference’s mission. This position will have leadership responsibility for 2 direct reports and is not part of the collective bargaining unit.

Requirements

A minimum of 4 years of policy advocacy and political communications experience is required, and in nonprofits is preferred.
Minimum of 4 years of cross-functional senior management experience in a communications department.
A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in education and experience.
Proven commitment to civil and human rights with a passion for the issues represented by The Leadership Conference.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with attention to detail and the ability to bring one voice to The Leadership Conference.
Proven track record of modernizing communications for organizations both internally and externally.
Experience in fast-paced environments, including crisis communications and rapid response.
Thoughtful listener with a keen ability for discernment.
Strong interpersonal skills and collegial working style.

Nice To Haves

Experience in government relations/government affairs is a plus.

Responsibilities

Manage high-priority communication initiatives, ensuring products or services are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with narrative goals and campaign strategy.
Provide strategic counsel to leadership on editorial matters, helping shape thought leadership content and high-profile written materials guiding the development of op-eds, commentary, and niche publications to extend reach and impact.
Lead media relations program by building rapport and relationships at leading organizations.
Help build brand strategy as it relates to media inquiries and securing select media coverage based on organizational priorities.
Ensure that Editorial grows from a service function into more of a core driver of how the organization tells its overarching story across platforms actively helping shape policy work and how it translates into public engagement and impact.
Oversee and contribute to the organization’s daily press outreach, editing press releases, statements, talking points, and op-eds to ensure clarity, tone, and message discipline.
Support crisis communications execution and identify rapid response opportunities to national political developments, as well as active disinformation trends, leading Communications in strategic and rapid response implementation.
Lead editorial strategy, overseeing a division responsible for writing projects and editing of all written public-facing materials ensuring alignment with organizational goals and a proactive production approach to content development.
Develop, maintain, and regularly update editorial guidelines and best practices, streamlining editorial workflows and implementing new editorial formats such as interactive reports, modular storytelling approaches, and AI-assisted editing tools.
Partner with the digital strategy team to ensure editorial content is optimized for online engagement and distribution while keeping the primary focus on content quality and storytelling.
Work with the communications staff of other organizations to align partner opportunities for visibility, including media outreach.
Perform other duties as necessary and related.