State Communications Strategist

The Clean Slate Initiative•Orlando, FL

4d•Remote

About The Position

The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) is a national, bipartisan organization dedicated to advancing policies that automate and expand eligibility for record sealing. Their mission is to ensure that past arrests or convictions do not create lifelong barriers to employment, housing, education, and civic participation. With one in three Americans having a record that limits opportunities, CSI envisions a society where individuals are not defined by their past and have a fair chance to reach their full potential. Clean Slate laws have been enacted in 14 states and Washington D.C., impacting over 18 million people. CSI collaborates with partners, directly impacted individuals, and community leaders to shape policy, drive implementation, and reframe the public conversation around second chances. CSI is seeking two State Communications Strategists to lead the development, execution, and optimization of strategic communications for their state-level work. One position will focus on supporting active state legislative campaigns (State Communications Strategist - Campaigns), while the other will support states with newly enacted laws, focusing on increasing knowledge and awareness among impacted individuals and communities (State Communications Strategist - Implementation). These roles will craft and support communications strategies to drive public awareness and mobilize support for Clean Slate policies, working closely with the Director of Campaign Communications, the Marketing & Communications team, campaign strategists, implementation managers, and external advocacy partners. The positions will involve advancing high-impact partnerships, digital engagement, earned media, and partner communications.

Requirements

Minimum 5 -7 years of strategic marketing/communications experience, preferably in a nonprofit, advocacy, or policy-campaign setting.
Proven ability to develop and implement integrated communications plans that include digital, earned media, partner/collaborator channels, and storytelling.
Demonstrated success in education-oriented communications: translating complex guidance into accessible and usable information.
Strong writing and editing skills: able to translate complex policy/data into accessible, compelling messages for multiple audiences.
Demonstrated success in educational or issue-oriented communications strategies: aligning communications strategy with organizational, legislative, and post-legislative goals.
Strong collaboration skills: able to partner across teams (campaigns, research/data, program, external partners) and manage multiple stakeholders.
Solid analytical and metrics-driven mindset: comfortable interpreting data, setting KPIs, and adjusting strategy accordingly.
Commitment to equity, inclusion, and centering directly impacted voices in narrative work.
Ability to work in a remote environment, across time zones, with minimal supervision and strong self-management.
Currently reside in the United States and be authorized to work in the United States.
Be close to a major airport with the ability to travel approximately 10-15%.
Attend required onsite planning meetings at least 2 times a year in various locations.
Attend 1 all staff learning trip and our annual convening each year.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in or with state/federal policy campaigns, legislative or advocacy environments.
Background in narrative change, brand building, and social justice/justice-reform communications.
Prior experience with public relations and media placements (national or regional).
Familiarity with and passion for the mission of Clean Slate, criminal legal system reform, and second-chance initiatives.
Lived experience (or close family experience) with the criminal legal system is valued at CSI.

Responsibilities

Serves as CSI’s representative on communications working groups in state coalitions.
Develop and maintain public-facing communications and educational resources that support CSI’s emerging notification practice by helping impacted individuals understand record sealing relief and navigate the process of checking or confirming whether their records have been sealed.
Provide hands-on support for our partners as they create educational materials (web, flyers, social media, etc) for impacted individuals after Clean Slate laws are passed.
Create media strategies for legislative and implementation successes and to influence government actors during legislative campaigns or when there are implementation problems.
Serve as the primary communications partner to state coalitions, building trusted relationships while supporting the development of collaborative communications plans, messaging, and opportunities to amplify state efforts through CSI channels.
Collaborate with CSI campaign strategists and implementation managers to ensure communications are aligned with legislative strategy, implementation goals, and partner needs.
Collaborate with partners to expand their visibility and media confidence by helping them craft compelling stories, connect with journalists, and develop long-term media relationships that position them as reliable and trusted sources for journalists.
Coordinate content creation and deployment: collateral (flyers, one-pagers, toolkits), digital assets, video/story assets, campaign microsites, etc.
Create and disseminate outreach guidance, templates, and training materials for coalition partners that are informed by best practices.
Serve as a subject-matter contributor and communications advisor to internal teams and external stakeholders: i.e., guiding partner organizations, coalition members, and state teams in communications best practices.