Communications Director - U.S. Nature Initiative

Full-Time • Remote

Description

The U.S. Nature Initiative (USNI) is seeking a full-time Communications Director. The Communications Director leads communications for an assigned portfolio of USNI's priority campaigns, and supports the Vice President of Communications on USNI's brand, channels, and broader narrative and research strategy. The ideal candidate is an experienced campaign communicator who can move easily between strategy and execution. They should be comfortable working with partners across the political spectrum. The Communications Director works closely with the Vice President of Communications and USNI’s campaigns team.

Primary Responsibilities

Campaign Communications- 60% - - - - Lead strategic communications for a portfolio of assigned priority campaigns, keeping work aligned with campaign strategy, USNI’s goals and the American Nature Strategy Partner with grantees and the campaigns team to develop and deploy communications plans: message guidance, earned media, digital and paid tactics, messengers and validators, and plans to turn wins into momentum for the next phase Support grantees’ earned media and spokesperson preparation, especially with state, regional, agriculture, outdoor and sporting press, and help run USNI’s rapid response approach Manage communications consultants and vendors on assigned priority campaigns.

Campaign Narrative and Strategy- 20% - - - Apply polling, message research and landscape scans to sharpen campaign messaging, guide partners and identify the messengers who move target audiences Contribute to communications strategy for new and next-phase campaigns, including assessing prospective grantees’ communications capacity alongside the campaigns team Support the American Nature Strategy rollout and produce related assets

USNI Brand and Field Building- 20% - - - Support management of USNI’s website, newsletters, and creative vendors Support communications for USNI convenings and the Conservation Advocacy Institute Support the development and distribution of research and white papers that are meant to shift the way the field of conservation approaches communications

Required Skills

• 8+ years in strategic communications, including leading communications for multi-phase advocacy or policy campaigns that delivered results

• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: water resource conservation, private and working lands management/conservation, or public lands and wildlife protection/advocacy.

• Experience using polling and message research to shape strategy, choose messengers and persuade audiences across the political spectrum, including in red and purple states

• Strong earned media and digital skills, with a data-driven approach

• Excellent project and time management skills, including balancing multiple priorities across campaigns, consultants, vendors, and stakeholders

• Excellent writing and editing skills

• Proven self-starter suited to small, remote team

  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with sportsmen, agriculture, rural or conservative-leaning organizations and messengers

• Experience in a pooled fund, regrantor or coalition, and familiarity with 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) advocacy rules

• Have experience working in partnership and interfacing with philanthropy Location and Compensation

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

● Resume ● A one-page cover letter describing a campaign where your communications work helped win a policy outcome ● Two writing samples: one earned media piece and one strategy document ● Three references