Director of Communications

Public Agenda is a national, nonpartisan research and public engagement organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and expanding opportunity in America. Based in New York City and founded in 1975 by Dan Yankelovich and Cyrus Vance, Public Agenda fosters progress on democracy reform, K-12 and higher education, health care, immigration, and many other issues important to the American public.

Areas of responsibility include strategic communications planning, brand stewardship, development and execution of communications campaigns, media relations, publication production management and dissemination, social media management, service and product marketing, and writing and editing. The Director of Communications reports to the President, coordinates closely with the Director of Development on development goals and strategies, and coordinates closely with senior program staff on program communications needs and goals. S/he also manages a part-time Communications Associate, interns and communications consultants.  

Necessary experience and skills:

• At least five+ years of organizational communications experience, at least two in the nonprofit sector at a senior level
• Exceptional project management and interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience and aptitude supervising and developing staff and managing a team
• Skilled at collaborating with content experts, and supporting senior spokespeople
• Website and social media expertise
• Commitment to Public Agenda’s nonpartisan orientation and mission

Helpful experience and skills:

• Ability to describe complex policy issues clearly and accurately for diverse audiences
• Experience with one or more of the issues that Public Agenda works on and a quick study to get up to speed on others as needed
• Established media relationships relevant to Public Agenda’s work
• Experience with donor development, events and grant writing

Public Agenda offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits. We are an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity in the workplace.

Location:

Public Agenda

Brooklyn Navy Yard

1 Dock 72 Way # 6101

Brooklyn, NY 11205-1242

To Apply:

Send a resume, writing sample and cover letter explaining how you heard about this opportunity and what you hope to gain from working at Public Agenda to careers@publicagenda.org. Please indicate in the subject line that you are applying for the Communications Director position.

Environmental Requirements:

• This is not a physically demanding position
• Must be able to sit at a desk for the majority of the work day
• Regularly stands, bends, lifts and moves intermittently during workday
• Employee must be able to meet deadlines, arrive to work on-time, complete paperwork, follow directions and work as a member of a team

• May need to travel for conferences or other events from time to time

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Our organization is committed to equal employment opportunity and diversity in the workplace.  We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.

Development & Communications Intern

Public Agenda is looking for a remote, paid, part-time Development and Communications Intern from August-October with the possibility of extension. As an intern, you will work closely with the Development & Communications Associate, the Communications Director, and the Development Director. 

Responsibilities will include:

• Assisting with social media and editorial content creation
• Outreach list management, proofreading and copy editing
• Development research for foundation, individual, and corporate prospects.
• Proofreading and copy editing on marketing and development communications including web copy, collateral, funding concepts, and proposals. 

Applicants should be detail-oriented, organized, and have strong writing and communications skills. Additionally, the ideal candidate would have knowledge of social media platforms and how to effectively leverage them to advance our mission and prior experience with fundraising.

Organization Background

Public Agenda seeks to build a democracy that works for everyone. We pursue our mission through public opinion research, community engagement, and communications to help the public engage with the challenges facing their communities through participatory approaches, help leaders better understand and respond to the public’s concerns and views on policy issues, and give those affected by a problem a meaningful voice in forging solutions.

The position is expected to run for 3 months (August-October) and is paid $15/hr for 12-15 hours per week. Although our office is located in Brooklyn, NY, we are fully remote due to the pandemic and work is conducted over Zoom, Gmail, Google Docs, Microsoft Office, etc.

Interested candidates should send an email to amorse@publicagenda.org with a resume and a short paragraph about why you think you would be a good fit for this internship.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Our organization is committed to equal employment opportunity and diversity in the workplace.  We will not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis [“protected class”] including, but not limited to: veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law.