Senior Director of Media Relations

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the global organization’s presence in the United States. We engage people in the U.S. to fight injustice all around the world, while we also work to protect people’s human rights here in the U.S. Amnesty International USA has more than one million members and activists in all 50 states, who are part of a larger global movement of 10 million people in 150 countries. We are a democratically governed, grassroots membership organization, which means that our members vote on key policy issues and elect our Board of Directors. Some of our members are experts on specific human rights issues, parts of the world, or advocacy areas, and they serve as volunteer leaders. Others are volunteer leaders of local or student groups in towns, universities, states, or regions of the country. Amnesty International USA’s elected Board members, staff, and members work together to lead the organization.

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Media Relations leads Amnesty International USA’s overall media work as part of the Marketing and Communications Unit and reports directly to the National Director, Marketing and Communications. The ideal candidates thrives in a creative, fast-paced environment and has an extensive background in media relations strategy, building and cultivating relationships with media outlets and reporters, managing a team, and working directly with senior leaders on media-engagement tactics.

Essential Responsibilities

External Responsibilities

• Leads AIUSA’s overall strategy and tactics on earned media strategy and tactics, including:

• Creating and implementing organization-wide and project-specific media strategies

• Ensuring AIUSA’s media-facing work is of the highest quality in accuracy, content, sensitivity, relevance, and power of messaging to advance credibility and impact in the media, including through writing and editing media-facing work

• Collaborating with team members and staff to develop strategic and media-worthy messages and messaging architecture on priority human rights issues

• Overseeing crisis communications

• Developing and implementing strategic outreach activities to uplift our human rights work such as through media interviews, editorial board engagement, and press conferences to engage and educate media members on Amnesty International’s human rights campaigns and programs, and use media as a tool for impact on human rights

• Overseeing the production and distribution of news releases, statements, advisories, announcements, fact sheets, notes, and other printed, filmed or recorded materials to US-based media

• Working directly with the organization’s principles, including the Executive Director and other relevant staff, to develop thought leadership initiatives that amplify their voices and areas of expertise via media engagement and placements

• Works with the marketing and communications team to continuously develop, maintain, and strengthen relationships with reporters, producers, bookers, and editorial decision makers at national and local media outlets, and channel media requests strategically and swiftly.

• Works with staff and external partners to develop and implement media strategies that expand reach to and authentically engage BIPOC communities

• Closely monitors human rights news and events to identify and leverage proactive and reactive media opportunities

Internal Responsibilities

• Management of media team and consultants working to support the team

• Ensure all AIUSA media efforts uplift and center AIUSAs Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) principles

• Provides expert media-communications advice to senior staff of the organization.

• Leads on media training and media prep for spokespersons and senior management

• Works with the media team to draft and/or review op-eds and LTEs by staff and AIUSA members

• Works with media team and issue experts to produce background information and context and 'if-asked' guidance notes for sharing across Amnesty’s movement

• Ensures media protocols and systems work efficiently and effectively and that staff understand and follow them

• Reviews quarterly and bimonthly reports, analyzing data, to track impact and learn

• Conducts sensitivity reading for campaigns and programs

• Works fast on a results-oriented basis with teams in the U.S., sections around the world, as well as the International Secretariat

• Conceptualizes and plans compelling content and story ideas with AIUSA and International Secretariat Producers and campaigners

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Excellent writing, speaking, and presentation skills including specific experience in writing for the web across various online platforms and audiences

• Highly skilled in media planning, media pitching, producing media events, including press conferences (virtual and in-person); expertly promotes, develops and implements policies, procedures and programs to meet AIUSA’s responsibilities for dissemination of information to the media – both online and offline

• Relationships with regional and national media in the U.S. and experience collaborating with colleagues in other regions and countries on international and global media engagement

• Knowledge of AP-style guidelines and editing experience preferred

• The ability to persuasively present complex concepts, programs, and human rights policies to both internal and external audiences

• Knowledge and skill working in a fast-paced environment with the ability to produce high-quality online and offline content under tight deadlines

• Outstanding media relations skills, including the experience and confidence to drive coverage and relevance among key audiences such as national media, regional media, etc.

• Skill in utilizing data to analyze the characteristics and needs of target audiences and determining the most effective communication techniques to use in reaching them

• Basic knowledge of analytics software, including Cision, as well as a general technical proficiency

• Proven ability to lead a diverse team of professionals and manage colleagues in analyzing, planning, developing, and implementing major strategic communications projects and initiatives

• Basic understanding of budgeting and contracting procedures sufficient to establish and evaluate detailed contractor work plans, budgets and schedules, along with the skill and ability to direct contractor resources

• Congeniality, flexibility, and a sense of humor required

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, English or related field, or equivalent professional experience

• 10 years’ experience in a fast-paced digital and/or communications role, minimum of 5 years of direct experience working in earned media and overseeing a team

• Experience developing and executing strategic communications strategies across multiple channels with track record of generating earned media

• Extensive experience pitching reporters and has strong relationships with national and regional media

• Experience working with media outlets focused on diversifying audiences

• Experience with rapid-response and crisis communications

• Non-profit, electoral, and/or community organizing experience a plus

• This role will require close proximity to either NYC or Washington D.C. offices

• This position will sometimes require working outside the traditional professional workday, including occasional evenings and weekends
• Travel may be required

We recognize the valuable skills that can be gained through internships, fellowships, volunteer work, and non-traditional work experience. This experience helps build competencies and knowledge that may translate to our job openings. We seek a diversity of experience and skills for our workplace and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our openings.

HOW TO APPLY AND OUR EEO STATEMENT

All applications must be completed online, and we do not accept paper submissions. Please visit the AIUSA Careers Page to review all current job postings. You must complete the entire online application, and electronically sign, for an application to be considered “complete.” We send emails via Paycom so please check your spam folders for any updates. Please email talentacquisition@aiusa.org for technical difficulties ONLY.

Amnesty International USA is an equal opportunity employer. AIUSA encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status and record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.

OUR COMMITMENT AS AN ANTI-RACIST ORGANIZATION AND TO INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY (IDEA)

Dismantling white supremacy is central to the fight for human rights in the United States and around the world. As we mobilize staff and activists and work with partners to help transform the multiple systems where oppression operates in the world around us as part of our human rights mandate, anti-racism must be integral to our work. What does that mean for Amnesty International in the United States? It means using our people power to fight injustice and centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by racist structures, beliefs, and laws. Fundamentally, it means doing our human rights work differently than it has been done before, because we know that who we work with, how we work, the work we do, and ultimately who we are, are all interconnected.

As an international, intercultural, intergenerational and intersectional movement of activists committed to protecting and advancing human rights for all, Amnesty is deeply committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility (IDEA). To learn more about how we integrate IDEA into our programs and workplace, visit: https://www.amnestyusa.org/idea/

Remote and Hybrid Workplace Policy

Because the health and safety of our employees and candidates are a top priority, we are currently conducting our hiring process virtually.

Staff, office visitors, and event attendees to be up to date with COVID vaccines before entering AIUSA offices or attending AIUSA events or in-person meetings. If anyone wishing to enter the office or attend our events is not vaccinated, they will need to have tested negative for COVID within 24 hours of entry. We expect that all staff and visitors entering the office or attending AIUSA events will, by accessing our facilities, be attesting that they are vaccinated or that they have tested negative within 24 hours of entry.

Please review the job description, which will state whether a role is hybrid and remote. Some roles may require travel domestically and/or internationally.