Director of Advocacy Communications

Compensation Range: $85000 - $90000 yearly commensurate with experience.

Benefits:
We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion based on your salary. Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year. We offer employees an educational benefit. This money is available for tuition loan reimbursement tuition costs and text books.

Overview:

Develops and executes a communications strategy that supports the grassroots organizing public policy and brand awareness goals of Housing Works.

This position requires an energetic motivated and detailed-oriented individual who will work closely with Advocacy Development and HR teams to create develop and execute internal and external relations efforts. This position is based in New York New York.

Responsibilities:

• Develops media strategy related to policy priorities and high-impact campaigns
• Develops and plans media strategy for actions rallies press conferences and large-scale events
• Creates advocacy-related content including rapid-response statements and advocacy alerts for all social media channels (including video)
• Creates and manages content for Advocacy web pages and blogs
• Creates and manages email subscription lists and develops and implements creative strategies to drive traffic to Advocacy platforms
• Ensures adherence to Housing Works brand guidelines for all Advocacy materials/content
• Leads internal communication related to HW Advocacy in collaboration with HWs People Operations team
• Develops & cultivates relationships with relevant reporters editors producers and columnists
• Monitors breaking news related to Housing Works ongoing policy and program issues including HIV/AIDS homelessness healthcare LGBTQ issues prison/justice reform and cannabis
• Supports team participation in relevant conferences and meetings
• Collaborates on and supports other advocacy projects as needed
• Flexibility to travel and attend evening meetings on occasion
• Other duties & projects as assigned

Other functions that may be required with this position include:

• Participation in interdepartmental Housing Works Committees
• Participation in coalitions with other activists and organizations
• Manage relationships with relevant marketing software printing and media production vendors

Education:

• Bachelors degree in Communications or related field

Qualifications:

• 5-8 years of relevant communications experience.
• Demonstrated experience with communication strategies in public policy or grass-roots advocacy organizations.
• Demonstrated experience working with the media.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience with creating compelling social media content.
• Basic photography and video skills.
• Basic graphic design skills including working with Canva templates. Adobe Suite a plus.
• Ability to solve problems and to think critically creatively and quickly
• Familiarity with website management and CMS tools
• Familiarity with or proficiency with CRMs and email/text marketing platforms.
• Ability to write and speak in Spanish a plus

The following additional competencies are viewed as important to success in this position:

• Experience with commitment to working with low-income and marginalized communities as well as individuals with multiple chronic medical and/or behavioral health conditions.

Working Conditions:

• Ability to stand walk or sit for an extended period of time.
• Ability to hear within normal range
• Ability to see within normal range
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Ability to deal with agitated patients and staff
• Extended periods of time at a computer
• Finger and hand dexterity to manipulate objects
• Extensive travel on public transportation (only bus & train) to and from sites.
• Possible exposure to patients with infectious diseases.
• Ability to communicate easily and display a cordial manner towards individuals from a variety of socio-economic cultural and religious background and individuals with substance use mental illness or other chronic illnesses.
• The physical requirements described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made whenever possible to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job candidates should be aware that scammers may pose as employers and create fake job postings in order to extract personal information from individuals for financial gain. Housing Works will never ask job candidates for personal information such as social security numbers or bank account details over the phone. If you suspect that a job posting may be fake or wish to confirm that a job posting from Housing Works is genuine please contact us at

Housing Works was founded in 1990; With a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York States first harm reduction-based OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include Health Home care management behavioral health and syringe exchange programs. A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho. For more information visit

Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing healthcare HIV prevention and treatment among other lifesaving services.

Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race color religion sex national origin age disability or addition to federal law requirements. Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Housing Works also does not request prior salary information during the hiring process. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including recruiting hiring placement promotion termination layoff recall transfer leaves of absence compensation and training.