Hiring: Director of New Media, Center for Community Change

The Center for Community Change is a national social justice non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1968 to honor the life and values of Robert F. Kennedy, we are one of the longest standing champions for low-income families and communities of color. Throughout our history, the Center has strengthened the leadership, voice and power of low-income communities nationwide to confront the vital issues of today and build the social movements of tomorrow.

Our work has contributed to the creation of the food stamps program, the enactment of the Community Reinvestment Act, the growth of community development corporations, and the creation and preservation of affordable housing. Today we are leading efforts to advance fair and humane immigration reform, increase voter participation in communities of color and develop the next generation of social justice organizers. The Center has brought the issues and values of low-income communities to the forefront of the political debate with presidential candidate forums in the 2004 and 2008 election cycles. For further information please visit our website at: www.communitychange.org.

Position Description:

The Center for Community Change is seeking a Director of New Media to lead the Center’s exciting new effort to build a virtual network that can influence the national agenda by connecting larger and larger
segments of the American public to each other and grassroots organizations that seek transformative change. Reporting to the Director of Communications, this position will be responsible for leading online campaigns supporting comprehensive immigration reform, equitable health care reform and worker justice. We are looking for someone with the creative skills and background necessary to link people, especially low-income people and people of color, with opportunities for action and interaction with local grassroots
organizations.

Key Responsibilities:

o Develop (weekly or as appropriate) email and mobile actions to engage and grow the Center’s current virtual base lists.
o Oversee planning and implementation of the Center’s website to engage virtual base, increase stickiness, link actions to dynamic content.

o Manage innovation fund, governed by board-staff committee, to support experiments to grow virtual base list and increase open/response rates. This could include independent experiments (from web ads to giveaways to viral videos) as well as coordinated projects with Center field staff (such as fliers at local actions or coordinating with local partner organizations’ lists). Creatively experiment and rigorously track
outcomes and learning to improve experiments for next time.

o Lead and work collaboratively with team that includes Web & New Media Manager and New Media Associate as well as interns as needed.

o Produce content for the Center’s website and serve as editor for the Center’s online newsletter – coordinate writing assignments, content/story selection, and staff input.

o Develop and oversee the Center’s strategy with respect to social media networks.
o Connect the Center’s online and offline work to the online advocacy/blog/netroots communities through networking, cross-posting and other outreach.

o Participate in program and communications strategy conversations to develop online complements to the Center’s offline work.
o Work closely with the Web & New Media Manager to identify and implement improvements to the Center’s website.

o Stay abreast of latest developments in online activism and blogging to ensure that Center’s online work is at the cutting edge.

o Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

A successful candidate will have experience with effective online and offline political or advocacy campaigns and have gleaned tools and lessons from both, as well as an understanding of the limitations and
need for new strategies. A successful candidate will be someone who understands grassroots organizing and advocacy and deeply values the goal of connecting communities, especially low-income communities and communities of color, to action — both online and off — and sees technology as a creative tool for engagement. A successful candidate will have her or his own voice as a writer and activist but also an
interest in facilitating and amplifying the voices of other Center staff and grassroots partners.

Specific qualifications include:

o Minimum of four years experience in advocacy or political campaigns, with primary responsibilities online or offline but with a demonstrated understanding of both realms and a demonstrated ability to relate to the mission and work of the Center for Community Change.
o Demonstrated ability to write clear, concise and compelling prose, in the form of blog entries, op-eds, email alerts and/or essays.
o Demonstrated ability to generate creative, well-designed web or mobile or social media content and help tell stories through pictures, designed text, etc., online.
o Experience with creating and measuring success of online advocacy campaigns, such as email campaigns or online advertising.
o Some experience with producing or supervising the production of viral videos and/or podcasting in the context of web content and/or online campaigns.

o Demonstrated ability to work in diverse teams, manage staff/consultants and also drive projects independently.
o Desire to work in a fast-paced, mission driven, learning organization — which also prioritizes having fun!

This position reports to: Director of Communications

Salary & Benefits: CCC offers a competitive salary and an excellent benefits package

Closing Date of Position: Open Until Filled

How to apply: Please submit resume, cover letter that includes salary expectations and at least two writing samples (e.g. advocacy blog post, outreach email, op-ed, essay) to: employment@communitychange.org, (Fax) 202-387 4891; Human Resources, Re: Director of New Media, Center for Community Change, 1536 U Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20009.