Director of Media Relations

Alliance Defending Freedom is seeking a highly professional Director of Media Relations located in our Washington, DC office. As the Director of Media Relations, you are a vital part of the Communications Team. In this role, you are responsible for directing highly effective and credible media strategies to help define ADF’s public identity and to protect the ADF brand while increasing top-of-mind awareness of the ADF mission.

Your Essential Responsibilities:

In this position, you will:

• Report to the Vice President of Media and Advocacy Communications
• Advance the Communications Media and Advocacy Communication Team’s strategic objectives
• Direct ADF media relations operations and oversee all media engagement
• Build and maintain strong, productive relationships with the news media
• Supervise team of media relations specialists
• Develop and oversee execution of media strategies that support ADF priorities
• Oversee media monitoring, research, analysis and reporting
• Oversee planning, coordination and execution of media events
• Identify, task, review and approve written materials, to include plans, proposals, talking points, Op Eds, news releases, fact sheets, guidance, responses to inquiries, analysis, after action reports
• Oversee media relations training for ADF personnel, clients and allies
• Oversee rapid response efforts following breaking news
• Develop and maintain crisis communication plans and processes
• Maintain strong relationships with media relations counterparts in allied organizations
• Oversee contracts that support ADF media relations efforts, including subscriptions, services, and media management and distribution tools.
• Develop, maintain and standard operating procedures for ensuring the highest standards of media relations operations and administration
• Contribute to social media management and engagement activities

As a Team Leader, you will:

• Act as a servant leader by training, encouraging, coaching, and developing your Team Members
• Foster a spirit of trust and of innovation on your team
• Meet regularly with your Team Members to discuss their progress and complete performance reviews
• Approve time-off requests, time cards and expense reports

Other Responsibilities (Non-Essential):

• You will be asked to perform related duties or special projects as assigned

What you need to succeed:

Knowledge of:

• AP style and media ethics
• Constitutional law and the federal government
• Microsoft Office, Adobe,
• Media and social media management tools
• Campaign planning and execution

Demonstrated proficiency in:

• Decisive leadership and sound judgement in sustained, faced-paced, dynamic, high-profile, high-stress situations
• Effective leadership that builds trust, empowers execution, identifies worthy objectives and achieves them as a team
• Building strong teams and alliances
• Building strong relationships with the media
• Writing and editing content according to the highest standards of journalism
• Multi-tasking a large number of high-profile initiatives and tasks
• Media analytics and reporting

Ability to:

• Draft and oversee execution of media action plans
• Plan and manage a budget
• Recruit, evaluate and interview candidates
• Manage professional development program
• Manage inaccurate media reports or false claims reported to the media

Education and/or experience:

• Minimum of 10 years professional experience successfully managing national media relations programs for a major corporation, federal agency, elected official, state or national policy organization, non-profit or public relations agency
• Bachelor’s degree in Communication, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations or English