Communications Director

About Children First

Children First (formerly Public Citizens for Children & Youth, PCCY) is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children through thoughtful and informed advocacy. We are a fast-paced child advocacy organization that uses research, people power, and coalition building to create the momentum for reform of public policies that enable more children to grow up healthy, well-educated, and ready to take the reins of their communities.

Communications Director Position Summary

We are seeking a talented communications professional with experience creating and deploying strategies that penetrate social media portals and traditional media, creating news and effecting the public narrative, writing persuasively and incisively, conceptualizing simple and interesting graphic images of data and messages, and a burning passion for deploying the tools of advocacy to improve the lives of children. Our work is dynamic and requires a communications professional who understands the need to be responsive to external events and effectively juggle tasks so that large efforts and advocacy goals continue to be advanced. 

Key Duties: 

• Build and maintain relationships with the reporters who are assigned to beats that align with our work and stay abreast of current news in the five counties and the capitol press corps to connect our work with emerging or breaking news at the county or state-level.
• Write effective media advisories, pitch messages and press releases that attract media coverage of our events, reports and stories; and write strong press releases that enable reporters to rapidly cover an issue or an event and enable news outlets to readily use the content of releases for stories where space and time permit.
• Lead Children First’s digital advocacy by:
• Directing strategic development, implementation, and assessment of Children First’s organic digital engagement through social media, email, website content, and other platforms. Ensure alignment with platform capabilities, content relevance, and current trends.
• Build the reach of Children First’s Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram presence, ensuring state of the art use of these platforms that stimulate engagement.
• Write and produce the biannual newsletter, including finalizing all content and assembling graphics and photo images.
• Work with colleagues on the development of reports, events, or campaigns to hone the narrative, talking points and narrative development tools so that when anything “goes live” it is accompanied with a thoughtful media strategy. Participate in the communications subcommittee of coalitions advocating for school funding, early learning supports and more.
• Maintain a depth of knowledge about the issues Children First has at the forefront of its advocacy by attending staff meetings, team meetings and carefully reviewing Children First research and public statements.
• Track and share creative and effective child advocacy messaging campaigns from other states/cities and consider how those examples can be applied to our work. 

Qualifications, Education, Experience & Skills:

• Experience understanding state/local media landscape
• Experience using social media to drive policy advocacy
• Advanced written and oral communication skills
• Excellent proofreading skills
• Spanish speaking a plus

Important Skills:

• Strong and quick persuasive writing skills and effective oral communication skills for pitching stories and sharing ideas
• Detail oriented
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects
• Ability to work independently and with others and be a team player
• Self-starter that checks in and collaborates
• Works well under pressure
• Proficiency with Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Facebook targeting tools, Publisher, Canva,
• In-Design, and online meeting platforms like Zoom
• Capacity to take good photos Children First events
• Willingness to travel to communities across the region, access to a car and a valid driver’s license

Location: Candidates should be local to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area or willing to relocate. This is a hybrid position requiring one full day in the office per week in addition to periodic in person meetings.

Reports To: Executive Director

Salary: Between $90,000-95,000 depending on experience

Apply: Resume and cover letter to info@childrenfirstpa.org.