About California Calls

At California Calls, we believe we can reclaim the California Dream of equality, opportunity, and prosperity for all Californians. California Calls (501c3) and its sister organization California Calls Action Fund (501c4) is a powerful alliance of 30 local community-based organizations spanning urban, rural and suburban counties across the state. We engage, educate and motivate new and infrequent voters, including young people, communities of color, and poor and working-class neighborhoods to make sure who votes in California reflects who lives in California. Through our bottom-up approach, we organize people most impacted by decades of disinvestment, deteriorating public services, mass incarceration and growing inequality in support of systemic, progressive policy solutions.

With headquarters in Los Angeles, remote staff across California, and partner organizations anchored in 14 counties, we advance state-based structural battles that strengthen democracy, fully fund schools, affordable housing and local services, and expand racial, gender and economic justice. We strengthen the capacity and build collaborations with organizations across the state to build a strong movement capable of winning structural change.

The Opportunity: Strategic Communications Director

We seek a Strategic Communications Director to develop and implement California Calls’ narrative and communications strategy, growing a pipeline of messengers to inspire our communities to come together and fight for the changes we deserve. Working with an incredible team of organizers, policy experts, coalition builders and ally organizations, you will shape the messaging and communications strategy for our statewide power building and campaigns, like: 

• We Are California, which is building a powerful movement of Californians acting together around shared values of inclusion, interdependence and corporate accountability
• Schools and Communities First, which seeks to undo a 40 year corporate property tax loophole resulting in billions lost to our schools and local communities 
• Housing is a Human Right, a new campaign to expand funding for housing off the speculative real estate market 
• The Budget Power Project, which supports local partners fighting to ensure city, county and local district funding invests in our communities’ needs  

You will also work with California Calls’ staff and coalition members to raise the profile of campaigns with key audiences including donors, new and infrequent voters, movement allies, state & local decision makers.

As Strategic Communications Director, you will..

• Lead our team and allies in shaping winning messaging by staying current on public opinion and narrative research, craft messages to test in the field, and update our narrative strategy based on-the-ground lessons.
• Develop a communications strategy to inspire more people to join our movement and shape the debate to build broader public support for the structural policies we need. 
• Work with our staff and consultants to develop compelling content to grow our movement.
• Support the development of a pipeline of narrative strategists through training, coaching and coordination to align and expand our messaging.

Specifically, this means:

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Narrative and Communications Strategies & Campaigns

• Working closely with staff and coalition members, identify opportunities and craft strategies to shift the public consciousness on the Alliance’s policy campaigns
• Develop and implement multi-faceted communications strategies, which integrate message development, digital communications and advocacy to educate, motivate, and influence target audiences.
• Generate ideas and produce collateral materials and other key communications products including organizing scripts and voter engagement materials, and digital content
• Support and position California Calls staff and leaders as experts in the work 
• Participate and exercise leadership in statewide narrative projects and research

Institutional Communications 

• Lead institutional communications, such as newsletters and reports on progress to cultivate and expand California Calls donors, allies and other stakeholders
• Prepare California Calls staff and leadership for media opportunities with talking points, remarks for press conferences and other training and preparation.
• Increase coverage of California Calls campaigns and analysis by cultivating and maintaining relationships with key reporters, editors, producers and bookers.
• Stay current on the media landscape, research media opportunities.

Organizational Leadership

• Participate in the Senior Leadership Team and represent California Calls to allies, decision makers, the media and others
• Manage the California Calls Strategic Communications team, which includes the Communications Manager, Coordinator and various consultants.
• Help lead the Alliance’s Strategic Communications committees

We are looking for someone who

• Has at least 10 years of communications, campaign and/or management experience
• Has a strong commitment to social, racial, gender and economic justice and an understanding of the needs of low-income communities in California.
• Has expertise in developing high-level strategy and executing tactics.
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills, along with the ability to compose and edit effective communications across a variety of platforms.
• Has strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work collaboratively with others in a team environment, has experience engaging stakeholders toward common goals.
• Has experience crafting and implementing a communications strategy, particularly through digital platforms and traditional media outreach.
• Has experience in communicating complex issues to varied audiences.   
• Has experience working with the media and cultivating relationships with print, radio, television and online journalists

Compensation and Benefits

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Salary Range: $100,000-$130,000, depending on experience.

Location: Remote anywhere in California, with a preference for Los Angeles and the communities in which we operate

Reports to: CEO

Supervises: Strategic Communications Manager and Coordinator

Travel Requirements: Mostly in state, 1-2 times a quarter

Benefits Include:  Full family health insurance, dental and vision insurance. Medical after 30 days of employment and health and dependent care Flex Spending Account after 90 days; 401K plan; 30 days paid leave per year (including sick time, vacation days and personal time).

Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:  California Calls is an Equal Opportunity Employer, women people of color, people with disabilities and LGBTQI people are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and 3 references to howdy@SteadyHandPR.com. Resume review will begin immediately and those selected for advancement will be notified to participate in the interview process and required to complete a writing assignment.