The Washington State Budget & Policy Center is hiring for a full-time campaign communications specialist to join our hardworking, fun, and small-but-mighty communications team. This position will focus on working with a coalition of more than 40 organizations that played a key role in the passage of legislation to create the Washington Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) in the 2021 state legislative session.
Following this legislative win, the Working Families Tax Credit Coalition now seeks to ensure that implementation of the credit successfully and equitably reaches the roughly 420,000 eligible households when the first payments begin in 2023. The communications specialist will implement campaign communications to advance the organizing and legislative goals of this highly collaborative coalition of more than 40 regional, statewide, and national organizations that seek to pass and implement cash policies that: ensure people with low incomes can meet their basic needs, help undo racial inequities and barriers to wealth, include cash assistance for undocumented immigrants, and strengthen local economies.
The specialist will also implement communications strategies for the Washington State Budget & Policy Center’s related policies aimed at ensuring Washingtonians have economic security and dignity, including other direct cash supports.
Responsibilities
- Manage communications and serve as a lead for the communications subcommittee for the WFTC coalition, working and planning alongside the field organizing and policy/lobbying team leads from various organizations.
- Work with a coalition of over 40 organizations to produce materials, messaging, training, and other communications tools that support the coalition’s work around implementation and advocacy.
- Write, edit, and produce original content, including email and text blasts, recorded video messages, and website content
- Continue to build out a story bank of personal stories from people who can talk about what extra cash would mean for them – and create opportunities to share those stories on social media, online, with reporters, etc.
- Collaborate with state agencies like the Department of Revenue (the administrating agency for the WFTC) to provide feedback on state agency materials as well as align coalition communications plans with broader state implementation timelines.
- Develop and implement proactive earned media outreach. This involves:
- Writing, releasing, and doing follow-up on press releases and media advisories
- Making targeted pitches to reporters and potentially organizing press calls or webinars
- Occasionally preparing spokespeople
- Manage social media and online campaigns. This involves:
- Designing campaign graphics (or working with a designer)
- Creating and generating stakeholder engagement with social media toolkits
- Using other online tools (such as e-communications) to communicate with key audiences about our work
- Work with Budget & Policy Center public relations staff and WFTC coalition partners to ensure they’re using consistent messaging and reaching key audiences through various communications channels.
- Perform other duties as assigned
Qualifications
Required:
- Demonstrated commitment to equity in all forms, and to the Budget & Policy Center’s goals of justice and prosperity for all Washingtonians
- A demonstrated understanding of the need to undo racial inequities in public policies and institutions, as well as an understanding of the systemic barriers to opportunity and wealth that lead to disproportionate rates of poverty among people of color
- Ability to translate sometimes complex policy concepts into accessible written materials
- Experience working with the media, implementing social media actions, and collecting personal stories
- Experience working in a communications role or similar role in previous statewide or regional campaigns (related to legislation or ballot initiatives or candidates)
- Attention to detail and ability to coordinate multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines with a range of different partners
- Excellent relationship-building and interpersonal skills
- Strong writing, editing, and copy-editing skills. Ability to communicate effectively and compellingly with a wide range of audiences
- Skills with social media – primarily Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube
Desired:
- Skills in WordPress, email-distribution systems, and graphic design software/platforms – Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, and Canva preferred
Compensation
The salary range for this position has been set at $64,000 – $70,000. Salary ranges are set in alignment with our organizational compensation philosophy, which is reviewed and updated by the board of directors bi-annually. The Budget & Policy Center also offers a comprehensive benefits package including health, vision, and dental insurance, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, flexible spending accounts, and support for ongoing professional development. We also offer four weeks of paid vacation and five personal days per year in addition to 10 paid holidays and generous sick leave.
This position works weekdays during regular business hours; however, limited evening and weekend coverage of Seattle or Olympia events or social media actions may be required. This role will be remote until the Budget & Policy Center determines it is safe to go back to in-person work. The expectation is that the Communications Specialist will be fully based with the team in Seattle, Washington.
The role reports to the Budget & Policy Center communications director and works closely with the Working Families Tax Credit coalition manager, members of the policy and communications teams at the Budget & Policy Center, and team leads with the WFTC coalition.
To Apply
Send a cover letter, resume, two writing samples, and one optional graphic design sample to [email protected]. In your cover letter, please address your campaign communications experience and your commitment to advancing racial equity.
Deadline to apply is Monday, December 13, 2021.
The Budget & Policy Center values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; immigrants; people with disabilities; people of any sexual orientation or gender identity; and people with low-income backgrounds and other diverse life experiences.
