Director of Communications

The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) and the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund (NIRH Action Fund), advocacy groups that fight for just and equitable access to reproductive health care, are seeking a full-time Director of Communications to directly support its communications department.

This is a benefits eligible, full-time non-exempt position that will require 35 hours of work, with flexibility, during normal business hours, Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM EST. The salary range for this position is $115,000 to $122,000, commensurate with experience.

WHO WE ARE

The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) and the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund (NIRH Action Fund) are advocacy groups that fight for just and equitable access to reproductive health care and build political power for reproductive freedom. For decades, our strategy has been to go on the offensive, at the state and local level, so we have a long track record of passing laws that are safeguarding and advancing access.

In states and cities across the country, we launch campaigns, change policy, and elect candidates who champion our cause, all by working hand-in-hand with reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations; health care providers; and other groups invested in this fight. We partner in communities where change is needed and where we can make a difference. At the national level, we engage in groundbreaking public opinion research, proactive policy initiatives, and innovative advocacy campaigns to help reshape the national conversation about reproductive freedom.

Our approach to advocacy, policy, and politics strives to center the people who are most impacted by barriers to care, historically underserved, and often under-represented — Black women and Black communities, Indigenous and other communities of color, low-income people, and immigrants.

We don’t just push back against restrictions on reproductive autonomy; we fight for a society in which everyone has the freedom and ability to control their reproductive and sexual lives.

THE ROLE

The Director of Communications is responsible for creating and managing organizational narrative, brand, and press strategies that shape the narrative around NIRH’s work to advance proactive reproductive freedom measures. In this role, you will actively focus on media engagement and placement, maintaining national reporter relationships, organizing and streamlining communications resources and assets, generating and updating organizational talking points and messaging materials, and staffing key spokespeople in media interviews. The Director of Communications will collaborate with the digital communications team to ensure brand and message consistency across NIRH platforms and the Director of Campaigns and Partnership Communications to ensure NIRH communications aligns with overall campaign goals.

The Director will also represent the organization in relevant communications coalitions and contribute thought leadership with VP of Communications as to overall strategy, priorities, and positioning.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Manage NIRH brand, including visual identity, voice, and core messaging, to ensure consistency, effectiveness, accessibility, and values alignment.
  • Collaborate closely with digital communications team and other departments to ensure message and brand consistency across platforms (e.g., messaging on website and social media).
  • In rapid response moments, work with full communications team to identify response opportunities or needs and coordinate on messaging and tactics.
• Ensure NIRH messaging is effective, aligns with Reproductive Justice values, and decreases stigma surrounding abortion and reproductive health generally.
  • Create strategic messaging on various reproductive freedom issues in support of NIRH goals.
  • Conduct message testing on key reproductive health, rights, and justice topics and ensure messaging is shared within organization and movement.
  • Coordinate with other reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations to identify effective messages that align with NIRH values.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Campaigns and Partnership Communications to ensure alignment across NIRH partner-focused campaigns and NIRH-specific communications efforts.
  • Coordinate with Director of Campaigns and Partnerships Communications and Vice President of Communications to ensure strategic and narrative alignment across NIRH communications and the tools and resources developed for NIRH campaigns and partnerships.
• Serve as press secretary for organization.
  • Identify news hooks related to NIRH’s mission and values.
  • Develop relationships and pitch reporters, create press events, and staff events as needed.
  • Track NIRH media hits, sharing with staff and other stakeholders as appropriate.
  • Manage press lists and media monitoring tool and conduct quarterly maintenance of press lists and tool.
  • Prep and staff principle and other spokespeople.
  • Monitor the media inbox daily, including evenings and weekends.
• Manage NIRH website.
  • Work with web vendors to keep website accessible, updated, and secure.
  • Develop web copy and create pages as needed.
  • Special projects as needed.
• Manage and coordinate communications projects, rollout of NIRH products such as issue briefs, and communications support of development work.
  • Collaborate with VP of Communications and with other departments to track major developments pertaining to the reproductive freedom movement, assessing, planning for, and working collaboratively to execute rapid response plans.
  • Manage communications calendar and ensure transparency across organization
  • Work across departments to coordinate rollouts of issue briefs, requests for proposals for partnerships, and other projects.
  • Work with the development team on fundraising events, End of Year, and other projects with communications components.
  • May manage digital communications associate director, who manages a multimedia content creator, and vendors as needed.
• Lead, advise, or coordinate on special projects as needed.
  • Represent NIRH in relevant communications coalitions
  • Work with other Communications team members and cross-departmentally for thought leadership and project planning and execution, including policy reports, RFP releases, fundraising events, and other projects.
• Contribute thought leadership with Vice President of Communications (and Leadership Team, as needed) as to Communications overall strategy, priorities, and positioning within movement.
• Collaborate with Campaigns and Partnership Communications Director to ensure organizational alignment on technical communications assistance for partners including message development, media, and message training, etc.
• Ensure communications assets center NIRH’s race equity values.

TO APPLY
Email a cover letter and resume with “Director of Communications” in the subject line to careers@nirhealth.org . Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. All applications must be received via email.

NIRH/NIRHAF IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals, employment decisions at NIRH/NIRHAF will be based on merit, qualifications, abilities, and on the needs of NIRH/NIRHAF. This organization does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sex, religion, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, marital status, veteran status or other military status, alienage or citizenship status, genetic carrier status, AIDS, AIDS-related complex or HIV status, or any other characteristic protected by Federal, State or local law.