Media and Communications Director

About the Sikh Coalition:

For more than 20 years, the Sikh Coalition, a national, community-based civil rights organization, has defended Sikh civil liberties in the courtroom, classroom, community, and halls of Congress. Whether by working to secure safer schools, combat and prevent hate and discrimination, create equal employment opportunities and access, or empower local Sikh communities, the Sikh Coalition’s goal is working towards a world where Sikhs, and other religious and racial minorities in America, may freely practice their faith without bias and discrimination.

The Sikh Coalition is a nonpartisan, civil rights nonprofit with approximately 20 full-time staff and more than one hundred volunteers that operates on a $2.4+ million budget with complete financial transparency. Our funding comes from private foundations and individual donors. We receive no direct funding from any government agencies.

For more information, please visit www.sikhcoalition.org.

Position Summary:

The Sikh Coalition’s Media and Communications Director will be responsible for designing and managing the implementation of a comprehensive and ever-evolving earned, placed, and digital media strategy to serve the largest Sikh civil rights organization in the United States. As a member of the organization’s leadership team, this position is ideal for a communications professional with significant experience in both press relations and all aspects of organizational communications work—including advocacy, brand management, and fund development. This individual will have the opportunity to manage a dynamic team and work with colleagues across all programmatic areas of the Sikh Coalition’s portfolio, including in the legal, advocacy/education, and community development spaces.

This individual will have a strong passion for intersectional civil rights issues and a fundamental understanding of the value that media and communications work brings to achieving advocacy and educational goals. They should possess excellent writing abilities, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn new skills quickly while balancing immediate reactive needs with longer-term projects. They should also be able to provide prompt and thoughtful oversight on the creation of a wide variety of communications deliverables, from press statements to graphics and pre-interview talking points to website pages.

The Sikh Coalition is entirely remote, so qualified candidates nationwide can and should apply. Regardless of location, it is essential for this hire to be able to work with our entire staff across four time zones and to be willing to travel for short periods periodically throughout the year. This position reports to the Programs Director.

Responsibilities:

The Media and Communications Director will be responsible for:

• Designing and managing the implementation of a comprehensive and dynamic earned, placed, and digital media strategy to serve the organization;

• Managing the communications team (currently two full time members and a summer intern, though the team may grow in the future);

• Defining and sharpening all messaging around the Sikh Coalition’s work and other issues that affect the Sikh American community and the broader civil rights ecosystem;

• Leading the organization’s rapid response communications work in times of crisis, including rapidly developing hate crime cases;

• Building relationships with members of the press both proactively and reactively to promote coverage of the Sikh Coalition’s high-impact legal cases, advocacy work, and community development initiatives;

• Preparing Sikh Coalition principals, colleagues, and clients for engaging with the press;

• Managing the organization’s digital footprint, including by overseeing the production of social media, mass email, and website content;

• Drafting or managing the drafting of a wide variety of written content, including social media copy, press statements and quotes for the record, mass emails, op-eds, website materials, and more;

• Overseeing the creation of all design collateral for the organization, including social media graphics, website elements, print and digital visual resources, banners, annual reports, and more;

• Implementing and analyzing metrics to understand the performance of the Sikh Coalition’s efforts to engage our various audiences;

• Supporting the organization’s development efforts, including by creating and sharing fundraising content and managing the composition and design of the organization’s year-in-review;

• Pursuing creative and proactive efforts to elevate the Sikh American profile in traditional media and popular culture, with the goal of achieving a generational shift in Sikh awareness in the United States; and

• Serving as a key member of the organization’s leadership team and engaging in strategic discussions about how to leverage media and communications tools and processes to amplify our work and achieve our goals.

The ideal candidate for the Media and Communications Director position will have:

• A bachelor’s degree with at least five years of experience in the area of media and communications, journalism, public relations, or digital organizing;

• At least three years of management experience;

• A complete understanding of the essential needs and practices of reporters, editors, and producers, including experience pitching, providing background and/or comment, and preparing others for interviews;

• Exceptional writing ability, including drafting, editing, and proofreading skills;

• Strong understanding of how social media platforms work (especially Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok) and the best strategies for optimizing them for organizational engagement;

• Experience with website platforms (preferably WordPress) and basic optimization/analytics measures; and

• Experience with mass email clients (e.g. Salsa Engage) and digital advocacy platforms (e.g. Phone2Action).

Additional qualifications that are preferred but not required include:

• Experience with graphic and video content (particularly with Adobe Suite products, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Premiere Rush);

• An understanding of the press ecosystems around civil rights, religion, AMEMSA/AANHPI issues, or broader U.S. politics and advocacy;

• Basic HTML coding abilities;

• Experience with CRM platforms (e.g. Salesforce);

• Punjabi language familiarity; and

• Previous professional or volunteer experience with the Sikh community.

Compensation

This is a full-time, remote, exempt salaried position; compensation will be dependent on the role and commensurate with experience in the $85,000-95,000 range. Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision are fully covered for employees, with the option to contribute to a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) available;

• Retirement savings (equivalent to a 401K plan) with a company contribution match;

• Generous vacation and sick leave, including compensation time when weekend work is required;

• Paid parental leave; and

• Commitment to professional development and growth (e.g. applicable professional membership dues may be eligible for reimbursement).

To Apply

To apply, please submit a cover letter specific to this position and the Sikh Coalition and resume. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The Sikh Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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