Media Relations Director

Compassion & Choices is seeking a Media Relations Director to help advance our advocacy, medical outreach and education efforts across the country.

This position acts as a national media strategist and media relations director for the organization and provides strategic media planning, oversight and implementation of C&C’s earned media coverage, focusing on trend pieces, brand pieces, and end-of-life care issues. They also serve as the primary writer for the C-suite and lead media for several portfolios including federal policy advocacy, state legislative advocacy, and the legal and litigation program.

This is a full-time, remotely-located, paid position reporting to the National Director of Marketing/Communications. Compensation offered will be commensurate with experience. We offer excellent benefits including employer-shared medical and dental insurance premiums, employer-paid short- and long-term disability, life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance, flexible spending account for medical and child care, commuter pre-tax benefit, eligibility to participate in 401K with generous 5% employer match and 100% vested at time of eligibility, 12 paid holidays, 17 PTO days first year, and personal days.

This position will primarily be responsible for:

• Develop, set, and implement the organization’s comprehensive earned media strategy, identifying and capitalizing on opportunities to enhance the organization's visibility and influence. Collaborate with staff across departments to align strategies and maximize media coverage. Evaluate and report on effectiveness of media strategies.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the organization and key media contacts. Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with journalists, editors, and media outlets to proactively shape the narrative around the organization's key issues.
• Directly supervise at least two direct reports
• Write and oversee the production of media materials, including media messages, op-eds, letters to the editor, news releases, talking points, FAQs, and media event coordination. Collaborate with staff to identify and leverage communications opportunities and visibility events.
• Act as the lead communications strategist for the organization’s federal policy advocacy efforts, including drafting and editing letters to policymakers and elected officials, and coordinating coalition communications activities to advance the organization’s legislative and regulatory agenda.
• Lead the media strategy for the organization's legal program. Work closely with the legal team to identify media opportunities, conduct litigant media training, and develop visibility events that highlight the organization's legal efforts.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to shift media terminology from “assisted suicide” to “medical aid in dying” or another neutral term, ensuring consistency across all communications.
• Develop and implement paid media advertising campaigns when called for by the strategy.
• Develop and manage crisis communication strategies and protocols to protect and enhance the organization’s reputation during critical events.
• Design and deliver training programs for staff and volunteers to enhance their media communication skills and ensure the use of appropriate language in all external communications.
• Write long-term and rapid-response media outreach plans to position C&C and promote its campaigns.
• Ensure communications products are always respectful, culturally competent, and inclusive.
• Demonstrates commitment to and active support of C&C’s Diversity & Inclusion program.
• Other duties as required.

Required Qualifications (You will be a good fit if you have the following):

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent work experience or combination of formal and informal education, with a minimum 8 years’ experience – at least half on a political campaign or at a highly known and effective issue advocacy organization.
• Previous experience working in a newsroom and/or pitching and placing stories in a wide variety of outlets (mainstream media, blogs, podcasts, alternative media) is highly desirable.

Skills:

• • Ability to write news documents, talking points, speeches, articles, ads, fliers, and other necessary materials that conform to prescribed style and format and that motivate new and existing supporters to engage in the end-of-life choice movement.

• Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have working knowledge of Google Docs, media monitoring and contact management software. Video editing software experience a bonus.

Other Qualifications:

• Travel: Minimal travel (5%). Possibility of over-night; would include travel to another C&C office, conference, retreat, or other meeting.

Values: Must be energized by the idea of working at an organization with the following values:

• Compassionate in our conviction that dying patients should be free of unwanted treatment, suffering or outside interference.
• Respectful of the autonomy of individuals to decide what end-of-life options are best for them and their family.
• Courageous in our willingness to confront the toughest end-of-life health challenges, disrupt the broken status quo and protect an individual’s right to self-determination.
• Credible in all our education, advocacy and partnerships — our efforts are grounded in objective research and demonstrable facts.
• Resilient in our capacity to respond to opportunities and threats in the movement so that we can achieve our vision as quickly as possible.

About Compassion & Choices

Across the nation, Compassion & Choices works to create a society that affirms life and accepts the inevitability of death, embraces expanded options for compassionate dying, and empowers everyone to choose end-of-life care that reflects their values, priorities and beliefs. To make this vision a reality, we improve care, expand options and empower everyone to chart their end-of-life journey.

Compassion & Choices is committed to building a staff that reflects the diverse communities that make up our country. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and recruit, hire, train, promote, and administer any and all personnel actions without regard to age, color, creed, disability, economic status, ethnic identity, gender identity, national origin race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veterans status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.