Senior Press Manager

Who We Are:

American Oversight (AO) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog that advances truth, accountability, and democracy by enforcing the public's right to government records. From the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to state transparency laws, we file carefully crafted records requests to extract information from the government, and if officials fail to respond as required by law, we take them to court and enforce the public's right to hold our leaders accountable. Since our founding in 2017, we have obtained and published more than one million pages of emails, memos, calendars, text messages, and other records to ensure accountability, expose threats to democracy, and drive significant corrective action at all levels of government.

For more information, please visit our website: www.americanoversight.org 

About the Role:  

Reporting to the Communications Director, AO is seeking a Senior Press Manager to join its Communications team. The Senior Press Manager will serve as a critical link between AO and the press by maintaining robust relationships with key reporters and editors on a range of AO issue areas, including through skilled writing and editing and by pitching stories about investigations, public records, and lawsuits.

The Senior Press Manager will serve as a critical link between AO and the press by maintaining robust relationships with key reporters and editors on a range of AO issue areas, including through skilled writing and editing and by pitching stories about investigations, public records, and lawsuits. 

Additionally, the Senior Press Manager will lead or provide support to communications plans and project rollouts as assigned, closely track the work of reporters as well as coverage of AO issue areas, and serve as a thought partner to the Director and Deputy Director of Communications by identifying opportunities to amplify core messages and to inform the public about issues at the heart of AO’s mission. 

What You Will Do: 

• Work closely with the Director and Deputy Director of Communications to implement AO’s media relations strategy.
• Manage press relations for several of AO’s ongoing investigations, lawsuits, or issues, including by: contributing to or developing communications plans, responding to and effectively managing incoming press inquiries, and identifying opportunities to proactively share information or expertise with the press.
• Build and maintain relationships with reporters and news outlets that cover AO’s areas of work and ensure that AO is partnering effectively with appropriate press, including by identifying new reporters, outlets, or newsletters and by maintaining and updating targeted press lists.
• Write, edit, and distribute press releases, talking points, press statements, advisories, updates on investigations, pitches, and other content (op-eds, blog posts, etc.) as assigned.
• Develop and pitch stories about AO’s work to reporters, including highlighting newly obtained public records and/or sharing updates about key developments.
• Coordinate, prepare for, and staff interviews between reporters and AO expert spokespeople, including developing talking points and preparing experts for interviews as needed.
• Monitor the news related to AO’s priority issues to identify potential communications opportunities or developments that could impact AO’s work.
• Collaborate with colleagues to develop effective media outreach strategies for designated topics, projects, and areas of responsibility.
• Track and follow up on pitches, projects, or other initiatives to assess the success of strategies and use lessons learned to improve future plans.
• Provide on-the-record comment to reporters regarding AO’s work as needed and approved by the Director or Deputy Director of Communications.

What You Will Bring:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent years of professional experience.
• 4+ years of experience in press relations or a related field, including roles that involve generating earned media or engaging in fact-based advocacy, with 3+ years of experience working on issues related to U.S. politics, government, or public policy.
• Experience working on projects and work products requiring rapid response and exceptional standards in fact-checking and accuracy.
• High level of attention to detail and follow-through.
• Research Skills: Ability to scan and process large, and at times disparate, amounts of information, and to effectively translate and communicate findings in a relatable and understandable format.
• Project Management Skills: Experience multitasking and managing several projects with varying scopes, timelines, or stakeholders.
• Writing Skills: Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, public-facing work with limited supervision; adapt language or style to target audiences; and convey information with clarity and accuracy that is free from grammatical or spelling errors.
• Judgment and Decision-making: Excellent political and professional judgment, maintaining keen awareness of political context and knowing when to seek additional support, troubleshoot problems, and suggest creative solutions.
• Collaboration: Ability to work in a fast-paced, agile, and collaborative environment; is an inclusive, highly engaged team player who is able to recognize opportunities to help achieve shared goals.
• Experience working in and/or desire to contribute to workplaces with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Exercises a high degree of confidentiality and discretion, professionalism, integrity, diplomacy, and ethics.
• Familiarity with pro-democracy issues, including but not limited to voting rights, election administration, civil rights and civil liberties, or threats like abuse of power, corruption, or undue influence.
• Position is located in the United States; must be available to work East Coast business hours with occasional evening and weekend hours, as needed.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working among a diverse employee base that works remotely and is distributed across the United States.
• Experience working for other pro-democracy organizations, campaigns, or congressional offices with high standards of responsiveness and accuracy.

We encourage individuals to apply even if they do not have any of the desired qualifications.

What We Offer:

AO offers its employees a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes 80% of health, dental, and vision premiums paid by the organization and a retirement plan with a matching contribution.

Location:

American Oversight is a remote-first location, and our employees may work from any of the following locations: AL, CA, CO, DC, GA, MA, MD, MO, NC, ND, NJ, NY, OK, OR, VA, and WI.

Our office in Washington, DC is an optional workspace.

Salary Range:

$85,000 – $110,000 (commensurate with experience)

Timeline:

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter with your application. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by August 2, 2024 to ensure consideration of their application. Following this date, we will be interviewing candidates and continue to review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workplace:

At AO, we value and strive to hire, develop, and grow a diverse and inclusive team. We are an equal opportunity employer, and encourage applications from all individuals without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local laws. 

We strongly encourage individuals to apply for opportunities at AO even if they do not have any of the desired qualifications.