Founded 50 years ago in Washington, D.C., CLASP is a nonpartisan, nonprofit anti-poverty organization advancing federal, state, and local policy solutions for people with low incomes. We view all our work through a racial-equity lens, addressing the barriers people face because of race, ethnicity, and immigration status. CLASP is working to advance a vision for America rooted in economic security and racial equity that places the lives of people with low incomes, people of color, and immigrants at the center of a vison for a just and equitable nation.

Within our broad anti-poverty mission, CLASP is organized around six policy teams: Child Care and Early Education, Youth Policy, Postsecondary Education and Workforce Development, Income and Work Supports, Immigration and Immigrant Families, and Job Quality. Over the past several years, we have integrated our work more extensively across teams, providing depth on crosscutting issues such as criminal justice reform and mental health. We conduct all our work with racial equity in mind.

CLASP works across all levels of government. Our federal policy work is informed by our technical assistance to states and local areas/institutions. And our ability to provide that technical assistance is enhanced by our knowledge of federal policy. 

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) is seeking a communications manager to join our four-person communications team. The communications manager will play a key role helping to develop an integrated strategic communication plan that advances CLASP’s organizational priorities and programs and builds relationships to increase CLASP’s awareness and visibility with external audiences. 

• The communications manager will be the project manager for the communications team and will bring excellent writing and editing skills. They should have a keen interest in and commitment to social and economic justice and a desire to raise the visibility of issues affecting people with low incomes, along with immigrant families and children, and communities of color. 
• The communications manager will be a strategic partner supporting CLASP policy teams with communications planning around editorial content and project development and outreach to expand the teams’ reach across core and new audiences (partners, allies, funders, media). They will advance overall communications priorities to strengthen CLASP’s reputation as trusted and respected for its deep policy knowledge and expertise.
• They will also support CLASP’s racial equity priorities and integrate them into and throughout the communications work to advance those equity goals and expand our reach/engagement with diverse multicultural audiences. 
• The communications manager will report to the Deputy Executive Director for External Affairs and Strategic Communications. 

CLASP’s Communications team

The communications team is responsible for providing strategic communications guidance and overall tactical support to CLASP’s policy teams. Among the key communications functions provided by the team are editorial support and review, media relations, website and social media engagement, event support, and marketing/writing support for CLASP fundraising efforts.

The current team includes the deputy executive director for strategic communications and external affairs, a director of communications, a digital specialist, and a communications associate. 

The ideal candidate is a self-starter and a strong project manager who is detailed oriented and can easily adapt to working in a highly collaborative organization with six policy teams to broaden support for their work. The position is an ideal opportunity for someone who can multi-task and manage multiple projects with differing timelines. They will offer communications guidance/counsel for how best to shape policy content to achieve the greatest positive impact with targeted audiences, including supporting CLASP’s external affairs and fundraising goals. 

The successful candidate is an experienced editor and writer who can help to translate complex policy language into easily accessible and user-friendly content. They will assist in editing, reviewing, and creating new content, including blogs, briefs, reports, statements, social media posts, and other editorial materials. The communications manager will oversee CLASP’s editorial content calendar and manage requests for communications and digital support. On occasion, the manager may also need to assist with digital communications by posting content to the website, helping with social media, etc. 

The communications manager will also assist with media relations outreach and bring to the role experience working with people/audiences from diverse, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, the manager will understand the importance of developing multicultural communications strategies to strengthen engagement with diverse audiences, media, and communities.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the communications team’s project manager and liaison to policy teams supporting day-to-day interaction and managing and prioritizing project/editorial planning, timelines, content writing, and editing. 
• Provide strategic counsel to policy teams on development of projects and editorial content, including advising on messaging, what products will serve the overall goal, and alignment of the work to policy advocacy efforts.
• Oversee the CLASP editorial calendar working with the communications associate on updates.
• Assist with communications guidance and writing, review, editing, and oversight of all editorial content including blogs, briefs, fact sheets, report, email news alerts, statements, op-eds, and policy team newsletters.
• Assist the communications director with review and regular update of the CLASP style guide- reflecting changes in language and our racial equity focus.
• Support CLASP’s commitment to racial equity throughout the editorial review process. Ensure that CLASP products reflect that commitment to bring a racial equity lens to policy analysis. 
• Work with communications director on CLASP media relations planning and outreach strategy. 
• Support external affairs outreach with an eye to advancing CLASP visibility and organizational goals with partners and allies, as well as current and new funder prospects.

Qualifications  

• You know how to write clearly and concisely, and you know how to work with policy colleagues as a thought partner and creative thinker on how to distill complex policy ideas and language into compelling and realistic narratives 
• Strong organizational and project management skills and attention to detail. You’ve written communications plans and can work with your colleagues, multi-tasking and juggling multiple projects/requests/demands, and keeping track of deliverables and deadlines
• You are experienced at executing communications tactics that engage audiences, and you know how to pivot with communications planning and ideas to connect the work with the moment and events. 
• Your experience writing and editing includes using the AP Style Guide and the Chicago Style Manual.
• You understand the necessity of incorporating racial equity into policy ideas and strategies and understand the key role that communications should play in ensuring that commitment is reflected in CLASP external outreach and products. 
• You are collegial, a good listener and partner who is willing to bring and share innovative ideas and opinions to the table.
• You are a self-starter with an ability to work both independently and as a member of a team, and you have a sense of humor.

Desired Skills  

• Fluency in basic computer programs: Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
• Experience using a content management system (ideally, Drupal), customer relations management system (ideally, Every Action), and media contact database (ideally, Cision).
• Experience using Adobe Creative Cloud programs (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, After Effects, Lightroom) is a plus, but not required.
• Diligence and follow-through on many simultaneous communication threads.
• Experience working with cross-cultural communication styles and approaches 
• An awareness of or interest in current trends and best practice in cross-cultural communication practices and strategies 

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 3 - 5 years of relevant communications-related work experience is required. 

Compensation

Starting salary for the first-year ranges from $62,000-$80,000 and is commensurate with experience. 

CLASP offers exceptional benefits, including health insurance; dental benefits; and life and long-term disability insurance; long-term care insurance; a 403(b)-retirement program; flexible spending accounts; and generous vacation, sick leave, and holiday schedules. 

Application Process

Please upload your resume and 2-3 writing samples (blogs, fact sheets, statements, or original pieces you authored) alongside your cover letter explaining your interest in CLASP’s mission and why you are the best candidate for this position. (You will need to merge the cover letter and writing samples together to upload). 

Please use Communications Manager as your subject line. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. People of color are encouraged to apply.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. You must send all materials requested and follow instructions outlined above to be considered. NO PHONE CALLS, please. 

The Center for Law and Social Policy is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age.