Working Washington
 

Strategic Communications Specialist

Based in Seattle or Yakima, WA
(hybrid)

 

ABOUT WORKING WASHINGTON AND FAIR WORK CENTER:
Working Washington (WW) and our partner organization, Fair Work Center (FWC), are national leaders in new forms of worker organizing and shifting the debate about economic justice and building an economy that puts workers first. Together through an intentional (c)3/(c)4 relationship and model, WW and FWC build worker power through education, organizing, and enforcement. We currently lead innovative campaigns organizing delivery workers in the gig economy, enforcing Seattle’s domestic worker bill of rights, and making Washington’s workplace laws among the best in the country. We are building a statewide base of workers who will continue to drive our future campaigns to reduce income inequality, center the needs of immigrant workers and workers of color, and shift the balance of power back to working people.

ABOUT THE ROLE:
We seek a versatile and creative communicator to help shift the narrative around work, workers, and our economy. They will expand our capacity to engage with a wide range of stakeholders including current and potential worker members, elected officials, mainstream media, supporters, and the general public. They will develop content that brings worker voices directly into the public debate, helping to grow our base and persuade people to both support our work and take action to advance our organizing demands. We are looking for someone who can work across the organization, collaborating with staff leading base building, campaigns, development, and enforcement work to amplify their efforts and bring a consistent and compelling voice throughout. We’re especially excited to work with a new member of the communications team who could help expand our work to reach Spanish-speaking workers through innovative, language-accessible content and strategies.

This role will report to the Communications Director, work with the Director and second Communications Specialist, and collaborate closely across the organization to ensure we drive the narrative change needed to grow Washington’s worker justice movement.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Communications & Storytelling

• Create an annual communications plan with the Director and manage the daily/weekly/monthly editorial calendar to advance our organizing, enforcement, and development work across a wide range of media (email, social media, video, surveys, action alerts, website, and more)
• Collect stories from workers, as well as from our organizers, educators, and attorneys to produce narratives that lift up worker voices and build worker power
• Coach worker leaders on how to develop and share their stories with other workers, elected officials, media, and online audiences
• Develop compelling educational materials to support our base building and worker education efforts
• Support our campaigns through state and local legislative sessions with emails, action alerts, petitions, and other communications tools to win new standards
• Represent the organization and provide strategic communications support to coalitions in which we are active
• Actively participate in ongoing branding work to refine and strengthen an organizational voice that integrates our current bodies of work and theory of change

Social Media & Digital Communications

• Utilize new and existing digital tools to build support for our organizing, education, and enforcement work – including managing social media, digital ad buys, grassroots emails, texting, and digital videos
• Manage content creation and distribution across different social media channels and platforms and monitor digital communications trends
• Produce short videos and graphics
• Manage and update organization-run websites
• Create and manage campaign-specific accounts as needed to advance organizing goals

Media Relations

• Respond to media inquiries, prepare workers and staff to be interviewed and to speak on behalf of the organization
• Monitor, track, and analyze relevant media coverage both locally and nationally
• Help draft op-eds, press releases, letters to the editor, and messaging guides

REQUIRED:

• Be a compelling communicator with at least two years of experience using culturally competent narrative and storytelling for change, particularly among working-class communities or communities of color
• Be a strong writer with experience writing for email, social media, press, video, and related content
• Have an interest in social media as a tool for influence
• Have strong project management skills and be able to successfully manage and balance daily, weekly, and longer-term deadlines
• Have a passion for racial justice and advancing equity through our work
• Enjoy collaboration and be able to work well across teams with different workflows, areas of focus, and expertise

PREFERRED:

• Demonstrate fluency in English and Spanish
• Know and understand how social media works and how to create content for maximum impact
• Be an avid consumer of news with a sharp understanding of political debates and the narrative on the economy
• Possess a deep understanding of digital organizing or demonstrated ability to learn
• Have experience working with Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, or other content production tools

OTHER INFORMATION
Salary & Benefits: This is a bargaining unit position. Salaries are set by the union pay scale, with anticipated starting pay between $67,831.36–$73,366, or lower/higher depending on relevant experience, along with significant annual step increases each year. We provide a generous benefits package, including exceptional medical, dental, and vision care, 5% employer 401k contribution, substantial holidays, vacation and sick leave, and an ORCA card for employees in the Puget Sound area.

Location: This is a salaried position that may be based in our Seattle office or Yakima office; exempt status will depend on final salary. We are a hybrid workplace and expect this role will have a combination of in-person work and work that can be performed remotely. It may require occasional evening and weekend work and occasional travel throughout the state.

How to Apply:
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and résumé to hannah@workingwa.org, CC’ing lpetersonburge@workingwa.org, with the applicant’s last name and “Communications Specialist” in the subject line. In your cover letter, let us know why you’re interested in this role and which skills you believe will make you successful in it. The priority deadline for submissions is Oct. 30, 2024. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we will accept applications until the position is filled.

Commitment to Equity: Working Washington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strongly encourage people from communities most negatively affected by historical and ongoing inequity to apply, such as: people of color, immigrants, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, trans, and gender non-conforming people, and people with disabilities. We seek candidates whose lived experiences reflect the lived experiences of the workers we support.

If you need disability, language or other accommodation in the application process, please contact Zhi Chen at zhi@workingwa.org.