Senior Media & Communications Manager

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 Senior Media and Communications Manager will be responsible for directly managing core aspects of the organization’s earned, placed, and digital media work while also ensuring the Sikh Coalition’s well-established brand continues to grow with our essential audiences. This mid-level position is ideal for someone with a professional communications and/or graphic design background who is passionate about elevating the Sikh voice in the American civil rights conversation. They will have the opportunity to learn about, contribute to, and manage traditional and creative communications initiatives, and touch all areas of the Sikh Coalition’s work across legal, advocacy, community development, and education spaces.

The Senior Media and Communications Manager should have a strong passion for advocacy on behalf of the Sikh community and a fundamental understanding of the value that media and communications work brings to mobilizing community engagement, achieving policy change, and shaping national discourse about topics of importance to marginalized groups. The candidate should have a proven professional background in either branding and graphic design work or copyrighting and press relations work. Either background comes with the expectation that they are able to pay attention to detail, willing to learn new skills, can produce high quality content quickly, and thrive in a dynamic work environment that balances immediate and long-term projects.

The Sikh Coalition has gone to an entirely virtual working environment, so qualified candidates nationwide can and should apply. Regardless of location, it’s essential for this hire to be able to work with our entire staff across four time zones.

Responsibilities:

The Senior Media and Communications Manager will be responsible for:

• If coming from a branding/graphic design background: Designing reports, newsletters, lesson plans, infographics, and social media content (including video) with the goal of growing and strengthening the Sikh Coalition brand;

• If coming from a copywriting/press relations background: Drafting, editing, and scheduling content for the organization’s email communications (including programmatic updates, advocacy work, fundraising asks, and our monthly newsletter) and outbound press correspondence;

• Developing and implementing the organization’s social media strategy, increasing engagement with our audiences across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram;

• Managing cross programmatic projects that involve communications specific tasks (rolling out a new report, working with our legal team on a case that involves press, etc.);

• Routinely updating and maintaining the organization’s website;

• Conducting research in support of various media initiatives and building out targeted press lists;

• Engaging reporters and producers both reactively and proactively on the stories that matter to the Sikh American community;

• Crafting earned, placed, and digital media strategies in support of all programmatic areas of the organization’s work; and

• Managing communications staff and additional projects when the Communications Director is out of office.

<br/><br/>

Qualifications:

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

• A bachelor’s degree and at least 3-5 years of experience in the fields of communications, journalism, graphic design, public relations, or advocacy;

• If coming from a branding/graphic design background: Experience using Adobe Suite software (e.g. Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Rush) or equivalent programs to produce branded content in pursuit of advocacy or education goals;

• If coming from a copywriting/press relations background: Experience producing and sending mass email correspondence (including via platforms like Salsa Engage, Exact Target, MailChimp, etc) and experience fulfilling reporter/producer requests, conducting interview prep for colleagues, and composing and disseminating press statements.

• Project management experience;

• A demonstrated ability to do quick and thorough research using a variety of sources;

• Experience with WordPress or other website management platforms;

• Experience monitoring news in order to draft and schedule compelling content for organizational social media account; and

• A passion for understanding and influencing the national media conversation, especially as it pertains to issues of civil rights, social justice, and religious freedom.

Additional qualifications that are strongly preferred, but not required, include:

• Punjabi language proficiency;

• Experience working with the Sikh American community;

• Experience with Salsalabs, Pardot, or other mass email tools; and

• Experience with Muck Rack or other press research tools.

Compensation:

This is a full-time, remote, exempt salaried position; compensation will be dependent on the role and commensurate with experience in the $65,000-75,000 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, resume, and writing sample (less than 650 words). If coming from a branding/graphic design background, at least two samples of previous work are required. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The Sikh Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.