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At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of togetherness.
Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of togetherness. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel inequity, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our democracy. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it.
Sierra Club is comprised of staff across the country and a network of volunteer leaders and local chapters that support our grassroots engagement. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with two labor unions representing more than half of our employees.
Scope: The Deputy Chief of Communications, Regional Media will help develop innovative and equity-centered strategies that integrate the Sierra Club’s organizational values into the national brand narrative, build and protect Sierra Club’s brand and reputation, position the organization as an ally in the fight for environmental justice, ensure consistent messaging across the Communication Department, and promote Sierra Club leaders as thought leaders on a range of issues. They will also work closely with other Deputies, Program Managers, and Department Directors on implementing national media work.
In order to be successful in this role, this person should have a passion for dismantling white supremacy, racism and colonialism in the fight for a more equitable and just planet. Reporting to the Chief of Communications, the Deputy will serve as 1 of 5 members of the Communication Department’s senior leadership team – directly managing several Associate Regional Communications Directors while serving as a convener, mentor, and thought partner to all Department staff. In addition to sophisticated managerial skills & emotional intelligence, the ideal candidate must also possess experience supporting narrative development, thought leadership, strategic planning & execution, team dynamics, media relations, and crisis communications.
Job Activities include but are not limited to:
1. Develops and carries out values-based narrative strategies that advance the interconnectivity between climate justice, environmental justice and social justice.
2. Assists Associate Regional Communications Directors with optimizing communications strategy in their regions while folding regional messaging into strategic national pitches and messages.
3. Identifies local media opportunities and implements media plans and strategies to promote programmatic priorities in print, broadcast and digital media with volunteers and regional staff.
4. Contributes to staff strategy meetings, and stays current on substantive and political developments in major conservation campaigns by reading latest literature, attending meetings and maintaining contact with relevant sources.
5. Collaborates with energy campaigns to create and support innovative communications tactics for winning victories in local campaigns across the country.
6. Partners with the Chief of Communications, Board of Directors, Executive Leadership Team, Communications Managers, Organizational Deputies, Compliance and Advancement to anticipate rapid response opportunities & reputational risks while ensuring coordination and alignment when executing crisis communications tactics.
7. Advises Chief of Communications and other Sierra Club leaders on narrative development, crisis communication, media strategy, and media team personnel matters.
8. Supervises, directs, develops, and provides general and technical guidance to staff. Includes the following supervisory responsibilities:
– assigns work and establishes standards and work priorities;
– ensures staff training and development of employee skills;
– provides ongoing performance feedback, prepares and conducts formal – performance planning and evaluation;
– recommends salary, hiring, allocation of department resources, and promotion decisions
9. Performs miscellaneous duties as required.
The successful candidate must have the following skills and experience:
Inclusive and Equitable Management: You act as a role model manager. You are an emotionally intelligent, values and results-driven leader who can inspire staff and volunteers at all levels, collaborate within and across departments, and provide feedback and coaching to support the achievement of our complex goals.
Creative and Compassionate Media Strategist: You have a strong understanding of the media landscape, including new media outlets, platforms, and technologies; and you are well-versed in the best practices for using the media to advance organizational narratives and theories of change, with a focus on storytelling and relationship-building.
An Effective Collaborator: You’ve successfully worked across cultural lines on a dispersed team, and you have the ability to operate in complex situations. You can easily gain trust from team members and are known for supporting them to ensure they are set up for success.
Leading on Equity: You model effective equity analysis and practice and have a track record of operationalizing equity, and have embedded justice and equity throughout team/department policies, structures, culture, and programs.
A Team Player: Nothing is beneath or above you. You are quick to always lend a hand, or two! You are able to earn influence without authority and naturally seek to support both small projects or large strategic goals.
Resourceful and Adaptable: You’re at ease with ambiguity and rapid change. You possess a positive attitude and identify creative solutions to obstacles. You can juggle many essential responsibilities at once and you’re rigorous about prioritizing.
Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $155,000 – $170,000 for salary Region 1 work location of Oakland, CA or Washington, DC. A lower starting salary may apply for remote based hires.
The Sierra Club offers a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, and a retirement savings 401(k) plan.
This is a category 2 exempt, non-represented, supervisory position.
Sierra Club values the expertise and talents of foreign nationals. Sierra Club sponsors both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas when certain criteria are met, based on immigration laws and organizational needs. Such sponsorship is at the discretion of the Department Head and Sierra Club Human Resources in consultation with the employee’s manager. The Sierra Club cannot guarantee the approval of a visa petition. The Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.
To Apply
This position does not have an undergraduate education requirement. If you choose to include your education history, please remove your schools from your resume. You may leave your degree (e.g., “B.A. Philosophy”), but please remove any undergraduate and graduate school names.
This anonymous process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments and mitigating bias in the decision making process.
Lastly, we are intentionally not asking for a cover letter, so please do not send one in with your application.
Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.