The National Employment Law Project (NELP) seeks an experienced, creative, skilled Digital Communications Specialist.   Reporting to the Communications Strategist, the Digital Communications Specialist will partner with NELP’s program teams to develop and execute strategies using digital platforms to expand the reach of NELP’s programs and tools and to deepen our level of engagement with a broad range of stakeholders.  The DCS will manage NELP’s websites and social media platforms, develop digital content for these platforms, and devise and execute strategies to grow our newsletter subscribers and social media followers.  Through creative digital campaigns, the DCS will increase engagement with our online supporters and, working with our Development team, convert them into donors.

Who We Are

A national non-profit with offices in New York, Washington (DC), Seattle and Berkeley, NELP promotes federal, state and local policies to create good jobs in safe and healthy workplaces, boost access to employment for all job seekers, enforce worker rights, and ensure that work provides economic opportunity, security and prosperity for all of America’s workers. NELP provides research and policy development, litigation support, public education and communications support, and technical assistance to raise wages and end wage theft, secure safe and healthy workplaces, strengthen unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation programs, promote fair chance hiring, ensure employer accountability, and promote a comprehensive policy framework to build a good jobs economy. For more information, see www.nelp.org.

What You Will Do

As a member of the Communications Team, you will work in partnership with programmatic teams, including lawyers, policy experts, and researchers, to strategize and produce digital content about often complex legal, policy and economic issues.  You will craft digital communications plans and strategies tailored to achieve programmatic goals and NELP’s organizational mission.  You will manage multiple NELP websites and social media platforms and develop digital content for these websites and platforms. A key element of your job will be translating often dense legal concepts and research findings into compelling and concise messaging and visuals.  You will identify potential online advocacy and fundraising opportunities within our programmatic work and manage production.

While certainly not an exhaustive list of responsibilities, your job will include:

• Managing the technical execution of campaigns across all digital channels including email, social channels, website, and paid advertising. This includes producing digital content, such as infographics and other digital media.
• Partnering with the Communications Strategist to identify target audiences and key influencers for programmatic initiatives. Analyze technical opportunities and challenges in communicating with the target audiences and deploy solutions.
• Managing NELP’s various websites and website-related projects to ensure adherence to the NELP brand, ease of use, effective navigation, and message consistency and to provide engagement opportunities for visitors.
• Serving as the creative strategist for the NELP websites and social media channels; advising program and communications staff on new content development and presentation.
• Remaining current with changes in technology and related developments and suggesting appropriate upgrades and innovations to ensure NELP’s websites remain current and deliver an optimal end user experience for our website visitors.
• Managing external vendors for design and website development.
• Training NELP staff on digital communications strategy and social media best practices.
• Understanding and applying data analytics related to social media, website and email continuously improving the effectiveness of NELP’s campaigns.

Who You Are     

• You are an experienced communications professional with at least three years’ experience working in digital communication. Ideally, you have experience in the area of workers’ rights and/or economic justice.
• You are equal parts creative and analytic.
• You have been responsible for supporting cross-functional teams in the development and execution of digital communications campaigns.  Ideally, you have experience working on issue-based digital advocacy campaigns or email programs for nonprofits or political campaigns.
• You are passionate about digital communications.  You are knowledgeable in building strong engagement with audiences across various platforms.  You are infinitely inquisitive about what makes different digital communications strategies more effective and impactful.
• You are passionate about strategy.  You have the ability to see the big picture but also to translate high level objectives into specific, actionable tactics.  You are skilled in asking difficult questions and uncovering hidden opportunities.  You enjoy working with analytics and using data to uncover opportunities for improvement.
• You have excellent strategic instincts.  You also possess an understanding of how to create a good user experience and the ability to think from the user’s perspective.
• You are a strong writer and possess editing and proofreading skills.
• You believe in the power of great design.  You have impeccable taste and good design instincts, even if you aren’t a designer yourself.
• You regularly follow communications trends, including the introduction of new communications platforms and the creative repurposing and leveraging of existing tools.  You have experience in integrating innovative communications tools and strategies into existing programs.
• You are deeply curious.  When working with internal teams, you build a deep understanding of their needs and are able to tease out challenges and opportunities.
• You have the skills for effective project management.  You are highly organized. You have experience managing deadlines and are comfortable managing multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• You have an obsessive attention to detail.
• You are enthusiastic about working on teams. You are sincerely committed to bringing people together to engage in the creative process and to help teams to think differently about how they can deliver stronger results.
• You have relevant experience in website management and have in-depth knowledge and experience with HTML, CSS, content management and website technology and design.  CMS experience, ideally in WordPress.
• You are tech-savvy and have strong database skills.  Ideally, you have experience integrating online campaigns with a CRM platform like Salesforce and have worked with an advocacy platform like Engage.  You have fluency and extensive experience with the Adobe Creative Suite and other design tools.
• We prefer that you have a background in labor and employment, community organizing, legal services or anti-poverty issues. Experience working at both the national and local levels is a plus.
• You have a college degree or equivalent educational and/or background and experience.

Location of Position and Travel

This position must be filled in our New York City office.  Occasional travel required.

Compensation & Benefits

The position will start as soon as possible.  Salary is competitive within the non-profit sector and commensurate with experience.  Excellent benefits package.  This position is in NELP’s bargaining unit, represented by National Organization of Legal Service Workers, UAW Local 2320.

To apply: send via email your cover letter, résumé, three writing samples, links to examples of digital campaigns or projects and three references to jobs@nelp.org, noting “Digital Communications Specialist—Application” in the subject line.  We will consider applications on a rolling basis.  If you have questions regarding this announcement, please forward those to jobs@nelp.org, noting “Digital Communications Specialist Search – Questions” in the subject line. No phone calls or other e-mail inquiries please.

NELP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and an equal opportunity, fair chance, affirmative action employer, committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce.  All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.