AMP is hiring a Communications Director to work with our Executive Director and other senior staff to set the editorial direction for a multi-media, multi-channel communications strategy that tells the story of AMP’s programs and our vision for a more just, creative, and collaborative world.

The Communications Director will supervise, manage, and direct a communications strategy that aims for powerful storytelling presented with beautiful and compelling design. The Communications Director will work with the Executive Director and other senior AMP staff to continuously design and refine our approach to communications.

For this Director position, we are seeking candidates with mid-career management or director-level experience in creative media, communications, and storytelling. We are open to candidates with backgrounds in non-profit communications, commercial media or public relations, journalism or other relevant experience. Our goal is to hire an individual with a level of expertise to improve and build upon our existing communications practices and processes.

The salary range for this position is between $56,000 – $88,000, commensurate with experience. Allied Media Projects offers a generous benefits package. The new Communications Director must live in or be willing to relocate to Detroit, Michigan. The ideal start date is September 16, 2018.

If you believe this is the position for you, then we encourage you to apply! Details about the specific responsibilities and qualifications of the job are listed below.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, two writing samples, and references to work@alliedmedia.org by Friday, August 31, 2018.

About the Communications Director Role

Purpose

The network of AMP Sponsored Projects is growing, with over 100 active projects at the time of this posting. The Allied Media Conference is growing and changing as well, with approximately 3,500 participants at the most recent conference. Allied Media Projects has also recently acquired a 27,000 square-foot multi-tenant building that will be renovated to serve as our organization’s headquarters. The Communications Director will join AMP at an exciting time of growth and change.

The initial phase of work for the Communications Director will be to review the organization’s existing communications channels (website, email newsletters, social media, podcasts, photo and video, earned media, etc.) and to work with the Executive Director and other senior staff to plan for the update, improvement, and/or replacement of these channels, to better suit our current and evolving needs.

The Communications Director will be responsible for developing a team to activate our communications strategy. The team will include a mix of outside creative contributors and consultants, and one or more additional staff persons to support with communications management or assistance.

The Communications Director will lead a communications team with the following goals:

• To uplift the power and potential of media-based organizing to solve problems and move us towards a more just and creative world.
• To provide outstanding storytelling about the work of our network, increasing the visibility, understanding of, and reach of the Sponsored Projects.
• To distribute and celebrate the creative media, art, and technologies being produced by the Sponsored Projects.
• To expand and/or deepen participation in the Allied Media Conference, while sharing out the visions and ideas emerging from the conference.
• To manage the overall editorial direction and narrative of Allied Media Projects, aiming for coherence, harmony, and bold vision.

Responsibilities

We are in a phase of evaluation and modification of our approach to communications. The Communications Director will join AMP at a time when we will be making changes and adaptations to our communications channels, and to the management structure for communications. The Communications Director will be an active contributor in designing these changes and adaptations.

While this is a time of change, some general responsibilities of the Communications Director position are known at the time of this posting:

• Manage the calendar and workflow of communications.
• Produce, or supervise the production of original written material in the form of reports, blog posts, press releases, internal notices and memos, social media posts, etc., as well as editing and proofreading the writing of other contributors.
• Manage the work of a communications team which may include copywriters and copy-editors, publicists, designers, website developers, videographers and photographers, assistants, etc.
• Negotiate contract deliverables, terms, and fees with communications consultants.
• Participate in hiring and evaluation processes for additional communications support staff
• Administer, or supervise the administration of, various online content management systems or platforms that support our work (this currently includes: Drupal, Shopify, Mailchimp, Zendesk, Eventbrite, Sched, etc.)
• Supervise the overall visual design identity of AMP
• Produce, or supervise the production of, web or print informational materials about AMP and our programs.
• Develop, or supervise the development of, communications and promotional materials for fundraising efforts, engagement with funders and donors
• Manage our online “front-desk”, coordinating AMP staff in responding to inquiries from members of our community, from media outlets, from researchers and academics, etc.
• Research and stay up to date on best practices in all of the areas described above, and continuously contribute to changes and adaptations.

Qualifications

Required:

• Effective manager and supervisor of the work of others
• Excellent written communications skills
• An enthusiasm for writing about the Allied Media Conference, the Sponsored Projects, and media-based organizing in general
• Confident verbal communication – an ability to speak on behalf of, and develop AMP’s voice
• Ability to empathetically and effectively edit and proofread the work of others
• Well organized with the ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to work collaboratively and strategically
• Ability to evaluate, learn from successes and missteps, and adapt
• Experience in marketing and publicity
• Proficiency in use of Google Sheets and other Google Drive applications

Bonus:

• Background in administering online content management systems or hosted services
• Proficiency in use of the Adobe Creative Cloud
• Experience with instructional or technical writing
• Experience as a participant in the Allied Media Conference and/or one of our Sponsored Projects

What does Allied Media Projects do?

We produce the annual Allied Media Conference and, through our Sponsored Projects Program, we provide fiscal sponsorship and other support services to more than 100 media, art, and technology-based social justice projects in Detroit and nationally.

To learn about AMP, check out the following links:
AMP Mission
History of the AMC
Profiles of our Sponsored Projects

Allied Media Projects is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, sexual orientation, religion, HIV serostatus, disability, height, weight, veteran status or marital status.