Job Description

Director of Media Relations

Full Time, Remote

About Us

UpTogether is a national organization of individuals across the country with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities who share a passion for social justice and racial equity.  Our mission is to recognize, highlight and invest in the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of people in historically undervalued communities and partner with government and philanthropy to do the same.

After working with thousands of families since our founding in 2001, at UpTogether, we are certain people don’t live in poverty because they are lazy, uneducated, or mismanage money, as stereotypes would indicate. Instead, the poverty cycle, which disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx communities, can be traced to well-intentioned but inadequate governmental and charitable policies and practices that rely on a traditional top-down approach.

UpTogether’s StrengthBased Approach (SBA) includes:

1. Community: We honor the strengths and initiatives of people living in historically undervalued communities and promote the role social networks within these communities play in helping people accomplish their goals and achieve long-term socioeconomic mobility.
2. Capital: We invest in our members with unrestricted cash in recognition of the initiatives they are taking to improve their lives.
3. Choice: We trust that people in historically undervalued communities know what’s best and are capable of making decisions for themselves and their families.

UpTogether reveals and accelerates the initiative people are taking to improve their lives. As a community, a movement, and a platform, we use the power of information—compelling insights and personal success stories—to transform stereotypes, beliefs, practices, and policies. Together with our members, we are championing a community-led movement to boost economic and social mobility in communities that have been undervalued and underinvested in for far too long.

At UpTogether, we work towards these values:

• Community: We honor the strengths and initiatives of people living in historically undervalued communities and promote the role social networks within these communities play in helping people accomplish their goals and achieve long-term socioeconomic mobility.
• Impact: We test and scale strategies for systems adoption of a strength-based approach to accelerate socioeconomic mobility for people living at or below the poverty line in the U.S.
• Collaboration: We center the lived experiences of families in historically undervalued communities and engage the knowledge, experience, and perspectives of our board, partners, and staff to build and grow a strength-based approach to end poverty.
• Racial Equity: We are committed to being an anti-racist organization, and we promote anti-racist policies that eliminate the racial wealth divide.
• Leadership: We acknowledge that leadership is not based on a title and honor the many forms in which it appears. We celebrate leadership that embodies all of our organizational values, driving us to act against the dominating deficit-based approach to fighting poverty.
• Choice: We trust that people living at or below the poverty line know what’s best and are capable of making decisions for themselves and their families.

The Position

UpTogether is looking for a Director of Media Relations to drive stories — and shape and publicize data and reports — that demonstrate and amplify the true narratives about people with low incomes, particularly those who are people of color. This role is also critical in our efforts to collaborate with our members, community organizations and partners to build a movement to trust and invest in families.

In addition, by securing media placements, this role will provide evidence and brand credibility that can help advance our mission of moving philanthropy and government toward the adoption of our strength-based approach.

The Director of Media Relations will report to the VP of Membership & Communications

A reliable internet connection and functional work environment, including a fully functional computer (laptop or desktop) with video conferencing capabilities, are required to be successful in this role. UpTogether offers reimbursements and stipends for work-related equipment for full-time staff.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Create and execute a media relations strategy to advance our narrative change efforts, debunk stereotypes about people with low incomes and increase awareness of the impact of our strength-based approach (SBA)
• Create and execute an external engagement strategy, often in collaboration with our partners and relevant UpTogether stakeholders, that includes planning press conferences and other media events, both virtually and in-person
• In collaboration with our Director of Membership and Communications, identify newsworthy diverse member stories to promote that reflect the true narratives about people with low incomes
• Create and execute strategies to get publicity around our systems change efforts in partnership with our policy and practices team
• Oversee day-to-day relations with the media, including responding to media queries, scheduling interviews, and preparing news releases and media kits
• Build and nurture relationships with national media and media in our key regions
• Serve as an official spokesperson for broadcast, digital and print media
• Develop a crisis communications plan and manage crisis communications
• Write press releases, pitches, OpEds and letters to the editor. This may include ghostwriting for spokespeople or executives from UpTogether or our partners.
• Strategically monitor media coverage in regional and national markets (using Meltwater or a similar software)
• Conduct annual media coaching for the CEO, VP of Membership & Communications, and the Policy & Practices and Partnership & Revenue teams
• Prep spokespeople, including UpTogether members, for media interviews and provide feedback after each interview

Qualifications

• A degree in PR, communications, journalism or the equivalent experience, plus at least 7 years of experience
• Established relationships with local and/or national media or the ability to develop them quickly
• A track record of getting earned media
• Exceptional communications skills, both written and verbal
• Proven experience with crisis communications
• An eye for detail and the ability to meet tight deadlines
• Outstanding news judgment
• Comfort in a nimble, fast-paced and changing environment
• An ability to collaborate cross functionally and with different personalities
• Expertise in AP style
• Proven ability to thrive in a remote work environment; self-directed; proactively reaches out; responsive; comfortable in a virtual setting
• Ability to thrive in a fast-changing environment, flexible in the pursuit of goals
• Demonstrated commitment to, or passion for, our mission; deep belief and trust in the innate capabilities of families and communities with low incomes families and communities; willingness to engage in conversations aimed at addressing erroneous stereotypes about people with low incomes and people of color
• A deep belief in and operates according to UpTogether’s core values
• Strong command of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required; familiarity with Google applications a plus

Compensation
This is a full-time position with a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and vacation. Salary range is $110,000–$130,000 (commensurate with experience).

Inclusion Statement
We strive to create a community that embraces equity, diversity, and inclusion, and we support the efforts of others to build such communities. We encourage all qualified and interested persons to apply, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: communications, design, economic equity, non-profit, racial equity, user experience, and UX. Salaries: 100,000 and above.

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