Communications Manager

Company: Legal Aid Justice Center
Location: Charlottesville
Posted on: April 3, 2025

Job Description:

This role will be based in our Charlottesville, Falls Church, or Richmond offices. Salary Note: The salary scale for this position is $59,225.00 - $76,992.50 based on years of relevant experience and LAJC's formal salary scale, upward 12% cost-of-living adjustment ($66,332.00 to $86,231.60) is available for positions based in Falls Church. To allow for salary growth within the position over time, the anticipated hiring range for this position is between $59,225.00 - $68,108.75 ($66,332.00 - $76,281.00 12% adjustment for Falls Church). Placement on the range will be based on factors such as years of relevant experience, budget, and internal equity. About the Legal Aid Justice Center: The Legal Aid Justice Center is a nationally recognized, non-profit organization that partners with low-income clients and communities of color in Virginia to fight for racial, social, and economic justice. We understand that the harms our clients endure are inextricably linked to overarching systems of injustice. Together we are dismantling those systems through a combination of community organizing, litigation, policy advocacy, public relations, and individual legal services. Founded in 1967, LAJC has offices in Charlottesville, Richmond, Petersburg, and Falls Church and provides services under six key program areas: Civil Rights & Racial Justice (focuses on the criminal legal system), Housing & Consumer Justice, Youth Justice, Health Justice & Public Benefits, Immigrant Justice, and Worker Justice. As examples of LAJC's recent work, our lawsuit and organizing against the state forced reform of Virginia's unemployment insurance system, including advocacy that resulted in the distribution of over $1 billion in illegally withheld payments to over 160,000 Virginians. During the pandemic, we demanded and secured a statewide eviction moratorium and emergency pandemic protections that helped hundreds of families avoid eviction. We reduced incarceration across the state, including reducing the population of a local immigration detention center down to historically low levels through a coordinated effort of organizing paired with impact and individual litigation. Our staff are on the front lines of some of the most important anti-poverty fights happening today. With a staff of over 90, the past few years have been a time of exciting growth and opportunity for the organization. In addition to the growth of programmatic efforts including increased organizing capacity, LAJC has expanded its operations and administrative capacity, created new opportunities for professional growth and leadership among staff, engaged in ongoing race equity work, and explored changes to organizational structure to deepen its efforts to create long-term, sustainable, community-driven change. About the Position: The Legal Aid Justice Center seeks a Communication Manager to help advance LAJC's ambitious agenda to achieve economic, social, and racial justice. This position will support communications work across multiple areas including earned media, social media, digital projects including website content, internal communications, donor communications, and branding and marketing. The ideal candidate will have experience working with advocacy campaigns, interacting with members of the media, writing, creating digital content for social media and web, and experience working with community members to facilitate storytelling and other communications activities. The ideal candidate will have experience communicating through diverse media, and promoting work in earned media, utilizing a race-equity lens. This position offers a chance to help grow the communications capabilities and activities of an active and multifaceted advocacy organization that is working to create meaningful change in our service areas, the state of Virginia, and nationwide. Job Duties : Social media: Plan and manage LAJC social media accounts with content support from LAJC programs and departments. Work to expand the reach and engagement of our work through current and new social media channels. Track and analyze data to improve outcomes. Advocacy Communications: Work with the Communications Director, Program Directors, campaign leads, and staff to develop and execute communications plans to further advocacy campaign objectives. Media Relations: Work with the Director of Communications to develop local, state, and national press strategies. Help to maintain accurate information about media across the state. Track and report media mentions. Website: Create and maintain LAJC website content including working with program leadership and staff to solicit or create up-to-date information. Email: Create and manage regular email communications to LAJC audiences about our work. Create and manage emails systems such as the LAJC sign-up welcome series. Work with the Development team to maintain email marketing calendars. Fundraising: Work with the Development Team to produce written materials highlighting LAJC's work, such as annual reports, brochures, e-newsletters, etc. Training: You will help to plan, schedule, and support communications trainings for LAJC, including trainings on media relations, social media, advocacy tools, graphic design, and other topics as needed. These trainings will be both agency-wide and to address needs of specific groups. You will also help with onboarding of new staff to communications policies and procedures. Racial Equity: Promote racial equity across all dimensions, including within LAJC, by doing the following: Helping to recruit, retain, and support both staff and leadership that reflect the racial composition of our community Cultivating respect for the work of and expanding resources for non-attorney staff that are disproportionately people of color Creating spaces for staff to discuss issues of racial, gender, and all other issues of marginalization Pushing for institutional and cultural changes by management, the board, and staff to further promote racial equity. Required Qualifications : Strong commitment to social, economic, and racial justice. Excellent writing, proofreading, editing skills (an assessment exercise will be part of the hiring process for this position) A high degree of comfort with technology, including social media platforms. Ability to maintain a high degree of organization in a fast-paced environment. At least one year of experience in a similar role at a mission-driven organization. Preferred Qualifications : Experience working on social, economic, or racial justice campaigns in a communications role. Experience with email marketing tools, like Constant Contact. Experience managing website content on platforms such as WordPress Experience managing and growing multiple social media accounts for an organization. Experience working in coalitions. Storytelling skills and a demonstrated ability to work with members of diverse communities. Knowledge of html Spanish fluency Experience with Adobe Creative Cloud (Illustrator and InDesign in particular) and video and audio editing experience A Note to Potential Candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described. Location: This role will be based in our Charlottesville, Falls Church, or Richmond offices. Occasional travel between offices will be required. Although a regular presence in the office is required, LAJC offers a remote work policy to support employees in co-creating schedules and arrangements that allow us all to do our best work. Salary : The salary scale for this position is $59,225.00 - $76,992.50 based on years of relevant experience and LAJC's formal salary scale, upward 12% cost-of-living adjustment ($66,332.00 to $86,231.60) is available for positions based in Falls Church. To allow for salary growth within the position over time, the anticipated hiring range for this position is between $59,225.00 - $68,108.75 ($66,332.00 - $76,281.00 12% adjustment for Falls Church). Placement on the range will be based on factors such as years of relevant experience, budget, and internal equity. Application Review Date : We'll start reviewing applications after April 11, 2025. While our review process can take some time, this doesn't mean you're not being considered-please be patient as we carefully evaluate each candidate. We'll continue to accept and review applications until the position is filled. Application Instructions : Complete the online application. This position requires a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. Please address the cover letter to the hiring manager, Jeff Jones, but submit all materials through the online application system. We will not contact references without advance consent from candidates. Benefits : Our mission is compelling, and our team members are passionate about their work, and so we recognize the need to provide generous benefits and encourage rest and a healthy work environment. For example, we provide: Generous paid time off every year, including 3 to 6 weeks of vacation, 12 days of health leave, 6 weeks parental leave, and 14 holidays (not including bonus holidays/rest days allocated as needed) 100% employer paid health, dental, and vision insurance, plus excellent family insurance with annual max of $2,400 premium contribution to LAJC-sponsored health plan 403(b) retirement plan with 4% employer contribution (no required match) Strong commitment to professional development Vaccination Requirement: The Legal Aid Justice Center requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious exemption as a qualification of employment. Proof of vaccination or accommodation request must be provided within one day of employment. The Legal Aid Justice Center is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, experiences, and communities to apply. The Legal Aid Justice Center is committed to strengthening the voices of our low-income clients, working in collaboration with community partners, and rooting out the inequities that keep people in poverty. We strive to take on the issues that have broad impact on our client communities and to be responsive to client input. Recognizing the particular impact of racism on our clients and staff, we devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe. In reviewing applications, we look for evidence that applicants have experience and/or thoughtfulness in working with traditionally marginalized populations. Employment Type: Full Time Years Experience: 1 - 3 years Salary: $59,225 - $76,993 Annual Bonus/Commission: No

Keywords: Legal Aid Justice Center, Charlottesville , Communications Manager, Executive , Charlottesville, Virginia