“Our dynamic organization is growing, and we need a Director of Communications to help us strengthen our work and its impact.

Data & Society focuses on the social and cultural issues arising from data­-centric technological development. We seek to inform and develop frames for discussion of these complex issues both through our own research and through supporting the expansion of a nascent field of actors concerned about these topics. We want to be a resource, a catalyst, and a convener as new sectors recognize the complexity of the issues and the need for trade­offs when they increase their reliance on data as a tool for management and decision-making.”The Director of Communications (DoC) at Data & Society is a pivotal senior leadership role that will define and own communications strategy for the organization. The DoC will work closely with the organization’s leadership team to articulate the organization’s overall impact strategy and will own significant elements of that strategy going forward where they intersect substantively with communications efforts. The DoC will also direct day-to-day communications team operations, guiding and managing team members and their work.

Applications currently being reviewed and will remain open through November 21.

Position Responsibilites:

• Ownership and implementation of D&S communications strategy.
• Day-to-day management of a growing communications team.
• Coordination and project management of communications team to work in concert towards common goals.
• Working with the Program and Research teams to build strategic processes to enable internal and external communications.
• Develop communications staff as needed, defining staff needs and professional development paths and recruiting new talent.
• Overseeing and managing communications budget.
• Membership in organization’s leadership team.
• Representing communications strategy to the organization’s board and to organizational funders.
• Developing and delivering communications products geared to different constituencies, including: the internal cohort and affiliates and the broader D&S network; academics; the technology industry; policymakers; journalists and media actors; civil society actors; and civil servants.
• Defining and implementing Data & Society’s online presence and branding, including website, social media, and online publishing channels.
• Ensuring D&S online presence is updated, responsive to current events, and reflective of internal work happening at D&S.
• Mediating and expanding Data & Society’s relationship to media institutions and individual journalists, including serving as an intermediary between people in our orbit and journalists.
• Maintaining appropriate content platforms (e.g., blog channels, academic journals, etc.) to increase visibility of relevant work and to help build the field.
• Oversight of all external-facing product positioning and releases, in line with product strategy.
• Supporting professional development for researchers and residents in media training, personal brand development, and writing for a variety of audiences.
• Development and implementation of regular series of workshops for journalists and editors focused on D&S issues.
• Maintaining a visible communications calendar for the year, coordinating with Research and Programs to schedule key launches, organizational communications products, and events.
• Building and maintaining appropriate tools to track key issues in policy, industry, and advocacy that might affect the D&S network.
• Mapping and maintaining a network of stakeholders, knowing who to connect to whom.

Qualifications:

• 5-7 years leadership and team management experience in communications or a related field.
• Extensive project management experience.
• Experience working with journalists and producing communications products.
• Familiarity with research production outputs.
• Highly collaborative and communicative.
• Familiar with creative development processes, with the ability to effectively manage multiple projects while adhering to tight deadlines.
• Excellent writing, speaking, and editorial skills.

Application Process:

• Submit the following to doc-job@datasociety.net / Subject: Director of Communications
  1. cover letter
  2. resume/CV
  3. links to communications products/projects you’ve been responsible for
  4. writing sample

Feel free to contact us should you have any questions about the position. Questions about the opportunity or process will not reflect negatively on your application.

The work and well-being of Data & Society is strengthened by the diversity of our network and our differences in background, culture, experience, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and much more. We welcome applications from people of color, women, the LGBTQIA community, and persons with disabilities.