Summary 

Title: Media Director  

Status: Full-time, Exempt  

Location: Great Lakes State or Washington, D.C.    

Role: The Media Director (Director) will develop and execute communications and media campaigns to advance our program and advocacy goals as guided by our strategic plan. The Director leads these campaigns across program areas and across the Great Lakes region. The Director is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with local, state, regional and national media outlets. The Director identifies and pursues opportunities to place stories about the Alliance’s program work that reach the media, decision-makers and influential voices and segments of the public. The Director works closely with program staff to develop strategic communication materials and prepare staff for media and other public speaking opportunities. The Director coordinates tightly with the staff leading engagement of our donor, volunteer and advocate constituents to ensure all our supporters receive consistent and targeted information about the Alliance’s work. 

Structure: The Director reports to the COO and works closely with other senior program staff leaders. 

Compensation and Benefits: Salary range begins at $100,000, with starting salary determined commensurate with experience. Medical, dental, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, FSA, 11 paid holidays plus the business days between 12/26 and 12/30 (staff who must work on any holidays may take those holidays at another time subject to the employee handbook), 3 weeks vacation to start + PTO, Fidelity 401(k) with employer match of up to 6% of salary.  

Work Environment: Fully remote with some travel required. If based in Chicago, an office is available downtown for use. 

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Overview 

The Alliance seeks its next Media Director to lead communications and media campaigns to advance our program priorities. The Director works collaboratively with program teams to ensure our work is successfully communicated across relevant channels to reach decision-makers and those with the ability to influence our goals. This work is critical to the success of our policy campaigns. The Director also supports program staff in their role as public communicators for the Alliance. This includes identifying and creating press-worthy stories and narratives from Alliance program work, ensuring the quality of public-facing products such as reports and presentations, and preparing staff for media interviews and for other public speaking engagements. The Director has a solid understanding of the Alliance’s programs, can speak with authority and clarity on our issues, and can field and direct media requests related to basic program work. The Director will also provide strategic support to Alliance partners in need of media relations capacity while working on shared goals. They work closely with the staff team that advances Alliance brand awareness and constituent engagement, which uses our media campaign materials and content to support outreach and storytelling to all of our supporters. The Director manages relationships with local, state, regional and national media outlets. The Director works as part of a team of senior program staff leaders across the Alliance’s issue areas. 

The Director will start work from a position of strength. Our staff of 26 and 18-member Board of Directors include some of the country’s leading Great Lakes advocates, experts and communicators. Our organization has a well-regarded record of recent and historic successes dating to 1970. The Alliance’s capacity stands tall among state and regional environmental advocacy organizations across the country, with more than $10 million in assets of which more than 70% is unrestricted. The Alliance is growing toward an operating budget of $5 million by the end of 2024. 

The long-term Development goals of the Alliance are: 

By the end of 2024: 

• Develop narratives for each of our programs that can be used along with specific pitches for media. 
• Ensure communications strategies are built into all appropriate campaigns under the new strategic plan. 

• Establish the Alliance as a leading voice for the Great Lakes with media across the Great Lakes region. 

Within five years: 

• The Alliance’s work and related issues are getting regular national coverage due to our media campaigns in ways that resonate with decision makers. 
• Key partner and constituent voices and stories are regularly woven into all relevant program campaigns. 

A typical week for the Director might begin by helping staff chart out a communications strategy for a new report we are releasing. Staff are hoping we can get supportive endorsements from elected officials and a business partner prior to release. Later you field a call from an Ohio reporter who wants to talk about the harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie. They are new to the beat and need some extensive background before working on their first story. The next day you set up a public radio interview for one of our Michigan staff. You work with staff to develop talking points and ensure they are prepared to answer tough questions. Concurrently, you also are working with other staff to help prepare a PowerPoint presentation highlighting our policy work to Congressional staff. You review the most recent quarter’s metrics and prepare a brief to present to the Leadership Team the following week. 

Responsibilities 

Strategy 

The Director leads the media strategy that supports the Alliance’s current strategic plan and positions the organization for its next phase of growth.  

• Develop and implement strategic communications and media plans for the Alliance to forward its programmatic, policy and advocacy goals. 
• Identify, translate and synthesize technical and policy information to tell compelling stories to the media, influencers and decision makers. 
• Manage external media relations and outreach. This includes the development and distribution of media pitches, press releases, op-eds, briefings, talking points, and messaging, while also responding to incoming media queries.  
• Serve as a spokesperson for the Alliance with the media 
• Contribute to the development of communications strategies for major Alliance announcements, priorities, and events. This includes the creation of strategy documents, spokesperson messages, written materials, pitch letters, etc. that elevate the thought leadership of the Alliance, its staff and its Board of Directors. 

• Monitor and share daily news clips with staff to identify emerging trends, track favorable and unfavorable coverage of our issues and other Great Lakes issues, and identify key reporters. 
• Oversee management and growth of media lists and database.  
• Advance the Alliance’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice principles in alignment with department and organization goals 

Relationships 

The Director is the primary connector between the Alliance’s programs and those with the ability to reach audiences that advance our advocacy. 

• Develop relationships with top-tier national, regional, and policy news outlets across all relevant media channels (including print, broadcast, and online). 
• Support media training sessions for Alliance spokespeople, including the development of messaging and guidance for media opportunities and interviews. 
• Work closely with the COO and other members of the Management Team on media campaigns, storytelling and message development.  
• Collaborate with Development and Marketing staff on messaging to our donor, volunteer and advocacy constituents. 

• Identify opportunities to elevate partner organizations and support collaborative media outreach efforts. 
• Help develop content for Alliance staff speaking at conferences and events. 
• Contribute to Alliance publications and website such as through reports and newsletters.  
• Represent the Alliance at meetings and conferences as appropriate. 
• Align all constituent communications with our organizational brand and values 

• Create a culture of listening and responsiveness to constituent and supporter voices 

Accountability 

The Director has primary responsibility for setting and reporting on the key performance indicators that demonstrate progress toward our media campaign goals. 

• Set metrics and KPIs for successful implementation of the media strategy and relevant annual targets, including the impact of Alliance press coverage 

• Consistently ensures all team members are appropriately informed on statuses of relevant work. 
• Identify key opportunities to align and collaborate on Alliance marketing communications and implement strategies to achieve both programmatic and marketing goals. 
• Report regularly to Leadership staff 
• Identify and recommend timely strategic and tactical changes to address shortfalls and missed opportunities 

Management 

The Director is responsible for the attentive management of media strategy workplans and budgets. 

• Create and track the annual budget and workplan 
• Ensure productive management and utilization of vendor services.  
• Mentor and coach staff to effectively represent the Alliance in support of their work’s media strategy 

• Illustrate the impact of our media efforts to staff. 

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Knowledge/Skills  

• Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years of experience at increasing levels of responsibility 

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills   
• Demonstrated experience working across internal program teams and with specific program staff to develop and implement strategic communications and media plans that advance advocacy campaigns   
• Demonstrated experience identifying, translating and synthesizing technical and policy information to tell compelling stories to the media, influencers and decision makers, and supporting external partners to tell these stories to the media and other audiences  
• Experience managing external media relations and outreach. This includes the development and distribution of media pitches, press releases, talking points, and messaging, while also responding to incoming media queries.   
• Relationships with top-tier national, regional, and policy news outlets across all relevant media channels (including print, broadcast, and online)    

• Demonstrated ability to work with a wide range or partners on media strategy and delivery   
• Experience developing content for speakers at conferences and events 
• Prior demonstrated success at managing multiple projects covering a broad range of issues 
• Ability to approach challenges with an optimistic attitude and work with team members to resolve them. 
• Can comfortably and candidly assess strengths and weaknesses in their work.  

• Eagerness to work at both the “nuts and bolts” and strategic levels to help advance our policy work.  
• Passion for mission-driven public interest work related to clean water, climate adaptation, the Great Lakes, and the role of water in community and regional resilience and revitalization.  
• Unwavering commitment to diversity, justice, equity and inclusion.  
• Collaborative, collegial, with a good sense of humor and ability to adapt to diverse work styles; adept at working in teams and independently in both virtual and in-person settings. 

Job Parameters 

• This position is full-time and consistent with Alliance employment policy. Salary range begins at $100,000 with starting salary determined commensurate with experience. 

• Excellent benefits, including medical, dental, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, FSA, 11 paid holidays plus the business days between 12/26 and 12/30 (staff who must work on any holidays may take those holidays at another time subject to the employee handbook), 3 weeks vacation to start + PTO, and Fidelity 401(k) with employer match of up to 6% of salary, eligible after 30 days. 

• This is a remote position for candidates living in a Great Lakes state or in Washington, D.C., with occasional travel required. If located in Chicago, an office is available downtown for use.  

Application Process 

Please e-mail a cover letter, resume, references, and writing or work sample that demonstrates relevant qualifications to: hr@greatlakes.org. Include job title in the subject line. 

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Materials should be compatible with Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. Applicants will receive confirmation of receipt of their materials and further guidance and updates about the hiring process by e-mail, with interviews provided for finalists. No phone inquiries, please. 

About the Alliance for the Great Lakes 

The Alliance for the Great Lakes is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The search process will reinforce the Alliance’s belief that achieving diversity requires an enduring commitment to inclusion that must find full expression in our organizational culture, values, norms, and behaviors.  

Our vision is a thriving Great Lakes and healthy water that all life can rely on, today and far into the future. We aspire to be a voice for the lakes, and to support the voices of the communities that depend on the lakes and their waters. 

The mission of the Alliance for the Great Lakes is to protect, conserve and restore the Great Lakes ensuring healthy water in the lakes and in our communities for all generations of people and wildlife. We advance our mission as advocates for policies that support the lakes and communities, by building the research, analysis and partnerships that motivate action, and by educating and uniting people as a voice for the Great Lakes.   

To achieve our vision and mission, everyone in our organization will live our values of Community, Relationships, Courage, Integrity and Optimism, and weave the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into all our work. Each value and principle is backed by measurable goals and expectations for our Board of Directors and staff. 

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Original Article

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

News - Alliance for the Great Lakes

https://greatlakes.org/2023/07/media-director/

Michelle Farley