Senior Director of Communications and Digital Engagement

Looking for proven communications executive with prior newsroom experience who can independently run media strategy, build trust with reporters, lead digital engagement, and manage crisis/public-facing communications in a mission-driven environment.

About PLEJ

The Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions (PLEJ) is a national, nonpartisan community of support, best practices, and peer engagement among election offices serving the largest and most diverse populations in the U.S. PLEJ empowers election leaders to address operational challenges, communicate with clarity and transparency, and drive innovation. Through collaborative problem-solving and practical innovation, PLEJ helps build more resilient, efficient, and voter-focused election systems that improve the experience and confidence of millions of Americans. PLEJ is entering a critical phase of growth and impact—expanding its capacity, strengthening its institutional role, and positioning large jurisdictions as national leaders in election administration.

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Communications and Digital Engagement (SD-CDE) leads a modern, high-impact communications function that strengthens public understanding of election administration and elevates the voices of local election officials as trusted, credible experts who respond effectively to emerging threats and challenges.

This is a senior leadership role who understands both how election operations work and how information moves across today’s media ecosystem. The role brings a journalist’s instincts, a strategist’s discipline, and a builder’s mindset to shape narratives, create, and distribute clear, credible, and engaging content directly to the public.

The SD-CDE is fluent across traditional media and emerging digital platforms—with a clear understanding of how narratives develop across newsrooms, social media, influencer networks, and direct-to-audience channels. This role leads all external communications, digital engagement, and narrative strategy.

A core component of this role is working directly with PLEJ members and promoting their peer-to-peer collaboration—leading the Communications Workgroup and supporting the Resilience Workgroup. To ensure real-world operational insights and scenario planning are translated into clear and actionable communications strategies, the SD-CDE ensures communications strategies actively contribute to PLEJ’s growth, partnerships, and resource development.

Core Responsibilities

The SD-CDE sits at the intersection of operations, media, and public trust—ensuring that the professionals who run elections are heard, understood, and supported in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment:

Strategic Communications Leadership

• Own PLEJ’s communications and digital engagement strategy, aligned with PLEJ’s organizational priorities.
• Shape election administration narratives with a focus on clarity, transparency, and operational realities.
• Identify and respond to emerging issues, inaccurate information trends, and communications gaps.
• Serve as a senior advisor to leadership on messaging, positioning, and reputational risk.

Media and Narrative Development

• Position the PLEJ Network as trusted subject matter experts and national voices on election administration.
• Build and maintain relationships with national, regional, and local media for proactive storytelling.
• Develop media resources that effectively translate complex operations into clear public understanding.
• Lead rapid response communications during high-profile or time-sensitive moments.

Modern Media and Audience Strategy

• Integrate traditional media, digital platforms, and emerging outlets into a cohesive communications approach.
• Identify and engage trusted voices beyond traditional media, including influencers, experts, and digital creators.
• Build and manage direct-to-audience channels (e.g., newsletters, Substack-style platforms, video explainers).
• Stay ahead of shifts in how information spreads, including platform dynamics, and information integrity risks.

Digital Engagement and Content Strategy

• Lead PLEJ’s digital presence across websites, social media, member portals, and emerging platforms.
• Build a cohesive, audience-centered content strategy that prioritizes accessibility, timeliness, and trust.
• Oversee production of high-quality digital content (video, graphics, explainers, toolkits, and reports).
• Use analytics and performance data to gauge and improve engagement and impact.
• Experiment with new formats and distribution strategies to expand reach.

Partnerships and Field Engagement

• A bridge between election officials and the broader ecosystem, with comms grounded in operational reality.
• Equip partners with the context needed to communicate accurately and effectively, including critical moments.
• Strengthen relationships with partners by contributing to shared messaging, briefings, and collaborative efforts.
• Build partnerships that enhance member capacity while maintaining confidentiality and nonpartisanship.
• Ensure PLEJ maintains credibility, neutrality, and operational focus in politically sensitive environments.

Member-Facing Communications Support

• Support election officials with the development of publicly available, nonpartisan templates and tools about messaging and communications best practices.
• Translate operational realities and research into clear, actionable communications for members.
• Work with the Member Engagement and Program Team to develop and deploy publicly available, nonpartisan tools/resources as needed.
• Help design and facilitate programming that moves beyond dialogue to implementation.

Team Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build and manage a high-performing communications team and external partners to align messaging/outputs.
• Lead Communications Workgroup to drive peer-to-peer exchange and support Resilience Workgroup space.
• Ensure consistency and quality across all communications channels, programming, and outputs.
• Support fundraising and external engagement through strategic messaging and materials.
• Represent PLEJ in external meetings, briefings, and convenings to elevate the PLEJ Network.

• Contribute to broader organizational efforts as needed that contribute to PLEJ’s mission and impact.

• Maintain a culture of professionalism, nonpartisanship, and service.

Requirements

Candidate should demonstrate the following experience, skills, and leadership qualities:

Required

• 10+ years of experience in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex, technical, or operational topics into clear, accessible content.
• Experience in operational resilience, crisis management, or public-facing communication strategies.
• Strong media instincts and experience working with journalists and newsrooms and managing contractors.
• Strong understanding of and experience with digital platforms, audience engagement, and content strategy.
• Experience operating across both earned media and direct-to-audience platforms (e.g., newsletters, Substack, podcasts, or similar).
• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with experience leading comms during high-stakes situations.
• Has managed teams and external partners in support of organizational priorities and external engagement.
• Ability to navigate politically sensitive environments while maintaining nonpartisanship and credibility.

Preferred

• Experience working in (or supporting) large election jurisdictions or similarly complex government systems.
• Experience in public administration, election operations, voting systems, or democracy-related work.
• Experience navigating inaccurate information dynamics and public trust challenges.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and organizational design, with experience producing/directing digital content.
• Experience working across partnerships, coalitions, or multi-stakeholder environments.
• Experience engaging with influencer and expert-driven ecosystems, not just traditional press.
• Experience using message testing, audience insights, and analytics to refine communications approaches.

• Experience supporting organizational growth and institutional maturation.

Key Competencies

• Ability to set and drive communications strategy to preserve public trust and align with internal priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex, technical, or operational topics into clear public-facing content.
• Deep understanding of digital platforms, audience engagement, influencer networks, and content strategy.
• Ability to lead communications during high-stakes situations with sound judgment, clarity, and credibility.
• Experience using audience insights to refine communications, expand reach, and improve engagement.
• Ability to build trust with and align diverse stakeholders, including election officials, partners, and media.
• Experience designing and leading programming and resources that promotes alignment and implementation.
• Ability to lead across teams, manage competing priorities, and contribute to organizational strategy/growth.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in politically sensitive environments while maintaining neutrality/credibility.

Key Outcomes (First 1–2 Years)

• Trusted Voice and Narrative Shift: PLEJ members are widely recognized as credible, authoritative voices, with media and public narratives more accurately reflecting the realities of election administration.
• Integrated, High-Impact Communications Strategy: A clear, cohesive communications and digital engagement strategy is established and drives aligned messaging across PLEJ, its members, and partners.
• Expanded Media and Digital Influence: PLEJ significantly strengthens its presence across traditional media, digital platforms, and direct-to-audience channels, with measurable growth in reach and engagement.
• Effective Risk and Rapid Response Communications: PLEJ and its members are equipped to respond quickly and effectively to emerging issues, inaccurate information, and operational challenges.
• Field-Driven Implementation and Alignment: Communications and Election Resilience Workgroups translate real-world insights from peer-to-peer collaboration into actionable strategies and tools, strengthening member engagement and resulting in measurable peer collaboration.
• Strengthened Partnerships and Organizational Impact: Communications efforts enhance partnerships, support external engagement, and reinforce PLEJ’s role as a national leader in election operations and resilience, including expanded publicly available, nonpartisan practical operational guides, strengthened internal infrastructure/capacity, and increased institutional recognition of PLEJ as a central field anchor.

Benefits

Compensation & Location

• Salary range: $141,014.00 – $168,489.00, commensurate with experience.
• Location: Flexible, with regular travel for staff meetings, member convenings, and national engagement (up to 30%).
• PLEJ is a fully remote team. This role must be located and performed within the United States and be online and available between the hours of 9a and 5p ET, regardless of where candidate lives.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire.
• Benefits: PLEJ offers a generous benefits package including:

• Fully covered medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, and term life insurance premiums for the employee (employee’s family may be added at employee’s expense)
• Unlimited PTO
• 14 observed holidays and generous holiday schedule
• 401(k) retirement plan

The Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions (PLEJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to providing a community of support to election jurisdictions nationwide.

PLEJ is an equal opportunity employer. Employees and job applicants are protected from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. These protections apply to all employment decisions, including recruitment, hiring, performance evaluations, promotions, training, and career development. Additionally, PLEJ provides employees and applicants reasonable accommodations for disabilities; for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.

This job description is intended to outline the general scope and responsibilities of the position and may be subject to updates based on organizational needs. It does not constitute a contract of employment.