VP, Communications

Vice President, Communications

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a 501(c)(4) organization, is the premier coalition of more than 240 national organizations that promotes and protects civil and human rights in America. The Leadership Conference has coordinated federal strategy and action, including national lobbying and regulatory efforts on behalf of every major civil rights law since 1957.

The Leadership Conference Education Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization, builds public will for federal civil rights policies that promote and protect civil and human rights in the US. Founded in 1969 as the education and research arm of The Leadership Conference, the Education Fund's campaigns empower people and advocates to push for progressive change in the US.

The Leadership Conference is seeking a Vice President, Communications, to join our Communications Department. Reporting to the President & CEO, the ideal candidate will have experience as a seasoned, strategic, and collaborative communications leader with demonstrated success in strategic communications on civil and human rights, utilizing both earned and digital media.

As the senior lead over earned and digital communications strategies in a fast-paced advocacy environment and with a communications platform that supports and serves a large and diverse coalition, the Vice President is responsible for setting strategic department priorities, collaboratively creating and implementing strategies that advance organizational and coalitional priorities, while balancing rapid response needs and communications support for programmatic activities.

This position will have leadership responsibility for 3 direct report and 5 indirect report staff members, and is not part of the collective bargaining unit.

Candidate Profile:

The Vice President is responsible for leading strategic, earned, and digital communication. This person is also responsible for overseeing the department and creating processes for collaboration and coordination across substantive issues and priorities.

Internal & External Strategy

• Develop collaboratively and implement strategic communications plans for organizational communications, incorporating organizational goals, priorities, and, with effective framing, branding, and message discipline, to be executed by the Communications department.
• Advise the President and CEO on communications strategy and, as a part of the senior leadership team (SLT), help develop organizational priorities and direction, and provide strategic guidance on external impact and influence.
• Partner with external communication vendors to plan, develop, and execute strategic messaging initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, brand standards, and project timelines within budget parameters.
• Develop metrics and KPIs to assess impact and find areas for audience growth and increase in participation in calls-to-action (CTAs), producing regular reports for the President & CEO and Boards.
• Collaborate and partner with the leadership team to develop a long-term strategy on how the organization builds a state-of-the-art communications operation for the organizations that support critical campaigns and coalition partners.
• Innovate and develop new, cutting-edge communication models that leverage the organization's thinking, messaging, and tools used by coalition members.
• Engage communication leaders in member and allied organizations to develop greater shared narratives, messages, and communications campaigns and activities that advance advocacy priorities of the coalition.

Digital, Media Relations, & Editorial

• Drive the development and execution of a multi-channel digital program, expand The Leadership Conference's reputation, voice, and reach to traditional and non-traditional audiences through digital content development, email list growth, and social media engagement.
• Work with the media relations team to maintain positive working relationships with targeted online, print, and broadcast journalists, editorial writers and columnists, and other people of influence.
• Oversee effective, transparent, and impactful rapid response processes across digital platforms and mediums in collaboration with programmatic staff members, to respond in real time to issues relevant to the organization.
• Ensure capacity, processes, and quality development of talking points, press releases, speeches, presentations, and other high-level materials as needed, especially for the President & CEO and senior leaders.
• Oversee an effective editorial function, including the writing, design, production, vetting, and approval process of print and online educational materials, publications, newsletters, reports, etc.

Supervision & Operations

• Lead and support the development of a strategic and nimble communications team and oversee the team's goals, timeline, and actions to meet communications and external impact goals. Ensure the team's infrastructure aligns with the organizations' goals.
• Ensure departmental and organizational information flow on processes and priorities of the department, and ensure transparency that supports both proactive communications strategies, rapid response, and programmatic support on priorities.
• Drive and build the department's annual budget and work plan. Ensure communications efforts are aligned with the organization's financial development goals.
• Perform other duties as necessary and related.

In addition, strong candidates will offer:

• A minimum of 10 years of policy advocacy and political communications experience is required, and in nonprofits is preferred.
• A Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience.
• Proven track record of modernizing communications for organizations both internally and externally.
• Excellent senior leadership experience, including staff and project oversight and supervisory experience.
• Experience in fast-paced environments, including crisis communications and rapid response.
• Proactive, innovative thinking and a strategist with strong attention to detail.
• Thoughtful listener with a keen ability for discernment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with attention to detail and the ability to bring one voice to The Leadership Conference.
• Strong interpersonal skills and collegial working style.
• Multi-tasker and strong project manager with the ability to direct high-performing teams in a fast-paced environment.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned. This posting is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. The Leadership Conference reserves the right to amend duties, responsibilities, and requirements as necessary to meet organizational needs.

Compensation & Benefits:

Our most valuable resource is the people who make up The Leadership Conference. Regardless of your position at The Leadership Conference, your efforts will impact meaningful work that positively affects individuals and communities nationwide.

The target salary range for this position is $211,365 – $245,099.

The range provided is the minimum and maximum salary. The Leadership Conference, in good faith, believes that at the time of this posting, it is willing to pay the advertised salary for the position. Exact compensation is commensurate with experience and reflects internal comparisons.

Salaries are just one component of The Leadership Conference's total compensation package. The Leadership Conference is committed to supporting our staff's physical, emotional, and financial well-being through a robust benefits package for you, eligible dependents, and domestic partners. It includes generous paid time off, including fifteen (15) federal holidays, as well as biweekly organization-specific holidays, medical, dental, and vision insurance, and transit benefits. You'll also have access to professional development assistance and an Employee Assistance Program.

The Leadership Conference has formally recognized a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2 – AFL-CIO. The Leadership Conference and the Union, guided by a CBA, work together in good faith and are motivated by a shared history and commitment to this organization.

In-Office Work Policy:

The Leadership Conference has implemented a hybrid In-Office Work Policy in three phases. As of September 1, 2025, the first phase requires staff members to work in person from the office at least 2 days per month. As of January 1, 2026, the second phase requires staff members to work in person from the office at least 1 day per week or 4 days per month. The final phase begins on April 1, 2026; staff members will be required to work in person from the office at least 2 days per week or 8 days per month.

All positions are subject to the In-Office Work Policy summarized above. (A more detailed description of the policy – to include how in-office workdays are to be scheduled – is available upon request from People & Culture.)

Please note that staff members are exempt from working in person if they have received medical accommodation or if their position is designated as temporarily or permanently remote.

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workplace:

The Leadership Conference is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race/ethnicity; color; religion; national origin; citizenship or immigration status, subject to the obligation to comply with any applicable requirements of federal immigration law; sex (including pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, false pregnancy, lactation, childbirth