Associate Manager, Free Expression & Advocacy

For over 100 years, the American Booksellers Association (ABA) has helped independent bookstores open, grow, and succeed. As a national not-for-profit trade organization, ABA provides indie bookstores with education; business products and services; an e-commerce platform; marketing support; and advocacy. 

The Associate Manager, Free Expression & Advocacy is part of the ABA Communications team.This position reports directly to the Director of ABFE, Advocacy & Public Policy and assists them with ABA’s free expression and advocacy work supporting independent bookstores and their interests.

This position will be responsible for managing ABA's work protecting the right to read, promoting free expression, supporting booksellers’ free expression, supporting diversity in literature and bookselling, and fighting book bans, while supporting ABA’s general bookstore advocacy work as necessary. This work will include:

• Creating resources to support the right to read
• Supporting member booksellers with their right to freedom of expression
• Creating resources for member booksellers to support their free expression and support their staff with free expression harassment
• Mobilizing bookstores to assist with book challenges and proposed unconstitutional legislation
• Tracking legislation that threatens the right to read and synthesizing/distributing the legislation as needed
• Working with coalition partners on right to read initiatives
• Helping develop and implement overall ABFE strategy
• Creating new projects and ideas to support ABA’s free expression work 
• Overseeing administrative aspects of free expression campaigns
• Input and support for general advocacy issues impacting bookstores
• Creating education and initiatives through American Booksellers for Free Expression (ABFE)
• Providing administrative support for ABFE

Required skills and experience:

• Strong communication skills (written and verbal; email, phone, Zoom, and in person)
• Strong copy editing skills
• Ability to summarize and disseminate complex information
• Comfort with meeting with and discussing ABA’s advocacy goals to a diverse and bipartisan array of stakeholders and legislators
• Familiarity with legislative process and tracking legislation
• Demonstrated commitment to free expression and uplifting marginalized voices
• Comfortable and skilled at Public Speaking and stakeholder engagement
• Highly organized and able to independently and effectively manage short- and long-term projects; strong project management and self-direction
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle tight deadlines and changing needs
• Proficient computer skills with an emphasis on Google and Microsoft suites Docs and Microsoft Office
• Bachelor’s, associate’s degree, or equivalent (comparable nontraditional self-education, i.e. lifelong learner, certificates and/or classes, or work, volunteer, or internship experience equivalent) 

Ideal candidate will have the following:  

• Passion for independent bookstores
• Passion for, and some knowledge of, free expression and its history
• Knowledge of books and passion for books
• Experience developing and/or supporting initiatives and/or policies
• Marketing skills and/or experience
• Strategic thinking skills and/or experience creating detailed strategies
• Social media strategy
• CRM or other database experience 
• VoterVoice experience

Location: Remote. This position will require occasional domestic travel and some nights and weekends for conferences or meetings. 

Compensation $55,000 - $65,000 (commensurate with experience). Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance; paid sick days, holidays, vacation, and personal days; and 401(k).

To Apply: 

Please send a cover letter that speaks to why you want this role; your previous professional and/or personal experience with advocacy, book bans and/or the Right to Read in the workplace and/or the world, as well as your resume to David Grogan at View email address on shelf-awareness.com with the subject line: Associate Manager, Free Expression & Advocacy. Applications will be accepted until the role is filled, with a projected start date of approximately September 14 (negotiable depending upon the candidate’s needs.) Please review ABA’s full values statement before applying. 

 Equal Opportunity:

ABA believes diversity and diverse perspectives make our organization stronger, and we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and an association that’s representative of all of our members and the customers they serve. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age; ethnicity; color; race; religion; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity and/or expression; marital, civil union, or domestic partnership status; past or present military service; physical, mental, or sensory disability; national, social, or ethnic origin; neurodiversity; pregnancy; family or parental status; and/or genetic information (including family medical history).

*Important Note:
If you are passionate about ABA’s mission and think you have what it takes to be successful in this role even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.