Communications manager

At NCYL, communications is a strategic function. It helps shape public understanding, elevate urgent threats and solutions, and ensure that the rights of children and youth remain part of the national conversation.

Position NCYL seeks a strategic and nimble Communications Manager to drive earned media and external visibility for the organization and its senior leaders. This person will monitor daily developments across our issue areas, identify the moments that require a public response, and turn those moments into meaningful media and thought leadership opportunities. They will build relationships with reporters, editors, producers, podcast hosts, and other influential partners, while working closely with NCYL’s writers to shape an editorial calendar that strengthens the organization’s public voice.

The position will also work to help support cross-team relationships with organization leadership, program leads, development, and others to identify communications goals. This is a high-judgment role for someone who understands how to connect policy, litigation, and advocacy to the news cycle and how to elevate leaders and experts in ways that are timely, disciplined, and impactful. The position reports to NCYL’s Managing Director, Public Affairs & Advancement.

Essential Functions

• Manage NCYL’s earned media strategy, monitoring daily news and developments relevant to NCYL’s work, identify emerging opportunities and risks, and recommend when and how NCYL should engage publicly, including securing interviews, podcast appearances, and other thought leadership opportunities for NCYL’s leaders.
• Help implement the strategic communications plan for the Communications team and organization, including setting priorities and goals, measurable objectives, strategies, and tactics.
• Manage strong cross-functional partnerships with organizational leadership, program leads, and the development team to identify communications goals, define target audiences, and execute timely, strategic opportunities that advance shared priorities—while delivering effective communications support and project management to NCYL’s program teams.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with reporters, editors, producers, podcast hosts, newsletter writers, and other external partners, with a focus on high-impact and national outlets.
• Draft and edit press releases, statements, talking points, media materials, and other public-facing content.
• Partner with NCYL’s writer to develop and maintain an editorial calendar for blogs, op-eds, statements, and related thought leadership content.
• Ensure earned media, thought leadership, and digital distribution are aligned and mutually reinforcing and lead digital rollout for major moments, including reports, campaigns, events, rapid-response efforts, and fundraising communications.
• Help manage strategies and priorities with communications consultants (creative and website), including needs assessment, timelines, and budgeting.
• Lead the Communications team, which includes supervising team members, developing their workplans, delegating work, and identifying goals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Required Qualification

A minimum of five (5) years of experience in media relations, strategic communications, journalism, public affairs, advocacy communications, or related fields.

Other Qualifications

• A deep record of securing media coverage, interviews, podcasts, op-eds, and other thought leadership opportunities.
• Experience elevating the public profile of senior leaders, experts, or spokespersons.
• Sharp news judgment, strong editorial instincts, and a clear understanding of how to move quickly without losing discipline.
• Experience working with advocates, attorneys, youth, elected officials, and/or community leaders.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, including experience drafting for media, executives, and public audiences.
• Experience managing editorial calendars and translating complex issues into compelling public language.
• Experience with promoting responsible, human-centered storytelling – including thoughtful partnership working with people affected by systemic racism and other injustices.
• Strong knowledge of values-based or asset framing and working with diverse audiences to advance solution-oriented messages.
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment across multiple complex issue areas.
• Meticulous attention to detail, sound editorial judgment, and a high bar for execution.
• Experience supervising the work of a small team.
• Strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, with the ability to apply a racial and social justice lens to advocacy while centering on the marginalized voices of children, youth, and their families.
• Commitment to NCYL’s mission and goals.

Physical Requirements

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. This position will require some travel.

Salary, Benefits, and Location

This is a full-time, exempt position with a competitive salary range of $105,000.00 to $130,000.00 annually. Once an offer is made, the salary is not open to negotiation. A geographic salary differential may be applied if the candidate resides somewhere other than the Oakland, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, Washington, DC or equivalent metro areas. This means that the salary would be reduced if the candidate resides in an area where the cost of labor is less than that of the San Francisco Bay Area.

NCYL provides a robust benefits package including health, dental, vision, and life insurances, generous vacation and sick benefits, paid family leave, flexible spending account, employer contribution to a retirement plan, paid sabbatical, and short-term and long-term disability insurance.

NCYL is registered to do business in the following 13 locations: California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington DC, and Wisconsin. We are currently registering in Minnesota and Washington state. If a candidate is hired but lives in a state where NCYL is not currently registered to do business, their start date may need to be delayed until registration can be completed in the new state. This process may take a few weeks to complete.

All positions at NCYL are at-will and paid for by grants and donations, thus employment with NCYL will be contingent upon continued receipt of funding. Nothing in the statement changes the at-will employment relationship. This position is part of the bargaining unit represented by the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW). While a collective bargaining agreement is not currently in place, it is anticipated in the future.

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and portfolio at the link below by September 16, 2026. Portfolio Requirements: Please provide a portfolio link or upload that includes 2–3 examples of communications work for which you had substantial responsibility. Examples may include earned media placements, op-eds, press releases, messaging materials, digital campaigns, speeches, reports, newsletters, or other public-facing communications. Links or uploaded files are welcome. If you do not include a portfolio link in your cover letter or resume, you may upload the files directly or upload a list of links by clicking on “Upload Additional Files”. We do not use AI to auto-reject resumes. A human is always involved in decision-making. This means NCYL’s hiring process is intentional and comprehensive for each candidate. For this role, the process is as follows: Initial application review, including portfolio review A timed skills test that lasts no longer than 30 minutes Phone Interview Panel interview Reference checks Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis and may be submitted no later than September 16, 2026. We ask that candidates submit original, personally-written resumes and cover letters. Please, no emails or calls. We appreciate the time and effort every candidate puts into their application. As a policy, NCYL does not compensate candidates for time spent participating in the hiring process. Materials created as part of the hiring process are used only for HR purposes and are never used by NCYL for strategic, communications, or other purposes. We welcome applications from individuals with different ideas, experiences, and perspectives. It is the policy of NCYL to provide equal employment opportunities to all Applicants (including Employees) regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding, national origin, age, abilities/disabilities, neurotypicality, socioeconomic status, veteran status, marital status, prior convictions, or any other protected classifications under federal, state, or local law. NCYL makes all employment decisions based on job-related factors.