Director of Communications and Outreach

Position description

The American Foreign Service Association seeks a full-time Director of Communications and Outreach to serve at AFSA headquarters in Washington, D.C. The position includes the option of flexible telework up to two days a week. Applications will be accepted through October 17, 2023.

The Organization

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), created in 1924, is the professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA is also a labor union, serving as the exclusive representative of members of the Foreign Service. AFSA’s 16,800 members include active and retired Foreign Service officers and specialists at the Department of State as well as at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Foreign Commercial Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

The Position

The Director of Communications and Outreach is a senior staff member overseeing all aspects of the association’s communications and outreach work. This is inclusive of media relations, website and social media content and strategy, public outreach, strategic planning for the portfolio, spokesperson duties, speechwriting, and engagement with the association’s elected Governing Board. The ideal candidate will possess very strong writing skills, significant experience in communications (non-profit or otherwise), ease with public speaking, experience with online media, and a collaborative mindset. The incumbent must be locally based in the Washington, D.C., area.

This position reports to the Executive Director. The incumbent must be highly dependable, proactive, and well-organized; possess sound judgment, good humor, and flexibility; have the ability to prioritize and follow through to meet multiple deadlines; and be comfortable working under pressure with all levels of personnel.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual salary of $120,000-130,000, depending on experience.
• Optional telework up to 2 days a week once onboarding has been fully completed.
• Access to a health care and retirement benefits package.
• Subsidized Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Disability (short and long), Life, and AD&D Insurance paid in full by AFSA.
• 401(k) and/or Roth 401(k) with up to 5% matching
• Paid Sick, Vacation, and Parental leave.

AFSA is an equal-opportunity employer.

Primary Responsibilities

• Directing all aspects AFSA’s communications and outreach work.
• Serves as primary media contact and spokesperson.
• Leading a small team of FTEs engaged in various aspects of the portfolio.
• Serving as primary communications support for the AFSA president.
• Ensuring that AFSA’s website and social media content is relevant and engaging.
• Keeping AFSA’s outreach efforts vibrant, effective, and relevant.
• Writing speeches for the AFSA president and other elected officials as needed.
• Working collaboratively across the association, particularly with content creators in other departments.

Qualifications

• Excellent, demonstrated writing and speaking skills.
• Minimum 5-7 years of senior-level experience in a communications role.
• Prior experience working on website and social media strategy.
• Prior experience with strategic communications.
• Demonstrated experience working on supporting principals in a communications capacity.
• Experience supervising employees and leading a team.
• A collaborative spirit and the ability to work with internal teams and external contributors.

Desirable Skills include:

• Experience and understanding of the Foreign Service.
• Experience in a non-profit communications department.
• Demonstrated success with social media strategy.

Application instructions

Please email your resume and a detailed cover letter. (subject line: Director of Communications). Links to earned media or successful social media accounts are welcome in the cover letter. The deadline is October 17. No calls, please.

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