Associate Director, Courts Communications & Special Projects

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We take on the biggest, most precedent-setting cases across the country. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health; to preserve magnificent places and wildlife; to advance clean energy; and to combat climate change. We partner with thousands of groups, supporters, individuals, and communities to engage in the critical environmental issues of our time and bring about positive change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.

Founded in 1971, Earthjustice has a distinguished track record of achieving significant, lasting environmental protections. We achieve this by hiring people who share a passion for justice and a healthy environment. Our headquarters are in San Francisco with offices in Anchorage, Juneau, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, Tallahassee, Miami, Honolulu, New York, Philadelphia, Denver, Seattle, Bozeman, and Washington, D.C.

In addition to a talented cadre of environmental lawyers and legislative advocates, Earthjustice’s Communications department works in partnership with every other department at the organization. The Associate Director of Court Communications & Special Projects will fill a new role and will work closely with the Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications to create broad communications strategies for our organizational courts positioning.

Earthjustice works both in and on the courts. As they have increasingly been under attack, it has never been more critical to use communications as a key strategy in our efforts to stop the destabilization of laws that regulate our environment and our government, and reducing people’s ability to hold the executive branch accountable for the law. The Associate Director will help lead this work through a number of ways.

This person will be responsible for creating and implementing the communications strategy for the Strategic Legal Advocacy team.  The five attorneys on this team play an innovative role, focusing on cases and issues that affect different offices and programs within Earthjustice and affect the broader progressive litigation community, with a focus on cases headed to or at the U.S. Supreme Court.

This person will also create and implement thought leadership strategies around the courts and the law for Earthjustice leadership and the organization’s editorial functions. The Associate Director will create and lead the implementation of a communications strategy for our federal judicial work.

Additionally, this person will be responsible for partnering with the VP of Public Affairs and Communications to implement communications strategy for special projects that fall outside of our litigation teams.

Preference will be given to candidates based in Washington, DC but remote workers will be considered.

Responsibilities:

Strategy, Planning & Coordination (45%):

• Provide strategic communications guidance for the Strategic Legal Advocacy team projects, for specific cases and to advance legal theories for target audiences.
• Provide strategic communications guidance and execute thought leadership campaigns for Earthjustice leadership around high profile legal cases and issues.
• Serve as a thought partner for Communications teams developing courts-related content.
• Create strategy and communications plans for programmatic work around federal judges.
• Work with counterparts at other organizations to ensure we have shared communications strategies, messaging, and positioning.

Content Creation & Implementation (35%):

• Lead Earthjustice’s implementation of coalition campaigns related to courts and judges.
• Conduct communications work for special projects related to courts and legal advocacy.
• Responsible for the creation and implementation of editorial content, earned media pushes, and thought leadership for SLA team, and for executive leadership on special projects.

Administrative (10%):

• Help create special projects budget, tracking, metric measurement schemes, and reporting.
• Develop and advise on department strategy documents, timelines, budgets, and communications plans and tactics to determine effectiveness, ensure accountability, and inform future strategy. Sets achievable measurements of success for top priority issues and strives to meet these goals.
• Participates in organizational training and professional development opportunities.
• May oversee staffperson/people.

Collaboration (5%):

• Work collaboratively across teams to build and/or execute integrated strategies that support institutional and departmental priorities. Ensure that strategies are optimized for impact and delivering positive outcomes for Earthjustice using testing, data, and refinement.
• Work with other communications staff within and outside of the organization to ensure a consistent, coordinated message on the team’s substantive casework and on the broader courts- and Supreme Court-related work of the team.
• Produce accurate, quality, and timely work in an ever-shifting landscape of news, technology, politics, and law. Adopt a flexible approach to meeting rapid response moments and pivot strategies where needed.
• Pursue innovative, best-in-class approaches to communications work, and share those learnings with peers. Maintain an ongoing understanding of communications and movement trends and best practices to ensure Earthjustice leads, not just follows.

Ongoing Learning (5%):

• Pursue ongoing professional development to build skills and knowledge aligned with Earthjustice’s mission and values and Communications Department culture.
• Contribute to a culture of learning by sharing knowledge and insights with team members and staff and embracing opportunities for reflection and growth.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience, 2+ in a role developing strategy preferred
• Experience writing communications materials for legal-focused audiences, or producing content in a law setting preferred
• Ability to analyze legal materials and create content, messaging, narrative,  and talking points based on them
• Proven ability to translate complex issues into compelling, accessible communications
• Ability to prioritize, manage multiple deadlines, and respond quickly to new opportunities and developments in a high-stakes environment
• Ability to work collaboratively with other staff to meet shared, cross-team goals and appreciate contributions of others
• Ability to give and receive feedback in an honest, constructive, and respectful manner
• Contributes towards an equitable and inclusive work culture that encourages partnership, active listening, and integrating diverse perspectives
• Supports Earthjustice’s core values of partnership, inclusion, justice and excellence

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits that are comprehensive and competitive. We also offer a congenial, flexible, hybrid work environment and a casual dress code. As a 501(c)(3) organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.

Salary depends on experience and location.    
Salary range in Washington, D.C: $157,100 - $174,500

Salary range in San Francisco, CA and New York, NY: $165,200 - $183,600

Salary ranges in other locations will vary and will fall between $140,500 - $174,500

To Apply:

Interested applicants should submit the following via Jobvite. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Writing Sample related to any messaging guides, pertaining legal issues, or thought leadership work (under page 5 pages).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Please reach out to jobs@earthjustice.org if you are having technical difficulties submitting your application. No phone calls, drop-ins, or hard copies.  
 
Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, inclusion and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are given equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.  
 
For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.  
 
For positions located within the City of Los Angeles: We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.  
 
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