Assistant Director of Communications, Breaking News & Rapid Response

POSITION TITLE: Assistant Director of Communications, Breaking News & Rapid Response

REPORTS TO: Senior Director, Communications

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: None

LOCATION: New York, NY (CSC)

Grade/Class: Grade E, Exempt, PSA-Eligible 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913, its timeless mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of antisemitism and bias, using innovation and partnerships to drive impact. A global leader in combating antisemitism, countering extremism and battling bigotry wherever and whenever it happens, ADL works to protect democracy and ensure a just and inclusive society for all.

PRIMARY FUNCTION:

The Assistant Director of Communications, Breaking News & Rapid Response serves as the initial lead on ADL’s response to breaking news issues and rapid response needs. They are responsible for identifying issues in both traditional and social media that are pertinent to ADL’s mission and quickly identifying response needs. With the guidance of the Senior Director of Communications, the Assistant Director will  draft responses for press and social media and in collaboration with the communications and digital teams, finalize and disseminate. The Assistant Director will also work with subject matter experts across the organization to quickly leverage their work in a fast paced, but fact-based environment, for media interviews, developing and maintaining media relationships, pitching experts to national news and cable broadcasts, and maintaining and developing web site content. 

Primary: 

• Draft press releases, statements, social media posts, op-eds, letters, blogs and other written content to represent ADL’s positions on breaking news issues and for rapid response needs. 
• Work across the Communications & Digital teams to identify the best platforms for conveying rapid response & breaking news messaging. 
• Monitor and quickly analyze breaking news situations across traditional and social media platforms, developing initial reactions to breaking news. 
• Develop deep understanding of ADL’s positions and subject matter expertise. 
• Produce internal media briefing papers, talking points, and Q&As for senior leadership and other agency spokespeople. 
• Participate in strategic planning for response to the media on current, future and breaking stories. 
• Provide guidance to regional offices in the handling of media requests and responding to local breaking news stories, particularly those that have potential national impact. 
• Pitch news stories and features to the media.  
• Coordinate interviews and media events.  
• Schedule and staff press conferences and national meetings as needed. 

Secondary:  

• Assist the Senior Director and Assistant Director in the planning and execution of the rollout of major reports. 

Skills:  

• Understanding of crisis management, rapid response, and strategic communications. 
• Understanding of media and in-depth knowledge of news cycles in both traditional press and social media. 
• Excellent writing and editing skills, including ability to quickly draft releases, statements, and written social media content. 
• Demonstrated ability to work with subject matter experts and distill large amounts of complex information into sharp messages that are publicly impactful. 
• Experience in issues advocacy, investigative journalism, campaigns or similar. 
• Knowledge and understanding of national and international events and issues of concern to the Jewish community, civil rights community, and other areas of advocacy. 
• Thorough understanding of ADL’s positions and ability to articulate them effectively to the media and the public.  

 Work Experience:  

• The ideal candidate has several years’ experience and can demonstrate a progressive increase in skills and responsibility in communications and/or journalism. 
• Experience in crisis communication, breaking news and/or rapid response is critical. 
• Experience pitching hard news stories required. 
• Experience in written social media content preferred. 
• Experience working in a team environment preferred. 

 Education:  

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism/communications or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Work Environment: 

• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends if necessary due to breaking news, to execute projects, attend conferences, or represent ADL.
• ADL is a hybrid environment; this role may require 3 days in the office.

Compensation: 

• This position has a salary range of $58,000 to $75,000. This salary range is reflective of a position based in New York, New York. Please note that actual salaries are commensurate with experience and reflect the budget for a given position, and since ADL has a location-based compensation structure, there may be a different range for candidates in other locations. For an overview of our total rewards package, please visit https://www.adl.org/about/careers.

ADL values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of underrepresented ethnic groups, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. ADL is an equal opportunity employer. Recruitment, hiring, promotions and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment shall be maintained in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or military status, or in violation of any applicable Federal, state or local laws.    

ADL will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. For individuals with disabilities who would like to request an accommodation to support the interview process, please contact Talent & Knowledge at talentacquisition@adl.org.

ADL will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable State, Local, and Federal laws. 

The information in this job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of employees in this classification. It is not designed to contain, or be interpreted as, a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and objectives required of employees assigned to this job, nor is it to be interpreted as a contract for employment.