Communications Hub Director, Fuse Washington (Seattle)
Spencer Olson
Communications Hub Director
Do you have a passion for writing, storytelling, and narrative-building?
Do you want to help progressive organizations and campaigns tell powerful stories that change hearts and minds?
Do you enjoy building teams, leading coalitions, and developing creative strategies that build the progressive movement’s communications capacity and effectiveness?
Fuse Washington, the largest progressive organization in Washington state, is looking for a multi-talented individual to lead our Communications Hub. The Communications Hub is a program housed at Fuse Washington that serves as a communications “tool shed” for the progressive movement – working with progressive campaigns, organizations, and leaders to tell a more powerful story and win change. We do this by providing communications and capacity building support, storytelling training and coaching, and direct staffing capacity to strengthen advocacy campaigns. We work on a variety of progressive issues, however our current top issue priorities are democracy reform, voting access, climate justice, and progressive tax reform.
The Communications Hub Director is a member of the Fuse Washington senior leadership team and is based in our Seattle, WA office. This position reports directly to the Executive Director.
Job Responsibilities
Train and coach progressive organizations and leaders on new communication strategies, skills, and best practices.
● Facilitate and develop curriculum for a variety of trainings on messaging, storytelling, social media, earned media, and other communications topics.
● Manage a candidate training program that supports a small cohort of candidates with stump speeches and public speaking and media trainings.
● Provide communications support and coaching to progressive elected officials in the state legislature.
● Host regular meetings of progressive communicators and leaders to coordinate, share best practices, and build relationships.
● Travel to different regions of the state, with frequent visits to partners in Spokane, Yakima, and Tacoma.
Manage a team of communications professionals, designers, fellows, and contractors.
● Supervise a team of two communications specialists and one visual designer.
● Train and supervise a cohort of temporary communications fellows who are embedded in partner organizations.
● Hire and manage contractors for special projects and short-term campaigns.
Manage the program’s budget and help fundraise to meet goals.
● Manage the program’s budget and cash flow, including regular check-ins with the Executive Director.
● Draft grant proposals, identify prospective funder relationships, and work with Fuse’s development staff to fundraise and sustain the program.
● Track program metrics and deliverables for grant reports.
● Meet regularly with the program’s main funders and campaign partners.
Lead the communications program for statewide issue campaigns and coalitions.
● Lead the communications programs for the following priority campaigns, including managing the campaign’s earned media, social media, and messaging strategies:
○ WA Voting Justice coalition working to protect voting rights and increase access to the ballot.
○ All In For Washington a campaign working to clean up Washington’s upside-down tax code.
○ Honest Elections Seattle coalition working to limit the influence of big money in local politics.
● Fill communications gaps and provide rapid response capacity to other local and statewide campaigns.
● Facilitate regular communications work group meetings for communications professionals supporting the Communications Hub’s top campaign priorities.
Manage public opinion research projects and the Heroes’ Narrative, Washington state’s progressive narrative project.
● Work with pollsters, social scientists, and other experts to research and develop values-based messaging strategies for the progressive movement.
● Analyze public opinion research and develop messaging recommendations for organizations, coalitions, and leaders.
● Manage a statewide polling database and research archive.
● Participate in national narrative projects and support other state-based narrative projects with strategic guidance.
Help with other organizational priorities as a member of Fuse’s senior staff.
● Help facilitate staff meetings, staff retreats, and other meetings.
● Support organizational development projects and help develop Fuse’s overall work plan and top priorities.
● Provide leadership to the organization’s ongoing racial equity planning process.
Required Qualifications
● Excellent writing skills and a knack for storytelling.
● Broadcast and social media experience.
● Experience managing a team, temporary staff, and contractors.
● Experience working with funders and managing a significant program budget.
● Understanding of public opinion research methods.
● A curiosity to learn and dive into the latest messaging research.
● A mind for communications and political strategy.
● Proven commitment to racial justice and experience working alongside communities of color.
● Experience working with coalitions.
● Ability to develop work plans and communication strategies for campaigns.
● Creative, innovative, and has a sense of humor.
● Strong public presence. Engaging and confident interpersonal style.
● Collaborative and thrives working in a team setting.
● Training facilitation and curriculum development experience.
● Technology friendly.
● Flexibility to travel, including regular travel to different communities across Washington state.
● Ambitious about increasing the strength of the progressive community and making serious changes in the world.
● Driver’s license and access to a car.
Ideal Qualifications
● Experience directing communications programs for initiative, electoral, or legislative campaigns.
● Background in community organizing.
● Bilingual.
How to Apply
Send a resume, cover letter, and two writing samples to jo...@fusewashington.org with the subject heading “Communications Hub Director”. We will consider applications as they arrive, with a priority on applications received by September 7th.
This full-time position is located in Seattle, with a starting date as soon as possible. Flexible hours. Creative work environment. Competitive salary and superb benefits. The salary range for this position depends on experience.
Send all questions regarding this position to Lauren Currin, Deputy Director, at lau...@fusewashington.org. Please no phone calls.
Fuse Washington is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. All interested individuals, including people of color, women, persons with disabilities and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex are encouraged to apply.