The National Consumers League (NCL), America’s pioneering consumer advocacy organization, is seeking a highly motivated staff member with a strong commitment to public interest work. The League (www.nclnet.org) is a national nonprofit organization that years has been protecting and promoting social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States since 1899. NCL focuses on fraud prevention and education, food and drug safety, teen-consumer literacy, child labor, and fair labor standards.

The primary purpose of the Communications Manager is to effectively promote the National Consumers League, its programs, brand, people, and mission to our varied audiences.

Reporting to NCL’s Vice President Communications, the Communications Manager takes ownership over projects and tasks; coordinates inter-and intra-departmental activities, including ongoing and special projects; gathers and relays information accurately; contributes to strategic planning; and enhances the Communications Department’s ability to function independently and as a service arm to other programs and departments.

A successful Communications Manager at NCL will have: a passion for promoting the public interest; a strong work ethic; excellent attention to detail; high standards for quality communications materials across all channels and formats.

The Communications Manager should have a minimum of five years of professional experience in a related field. The Communications Manager is expected to contribute to and lead communications efforts including, but not limited, to: content production, graphics, social media management, media outreach and public relations, and digital media elements of the department’s work including audio, visual, and virtual events.

KEY REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Superb, professional verbal and written communications skills
• Strong graphic design skills (must be able to hit the ground running, producing brochures, logos, one-pagers, newsletters, reports, infographics, etc.)
• Experience with WordPress CMS and email marketing platforms generally
• Strong interest in and understanding of current trends in digital media/social media
• Ability to work independently and on a team
• Ability to take initiative to develop new strategies and outside-the-box ideas
• Demonstrated project management and time management skills
• Creativity, adaptability, and comfortable receiving feedback
• Self-motivated with a positive and professional approach to management and colleagues
• Comfortable with a long to-do list and tight deadlines
• Experience working in a remote environment and/or reporting to a remote supervisor

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Graphic design and new media management (40%)

• Serve as lead on in-house design of digital and print publications and graphics, working with department head on final review and approval.
• Manage NCL’s We Can Do This! podcast: coordination of recording time, assist with drafting scripts, working with production vendor, responsible for promoting podcast and growth in listenership.
• Take ownership over chronicling NCL activities with visuals by capturing images and effectively organizing / storing them. Will require attending events outside the organization.
• Communicate with external vendors and serve as a printer liaison.

Social media and website management (30%)

• In partnership with Communications and other staff, manage and write content for NCL’s multiple social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
• Monitor analytics and compile reports to present to department head and others. Make recommendations on strategy; seek to grow communities and reach.
• Create and execute online campaigns, toolkits to promote NCL activities and encourage NCL’s constituency to engage with the organization.
• Help maintain NCL’s main website and blogs.
• Work with Communications staff to coordinate support for other program and websites.
• Track web analytics of NCL’s websites and identify ways to improve engagements.
• Respond to incoming requests from consumers and “contact us” form submissions.

Media relations (10%)

• Field reporter inquiries and serve as a point of contact for press, assist with coordination of interviews. Occasionally attend media events or interviews.
• Work with program staff to edit and distribute press releases, op-eds, articles, and reports for public release.

Content, messaging, strategy (10%)

• Collaborate within department and with external colleagues to enhance organizational communications, approach challenges, manage events, create campaigns, etc.
• Create written content for various organizational platforms and channels
• Add value to strategic communications planning and content development, understanding the organization’s unique voice, creating appropriate messaging, and helping others on staff develop in this area
• Represent Communications Department internally and with VIP audiences, including Board, partners, donors, vendors, etc.

Project management (10%)

• Identify opportunities for increasingly independent management of tasks and activities, as well as areas of collaboration between departments.
• Responsible for archiving communications publications.

Salary and benefits

Salary based on experience and education, competitive with other nonprofit public interest organizations. Excellent benefits, including health, dental, short and long-term disability, life insurance, 401(k), employer transportation contributions, annual and sick leave, and federal holidays. NCL is an equal opportunity employer.

To apply

Please submit cover letter, résumé, and at least two writing samples to ncljobs@nclnet.org and reference “Communications Manager” in the subject line. If selected for hire, candidates must agree to undergo a background check.

The National Consumers League seeks a motivated intern who wants to work with a nonprofit advocacy group. The League is a national membership organization that protects and promotes social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad on issues including telemarketing and Internet fraud, food and drug safety, and fair labor standards. The intern will assist NCL staff with ongoing projects and research related to its public policy, telecommunications and anti-fraud campaigns.  Such projects include researching and drafting content for NCL’s campaign websites, drafting fraud and telecommunications-related content for NCL’s LifeSmarts competition, assisting in organizing a national anti-fraud conference, and helping to coordinate meetings of the Alliance Against Fraud (AAF), a national coalition of non-profit, government, and private sector organizations dedicated to fighting Internet and telemarketing fraud.This internship will provide an opportunity to:

• Gain knowledge about a variety of public policies affecting consumers, particularly regarding consumer fraud;
• Become familiar with the agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders active in combating consumer fraud;
• Understand coordination and management of a national coalition; and
• Be involved in initiatives that advance the public interest and help keep millions of consumers safe from scams and con artists.

In addition, a National Consumers League public policy, telecommunications and fraud internship provides the following areas of experience:

• Because the League’s staff is small, interns are an integral part, and are given responsibilities outside of their research duties, including:  keeping project files up-to-date and providing limited office support (occasional data input, mailing, and filing).
• The League requires from its staff and its interns a high level of oral and written communication skills. Interns are frequently called upon to write brief reports for NCL staff to provide background information on various issues.

Internships are unpaid. We ask that interns make a minimum time commitment of eight weeks, spending at least 20 hours per week working at the League. Of course, we welcome longer time commitments. Work hours per week are flexible for longer-term assignments. Our goal is to tailor your internship to suit your specific needs. The League is happy to consider the particular interests of applicants and will develop specific projects, complete paperwork, etc., as needed for class credit.

Please submit cover letter, résumé, and writing sample to Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud Intern, NCL, 1701 K Street, N.W., Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20006, fax: 202-835-0747, email: ncljobs@nclnet.org.