Position Summary: The Sikh Coalition’s Media & Communications Associate will be managed directly by the Senior Director of Media & Communications and will be responsible for providing direct support on our numerous traditional media and social media campaigns. This position is for someone interested in moving the dialogue on Sikh civil rights issues consistently into the mainstream American media debate, while being given the opportunity to learn, contribute and eventually manage sophisticated media projects with some of the most influential media outlets in the world.
The Media & Communications Associate should have a strong passion for Sikh advocacy issues and a fundamental understanding of the value that media and communications work brings to achieving our organizations goals. The candidate should possess strong writing abilities immediately, be willing to learn new skills quickly, and be capable of juggling a fast paced work environment that balances immediate reactive projects with long-term proactive ones.
The media and communications team interacts and contributes to every facet of the Sikh Coalition’s work so collaboration with colleagues combined with a willingness to learn the nuances of the issue areas we work on is crucial.
The Sikh Coalition continues to develop a team of hard charging, deeply talented individuals who care about empowering change for Sikh American’s through the courtrooms, classrooms, Congress, and the community. Our media and communications work is a key facet in all of these areas of our work. If you’re result driven and have a background in media and communications this job could be a good fit for you.
The position will be based at the Sikh Coalition’s national headquarters in New York City, but managed by our Senior Media & Communications Director based in California.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Help develop and then execute innovative social media and online campaigns around our policy and advocacy goals.
Implement both the short-term and long-term plans for increasing the organization’s online presence and following through social media
Maintain, monitor and respond on the numerous social media platforms that the organization engages on, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
Develop and generate original graphics, flyers, newsletters, videos and additional social and print related materials for programmatic work that is branded effectively and engages the audiences we are looking to influence.
Manage all of the steps involved in the delivery of our email updates to the Sikh Coalition’s email listserve.
Manage design, production and dissemination of publications including annual reports, reports, programmatic newsletters and donor communications.
Develop and then maintain press lists inside of our media database on a regular basis. Emphasis on becoming exceptionally talented at building effective new press lists on very short notice.
Pitching and responding to reporters.
Devour the news on our advocacy issues on a daily basis, and identify opportunities for our organization to engage media in a proactive manner because of it.
Edit press materials, such as pitches, press releases, talking points, and messaging guidance.
Manage the Sikh Coalition’s website, including adding new content, security patches and design update.
Interact with clients and partners when their roles overlap with our media work.
Produce reports and analytical summaries on our media engagement that are circulated to senior staff, board members and foundations.
Manage video and film projects as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS:
A bachelor’s degree and at least two years of experience in the area of journalism, public relations, social media organizing, or communications.
Experience in developing graphic content, with a working knowledge of how to use Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign and a strong desire to learn more.
Experience with basic video editing, particularly Final Cut Pro, and a strong desire to learn more.
Exceptional writing ability, including proofreading and editing skills.
Enjoys monitoring the 24-hour news cycle on a daily basis to identify opportunities for traditional and social media engagement.
Strong understanding of how social media platforms work and the best strategies for optimizing them for our organizational engagement.
Understanding of news values the basic needs of reporters, editors, and producers. Experience with CRM, CMS, online advocacy and email tools, including WordPress, Salesforce, and knowledge of HTML and CSS.
Experience working with printers, filmmakers and artists.
Punjabi language skills are strongly preferred
Previous experience, volunteer or professional, working with the Sikh community is preferred
COMPENSATION: Commensurate with experience. Generous benefits package includes medical, dental, pension matching program, vacation and sick leave.
The Sikh Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
How to apply
To apply for the position, please send your resume and a cover letter:jobs@sikhcoalition.org. We may ask for writing samples and references before interviewing.