Communications Coordinator

About Freedom for Immigrants

Freedom for Immigrants (FFI) is an immigrant-led, abolitionist organization committed to ending immigration incarceration. We organize alongside leaders directly impacted by immigration detention, their families, and communities across the country to advance our liberatory vision of abolition. Our work is guided by the wisdom of those who have experienced detention firsthand. We believe these leaders are the heart of our movement and the true experts in our fight for collective liberation.

Through organizing, strategic communications and storytelling, and other forms of advocacy, we fight to free people from detention and shut down deadly detention centers while also working long-term to structurally realign our societal priorities away from criminalization, detention, and deportation and toward non-punitive, humane, and welcoming policies.

FFI seeks to grow its Communications Department, which currently consists of one full-time staff person. The department is responsible for advancing FFI’s abolitionist mission by publicizing the organization’s work and building popular support among the general public for abolition. Through social media, email, and other channels, the department’s work consistently reaches nearly 80,000 supporters, and millions of others on a monthly basis through its earned media and strategic narrative change initiatives.

FFI seeks a Communications Coordinator to expand the impact of these efforts, as well as oversee the operation of IMMPrint, the organization’s abolitionist storytelling platform that FFI plans to revitalize after a several year hiatus.

Position Overview

Freedom for Immigrants seeks a Communications Coordinator to support key functions of the Communications Department. The Communications Coordinator will spearhead IMMPrint and support the Communications Director in other essential communications activities, including but not limited to: writing, editing, and producing content for web, social, and email; coordinating press activity; and planning and implementing integrated communications strategies across the organization’s various campaigns and initiatives.

This is an exciting opportunity for an energetic and dynamic self-starter who is eager to make an impact with a small but passionate team by applying their own vision and voice to movement work. The ideal candidate will be a strong writer who is comfortable learning new skills, multitasking, and working in a fast-paced environment to adapt to the evolving needs of impacted communities.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Oversee all aspects of IMMPrint, FFI’s abolitionist storytelling platform, including publishing content; strategizing for IMMPrint’s long-term goals and audience development; and daily operations of keeping IMMPrint’s website updated and printing and mailing hard copies to IMMPrint readers inside ICE detention centers (50%)

Work with authors to support the development of their ideas and support them along the editing process, from first draft to published piece

Curate submissions to ensure a diversity of perspectives and experiences are reflected in IMMPrint, and ensure that the platform advances its goals of storytelling, narrative change, and the advancement of public discourse around incarceration abolition and immigrants rights issues

Create and execute a publication schedule that ensures new publications are shared with readers quarterly through mailed print copies and weekly on the IMMPrint website

Maintain IMMPrint’s website, including uploading new content

Seek out opportunities for partnerships with independent and movement-aligned media organizations to expand IMMPrint’s visibility, reach, and impact

Analyze performance of stories and posts to identify opportunities to grow IMMPrint’s audience

Monitor the news cycle to stay abreast of issues relating to immigrants rights and immigration detention in order to identify opportunities to solicit timely and relevant submissions

Support the Communications Director with general department functions, with a particular focus on writing, editing, and producing content for social, web, and email (40%)

Write and edit original content for different platforms, including FFI’s website, social media accounts, and emails to FFI supporters and donors

Design compelling graphics for social and web content in order to increase engagement

Assist the Communications Director in drafting press materials, including press releases, statements, and pitching material

Maintain and update the organization’s content calendar

Serve as a spokesperson for the organization as needed (this is optional)

Organize department documents and perform other administrative duties as needed

Attend coalition meetings and represent the organization in various movement spaces as needed

Plan and implement integrated communications strategies (10%)

Work with the Communications Director to design and implement strategies to advance the organization’s goals and departmental narrative change initiatives

Implement integrated communications strategies to: amplify the voices of directly impacted advocates from inside detention; advance and publicize FFI’s campaigns, projects, and programmatic initiatives; and highlight the organization’s impact to various audiences

Qualifications

Lived experience in the immigration or incarceration systems is more important than years of professional experience. Candidates who have been directly affected by immigration detention, mass incarceration, and/or the immigration system are highly encouraged to apply.

To be successful in this role, you must have:

A demonstrated commitment to immigrants rights, prison abolition, or other social justice causes impacting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and immigrant communities, and have a basic competency in race equity and inclusion

A flexible nature and ability to adapt to the unique and often-changing needs of incarcerated people

A high level of emotional intelligence and ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with incarcerated people who may be experiencing traumatic situations

Cultural competency and the ability to navigate conflict with intention and work with diverse communities

Experience being a self-starter who’s comfortable working both independently and as part of a collaborative team

You also must have the following experience and abilities. We understand and embrace the variety of ways through which people gain experiences, whether through professional, personal, educational, or volunteer opportunities.

Fluency in Spanish or another language other than English

Proficiency creating and editing written content

Proven commitment to accuracy and exceptional attention to detail

Demonstrated experience utilizing organizational, time management, and multitasking skills

Physical ability to print, assemble, and transport mailing materials to a local post office

Preferred candidates will also have:

1-3 years of communications or organizing experience in movement spaces or advocacy groups

Proven experience with a website platform (e.g., Squarespace), graphic design, and video editing

Experience with work tools such as Google Suite or other cloud based file storage platforms

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position with a starting salary of $65,000. The FFI team works a 4-day, 32-hour workweek (Fridays off!). Paid time off begins at 15 days in the first year, plus 11 holidays, 1 floating holiday, 2-week office closure at the end of the calendar year, plus sick and mental health leave and a generous sabbatical policy.

All FFI staff are offered a generous and comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision plans. Other benefits include long and short-term disability, employer-sponsored life insurance, 401(k) with an employer match, remote office and cell phone stipends, and professional development funds.

Application Process

Please email [email protected] with your first and last name followed by “Communications Coordinator Application” in the subject line. Include the following:

Resume

A cover letter that includes your perspective on the following questions:
a. What does abolition mean to you?
b. Why do you think Black liberation is relevant and/or important to this work?
c. What’s one communications or messaging strategy you’d like to see the immigrants rights movement embrace this year?

1-2 writing samples. Please share as PDF files or as web links in your email.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applications that do not respond to cover letter questions will not be considered. Due to capacity, we will only be able to respond to applicants who are selected to move forward in the hiring processes.

Equal Opportunity

FFI is an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage and seek applications from women, BIPOC, immigrants, people with disabilities, people who are bilingual or multilingual, including non-native speakers, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.

FFI is firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity (“EEO”) laws. FFI strictly prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of the individual’s race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, height and/or weight, disability, gender identity or expression, medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related conditions, marital status, partnership status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military status, arrest record and any other characteristic protected by law.

Accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application. While performing the job responsibilities, accommodations will be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the job’s essential functions.

Thank you!

Finally, thank you for taking the time to read this job description. We’re looking forward to getting to know you.