Deputy Director, Public Affairs & Media Relations

About the Job

About Us

For over 30 years, it’s been CALSTART’s mission to develop, assess, and implement large-scale, zero-emission transportation solutions to mitigate climate change and support economic growth. CALSTART works with businesses, organizations, governments, and communities to create real-life impact toward clean air and equitable access to clean transportation for all. CALSTART provides scientific, technical, and policy support for regulatory development and clean technology and infrastructure acceleration.

The Role

CALSTART is seeking a dynamic and experienced Deputy Director of Public Affairs and Media Relations to lead our communication efforts and amplify the impact of our policy and programmatic work. The Deputy Director of Media and Public Relations will report to the Head of Policy on the Policy Team and will lead efforts to position CALSTART as a leading authority in the clean transportation sector, with a strong focus on amplifying CALSTART’s policy efforts. The incumbent in this role will be responsible for developing and executing comprehensive media strategies to raise awareness, shape public perception, and drive engagement around CALSTART’s policy endeavors. The ideal candidate will have a track record of positively impacting public policy matters at the state, regional, and local levels, and for elevating the national media presence of nonprofit organizations, preferably in the clean energy or clean transportation sector.

What You’ll Do

• Cultivate and maintain relationships with key media outlets and journalists to establish CALSTART as a leader in clean transportation solutions to the media, serving as spokesperson to media, with a strong emphasis on amplifying CALSTART’s policy-focused efforts.
• Grow CALSTART’s media team to better leverage CALSTART’s presence in the media and grow public perception. Develop and implement strategic communication plans aligned with CALSTART’s organizational goals and objectives, with a focus on leveraging CALSTART’s policy work to drive impact.
• Create compelling written and visual content, including press releases, op-eds, blog posts, social media content, and multimedia assets, to effectively communicate CALSTART’s achievements, often distilling highly technical information into both educational and advocacy formats.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams to ensure alignment and consistency of messaging across all platforms.
• Monitor media coverage and public sentiment related to clean transportation, analyzing trends and metrics to inform communication strategies and measure the impact of our outreach efforts.
• Facilitate interviews, guest articles, panel placements, and identify opportunities in media and at public events to amplify CALSTART’s expertise to important audiences.
• Manage and oversee media and communication related budgets and contracts.

What You’ll Bring To The Table

• Master’s degree in journalism, public relations, political science, social science, or related subject matter.
• 9+ years of work experience in media relations, public relations, or corporate communications, with a proven track record of successfully driving media coverage and engagement.
• Strong understanding of clean transportation and/or environmental policy, with a passion for advancing innovative solutions to address climate change and air quality challenges.
• Knowledge of governmental (including interagency) processes, procedures, and actions that can affect the energy and transportation industry.
• Experience working on multiple campaigns and programs simultaneously, often in multi-stakeholder settings.
• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to distill complex concepts into clear and compelling messages for diverse audiences.
• Experience managing relationships and advising on strategy, project planning, and stakeholder engagement.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and execute integrated communication plans that support CALSTART’s policy and programmatic efforts. Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

Desired Qualifications

• Awareness of equity and environmental justice impacts from the transportation sector. Knowledge of clean transportation sector.
• Background in domestic clean transportation-related policy issues.

$105,630 – $112,945 a year

CALSTART values transparency and strives to provide as much information regarding compensation as possible. The complete salary range for this role is $105,630-$132,286. Pay for this role will typically be from $105,630-$112,945 as we determine pay based on several factors, including but not limited to job-related skills, qualifications, experience, education, internal equity, and other factors relevant to the job.

We understand that not everyone will match the above qualifications 100%. If your background isn’t perfectly aligned but you feel you would be a great addition to the team, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re a tight-knit team of world-class innovators, business minds, and change agents who believe passionately in our mission and put our team ahead of self. We are committed to the continued development and growth of our employees and invest in your success!

We care about your personal well-being as much as your professional success and offer generous benefits to full-time employees including: 100% company-paid comprehensive health benefits for Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability and Life Insurance, Retirement plan with generous company contributions, FSA for Health and Dependent Care, 3 weeks of vacation time in the first year of employment, 11 paid company holidays, paid sick time, paid family leave, and more!

Our inclusive environment focuses on making decisions based on merit without regard to race, color, hair texture, gender, religion, age, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, LGBTQIA+ status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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