Director of Media Affairs

### AFT is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The AFT is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

AFT, AFL-CIO ♦ 555 New Jersey Ave. N.W. ♦ Washington, DC 20001 ♦ 202/879-4400 ♦ [www.aft.org](http://www.aft.org)

### Notice of Position June 2024

**Job Title:** Director of Media Affairs
**Unit:** MGMT
**Job Number:** MGT-55-01-0524-N
**Supervisor:** Andrew Crook
**Department:** Communications
**Annual Salary:** $175,441.31

The AFT is a union of professionals that champions fairness, democracy, economic opportunity, and high-quality public education, healthcare, and public services for our students, their families, and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining, and political activism, and especially through the work our members do. The AFT believes that a culturally diverse workforce advances our mission, and we strongly encourage applications from under-represented communities of workers.

**Special note:** The Director of Media Affairs will manage and co-lead a team dedicated to implementing press and public relations strategies at the national and local level to tell the stories of members and promote AFT priorities and campaigns.

### Position Summary

Under the general supervision of the National Press Secretary, the Director of Media Affairs will serve as a press, outreach, and storytelling strategist for the AFT with a focus on expanding the AFT’s reach to new audiences across print, online, and broadcast media. This position is part public relations, part field reporter, and part spokesperson, and requires a highly motivated doer who has experience managing and motivating others and is committed to the AFT’s core values and mission.

### Position Responsibilities

– Conceive, develop, and implement media outreach and storytelling strategies with a focus on national and local media.
– Identify member stories and find creative ways to tell them in front of a national and local audience.
– Strengthen and cultivate relationships with reporters, producers, bookers, podcasts, and other nontraditional media outlets.
– Staff AFT leaders for events and travel.
– Write strategic prep documents and provide communications support for AFT leaders and members for media interviews and external events, including press releases, talking points, and remarks.
– Identify new audiences for the AFT to reach and bring perspective to AFT priorities that can be shaped for audiences that AFT may be missing.

### Primary Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

– Experience managing a team is preferred.
– Solid relationships with reporters, broadcast media, and other key media makers are preferred.
– Experience in journalism or public relations is helpful; ability to synthesize complicated policies and positions and message them is critical.
– The ability to quickly identify AFT roles and values as they relate to any given topic, and to confidently turn out a high volume of work from start to finish, is required.
– Excellent written and verbal communications skills are a must.
– The ability to respond quickly to developments of importance to the AFT, work under pressure, and meet deadlines.
– Initiative, reliability, and the ability to manage others to succeed in a high-stress, demanding environment with minimal supervision or direction.
– The ability to work effectively with leaders and staff in complex and challenging situations.
– Background in labor, education, and/or politics is desirable; prior work experience in a union or political environment is preferred.
– Familiarity with AFT issues and/or its affiliates is a plus.

### Work Environment

AFT is a place-based organization. The work is generally performed in an office environment using modern technology and computer equipment. This position involves moderate to significant travel and often requires working nontraditional hours and weekends.

### How to Apply

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume, as well as a sample of your work to the Director of Human Resources via the following link:
[Apply Here]()