Communications Manager

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is seeking a talented communications generalist who brings a facilitative and collaborative approach to advance our policy and grassroots work. The Communications Manager will help tell our story to the media and the public, as well as steward deeper relationships across our community. If you’re an amazing communicator, a strong project manager, and an enthusiastic collaborator who is passionate about putting your skills to work toward building a more sustainable, equitable farm and food system, this is your opportunity. 

This is a full-time, exempt, bargaining unit position with benefits that reports to NSAC’s Associate Director of Development & Communications. This position has no supervisory duties. For this role, we strongly prefer that candidates be able to work on a regular basis from our Capitol Hill office in Washington, DC. NSAC operates with a flexible hybrid work policy allowing for telework when possible.

THE ORGANIZATION

NSAC is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. For over 35 years, NSAC’s track record of policy accomplishments and grassroots power-building has been guided by a vision of a future where farmers, workers, and communities sustain a thriving food and farm system that nourishes people, stewards our environment, and builds strong economies. Racial justice – an understanding and acknowledgment of historical and ongoing racial inequities and a commitment to actions challenging those inequities – is a core tenet in our work.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES  

The Communications Manager will work with staff to develop and implement effective ongoing media and external outreach efforts, with an emphasis on translating complex policy issues for lay audiences and elevating sustainable agriculture stories and voices.

Within a collaborative, team-oriented environment, this role will steward our social media strategy, be the main point of contact for media inquiries, and serve as a resource for staff and our members around communications approach and execution, with the aim of building a national, coordinated communications network that allows NSAC to connect and amplify efforts across our coalition. This role will also support the consistency and effectiveness of NSAC’s communications approach in fundraising efforts, as well as actively participate in ongoing organizational development initiatives. 

Media Engagement (30%) 

• Collaborate with staff to develop and disseminate press releases, comments, op-eds, talking points, and press templates and materials for coalition members

• Cultivate media contacts and relationships with national and regional publications that serve farmers, ranchers, engaged eaters, and the general public, maintaining NSAC’s press list and responding to media queries

• Promote and adapt NSAC’s in-depth policy analysis and toolkits for a wide range of audiences to shape national narratives around sustainable agriculture and food systems, securing strategic placement in print, broadcast, and online sources

• Track press coverage and monitor NSAC’s communications reach

• Prepare staff and members for media interviews and public speaking opportunities 

• Collaborate with NSAC’s grassroots team on expanding our farmer storybank, a bank of hundreds of sustainable farmers and ranchers nationwide that we refer to the media to bring wider visibility to real experiences

• Support crisis communications during key political moments and rapid response opportunities

• Conduct press outreach and develop materials for periodic virtual and in-person events, briefings, and lobby days

Social Media (25%)

• Manage NSAC’s social media strategy and content development to target new audiences and enhance engagement, including piloting and testing innovative approaches to build power in collaboration with NSAC’s grassroots team (Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky, LinkedIn)

• Pilot strategy and approach for video content on social media

Organizational & Coalition Communications (30%) 

• Collaborate with Program Associate to:

  • Maintain NSAC’s website and manage any updates or improvements (note: NSAC retains a consultant for structural website changes)

  • Manage and develop content for a weekly newsletter reaching 20,000 subscribers, with attention to improving open rates, data cleaning, and an eye for increasing readership 

• Coordinate the NSAC blog, assisting NSAC staff by coaching them through topics and editing posts, supplementing with original content as needed (30-50 posts per year)

• Lead NSAC’s branding and cohesive design (e.g., visual style guide, templates, logos, visuals), and maintain photo/video libraries and photo release forms

• Partner with external communications consultants to enhance organization communications efforts (NSAC is currently working with Resource Media)

• Manage the development of in-house publications (outreach materials, technical guides, one-pagers) including editing content, collaborating with third-party partners, and dissemination

• Explore ways to build a community of practice for communications teams across our 170 organizational member network to strengthen our national communication coordination 

Fundraising & Organizational Development (15%) 

• In coordination with the Associate Director of Development & Communications:

  • Collaborate on NSAC’s annual report process, coordinating staff in developing and refining content, visuals, and design 

  • Enhance fundraising narrative strategy, including offering thought partnership around how to frame and relay impact, reviewing campaign letters and grant reports, and meeting with funders and event sponsors as needed

  • Develop social media collateral to support our annual end-of-year fundraising campaign

• Contribute to the organization’s annual planning, budgeting, and shared processes, such as serving on internal committees

• With the full staff, support the implementation of NSAC’s 5-year strategic plan

• Participate in racial affinity caucusing (staff and coalition) and biannual coalition meetings and other periodic events

SALARY AND BENEFITS

NSAC offers a competitive non-profit salary, dependent on qualifications and experience. The hiring range for this role is the minimum-mid range for the position band: $78,000-$89,000, commensurate with experience; NSAC uses a predetermined scale to maintain consistency and minimize inequities that come when candidates feel pressure to negotiate.

This position offers excellent benefits, including health insurance, matching employer contributions in a retirement plan, financial support for professional and personal development, and generous vacation and other time off, with an office closure between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

This is a early-to-mid career level role; a successful candidate likely has 6+ years of directly relevant work experience, with the opportunity for growth and development in other areas. We encourage interested candidates to apply if they meet at least 75% of the qualifications.

Required tactical skills and availability:

• Understanding of and passion for sustainable agriculture and food systems, and willingness to build issue knowledge where needed

• 4-6 years of experience in communications for grassroots, organizing, and/or policy campaigns, including developing content and strategies for print, radio, and/or online media in an advocacy organization; familiar with the federal policy-making process

• Strong editor and writer with excellent verbal communication skills, including comfort with public speaking

• Proficient with EveryAction CRM (or similar CRMs), Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Canva, WordPress, Airtable, social media platforms, and Google Analytics

• Occasional evening and off-hours availability to attend media events and meet with press contacts

• Willingness to travel domestically several times a year

Necessary skills for your role as a facilitator:

• Fluency in and comfort with playing a coordination role for many strategic thinkers; while this role merits a strategic eye for communications, this role primarily serves as a central hub for facilitating the policy and grassroots strategy and expertise across the team

• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity and an understanding of how effective communications can advance justice

• Exceptional initiative and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work independently and collaboratively, listen well, build trust, and model healthy conflict resolution

• Strong project management skills and demonstrated ability to work on competing timelines, including a demanding congressional schedule and administrative deadlines

• Ability to work effectively with, value differences of, and incorporate the experiences and policy impacts on, diverse groups of individuals, including race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socioeconomic circumstances; comfort tailoring messages for different audiences

Other desired skills:

• Graphic design and video editing proficiency, such as experience with Adobe Premiere or CapCut

• Spanish language fluency

• Experience with multi-organization grassroots coalitions or membership organizations

• Experience working in or adjacent to agricultural or food system-focused entities, including farms, businesses, or nonprofits, or within advocacy or organizing movement contexts

Communications are treated confidentially. Application review begins immediately. The deadline to submit an application is Monday, August 10th. No phone calls, please.

NSAC makes hiring decisions without regard to gender, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify. NSAC welcomes applications from groups that have been historically under-represented, including but not limited to people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, LGBTQ people, or those who are members of other marginalized communities.