Director - Communications and Engagement

**The Organization and Role**

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About Access Now*
Access Now is a growing international human rights organization dedicated to defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk around the world, including issues of privacy, security, freedom of expression, and transparency. Our policy, advocacy, technology, and operations teams have staff presences in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East/North Africa (MENA), North America, and South/Southeast Asia, to provide global support to our mission.

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About this role*
The Director - Communications and Engagement leads the Communications and Engagement Team within the Advocacy Arm. The Director manages and leads strategy for a broad portfolio of issues and a growing team of expert communicators, digital campaigners, production professionals, and designers.

The Director - Communications and Engagement works closely with the three other directors within the Advocacy Arm (Campaigns, Legal, and Policy & International Programs), reports through the Executive Director, and is a member of Access Now’s senior management team.

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What you will do*

Program Leadership
- Guide, develop, and execute a comprehensive, substance-driven internal and external communications and engagement strategy, aligning with the broader goals of the Advocacy Arm and Access Now’s strategic vision
- Collaborate across Access Now’s senior management team to identify and develop key strategic global communications and advocacy initiatives that further the Org’s mission
- Work closely with other Advocacy Arm directors to ensure impactful content, advocacy campaigns and projects, and policy positioning
- Manage, oversee, and advance the communications capacity of the Organization across all assets from press to social media, and from the website to reports, legal filings and other collateral
- Oversee the evolution and execution of Access Now’s visual identity, branding, and design products with lead for design and creative production
- Guide the development and implementation of regionally, culturally, and linguistically diverse media and communications strategies and outputs
- Support the production of advocacy materials for a range of audiences, providing strategic leadership in ensuring those materials are impactful to our mission
- Oversee queries from the media, the public, and colleagues in the digital rights community, taking initiative to promote Access Now’s views in public discussion, and identifying key opportunities to advance the organization’s advocacy goals
Organizational Management
- Manage Access Now’s diverse Communications and Engagement Team staff to drive campaigns and advocacy initiatives with clear and measurable outcomes and deadlines
- Ensure strong professional development, coaching, and performance management practices across the Team
- Develop and implement annual Communications Budget
- Participate in Code of Conduct Team discussions and development of key communications around community safety and security
- Support the Development team in its fundraising endeavors including the production of materials and periodic speaking with donors
- Assist in global implementation of the annual RightsCon Summit series
- Performing other duties as assigned, including acting as a spokesperson for the organization and advising the Executive Director
**Skills, education, and mindset you will bring**
- Multiple years of relevant and seasoned professional experience (communication, advocacy, public relations, journalism) in outreach positions (campaigner, strategist, lobbyist, community manager, etc), with progressively increasing levels of managerial responsibility
- A track record for advancing advocacy goals, leading to real-world outcomes, preferably in human rights or technology spaces
- Strong team and project management skills with an ability to lead and motivate a multi-disciplinary, remote team to meet and prioritize multiple deadlines in a complex and fluid environment
- Proven capacity to synthesize complex information in fluid, rapidly changing contexts, and the ability to design solution sets to achieve meaningful change outcomes
- Understanding of law and legal processes relevant to digital communications, including defamation, libel, licensing, privacy, and freedom of expression topics
- Excellent spoken, expository, and persuasive writing and editing skills
- Cultural sensitivity to communicate effectively with people and groups around the world
- A flexible and respectful understanding of leading and collaborating with colleagues working across regions, time zones, and environments
- Solid non-technical understanding of security technologies
- Experience planning and staging public programs, such as a conference, gala, or festival
- Ability to travel internationally
- A graduate degree or relevant practical experience related to communications, journalism, or other relevant field
- Fluency in English; fluency in at least one additional languag