The Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) is Washington, DC’s premier institute dedicated to applying a true and full account of the human person to contemporary questions of politics, law, and culture, in pursuit of America’s civic and cultural renewal.
Founded in 1976, EPPC works with Americans at every level of society, advising both policymakers and religious leaders, engaging the courts and the education system, and informing parents and others who influence culture. Through the work of our three dozen scholars, we equip Americans who cherish our founding ideals and intellectual heritage to think through the most pressing ethical, political, and cultural questions of our time.
About the Role
We seek a full-time Director of Communications to ensure that our scholars become and remain well-prepared, sought-after experts who appear across the full range of media channels. The position reports to Mitchell Muncy, EPPC’s Executive Vice President, and may be located either in EPPC’s Washington, DC, office or remotely with regular visits to Washington.
EPPC has doubled in size in three years. As the organization approaches its 50th anniversary, the Director of Communications will have the opportunity to help secure and build on EPPC’s recent growth and in this way contribute to the advancement of human dignity in major institutions of American civil society.
Responsibilities
- While respecting our scholars’ current relationships, serve as EPPC’s primary liaison with the media; draft and distribute all communications materials
- Promptly respond to incoming queries and assist scholars in responding to queries they receive directly
- Cultivate productive relationships with a growing number of journalists and commentators across the political and cultural spectrum
- On a weekly basis, seek, evaluate, and secure opportunities for EPPC scholars to appear in the media and to inform journalists on background
- Assist scholars as necessary in preparing for media engagements and promote our scholars’ work across the full range of media channels and across the political and cultural spectrum
- On a daily basis, manage EPPC’s social media accounts and monitor those of our scholars, seeking opportunities to expand EPPC’s influence and reach; advise our scholars on their use of social media
- Over time, develop and implement tailored plans for individual scholars to raise their media profiles and build their audiences
- Supervise the production of EPPC’s podcasts; recommend and supervise the production of video content to promote EPPC and our scholars’ work
- Ensure that scholars communicate effectively in a range of environments, providing, recommending, and arranging training as necessary
- Maintain EPPC’s log of scholar appearances, track key measurements of performance, and produce reports for internal and external use
- Develop and refine a set of written standard operating procedures for the communications function at EPPC
- Collaborate with the Vice President of Development on donor communications, ensuring that our donors are fully aware of the work they support
- Collaborate with the Director of Publications on the composition, publication, and distribution of EPPC’s annual report, quarterly journal, scholar newsletters, and other written materials
Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in communications; candidates with experience working in communications on behalf of policymakers, public policy experts, or scholars such as a communications officer for a member of Congress, or a policy institute strongly preferred
- A strong understanding of and commitment to EPPC’s mission and its individual programs
- Specific, first-hand knowledge of the operations of a range of media organizations and platforms
- A record of successful pitches to reporters and editors across the political and cultural spectrum
- A demonstrably substantial number of current relationships with members of the press across the political and cultural spectrum
- Experience preparing experts or public officials for media appearances, especially those in which the journalist, interviewer, or editor may be unsympathetic
- Experience supervising the production of podcasts, short videos, and newsletters
- Experience managing social media accounts on behalf of others, including composing posts on short notice
- Familiarity with the elements of book promotion is desirable, but not required
- Superior organization and verbal expression, with a demonstrable competency in writing press releases and executive summaries of policy studies, legislation, or amicus briefs
- The ability to advance, with consistent though moderate supervision and in a collegial manner, a substantial number of projects at one time
- The ability and willingness to take initiative while fully cooperating with the leadership of the organization
- For remote candidates, availability to visit Washington, DC, up to 6 times a year
- Availability for limited travel to other EPPC events (5%)
Evaluation
The Executive Vice President will review particular assignments regularly with the Director of Communications, but there will be overall evaluations at 3, 6, and 12 months after the start date, and thereafter every 12 months. The focus of evaluations will be whether the Director of Communications is successful in increasing the number, frequency, and quality of our scholars’ placements in and engagement with the media, while building productive relationships with EPPC’s scholars and other staff.
Salary and Benefits
- Salary will be commensurate with experience
- Health insurance, including vision and dental
- Twenty (20) days of paid vacation and five (5) days of personal or sick leave each calendar year
- All paid federal holidays
- After 1 year of employment, enrollment in 403(b) retirement plan with 7% contribution by EPPC
- Family leave
- Remote work on Fridays for those working in the office
- Commuter benefits for those who use WMATA
To Apply
Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:
- Resume
- Cover letter: Rather than repeat information which we will find on your resume, please explain why you are a particularly good fit for EPPC
- At least three references with both their contact information and their association with you
- Salary requirements
Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/.
Questions can be directed to Katy Gambella, Director of Outreach at Talent Market, who is managing the search process: [email protected].
There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.
While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.
Talent Market is a nonprofit entity dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law, and limited regulation.