California Communications Director

About the Working Families Party

The Working Families Party (WFP) is the progressive party for the multiracial working class, fighting for a nation that works for the many, not the few. We recruit, train, and support transformational candidates up and down the ballot — and run them to win.  

We believe that no matter where we come from or what our color, most of us want the same things. We want to earn enough to thrive, not just survive, and leave a better future for our kids. We want healthy food and clean water, safe neighborhoods and a safe world. We want to be free.

The Working Families Party is regular people coming together across our differences to make a better future for us all. We’re a multiracial party that fights for workers over bosses and people over the powerful. We want an America which realizes the promise – unrealized in our history – of freedom and equality for all.

The CA Communications Director is responsible for internal and external communications within California, developing and executing sophisticated strategies to tell our story, grow our Party, and advance our legislative and electoral priorities. They will foster relationships with public officials, political campaigns, partner organizations, news media, and content creators to capture attention, grow awareness and build trust in CAWFP as a brand and organization. This team member will hone WFP’s voice in California, balancing rapid-response, short-term communications, and long-term narrative strategy alike. The Communications Director will serve as a key strategist and organizational leader, a primary shaper and steward of our brand and narrative, and lead the Party’s earned media work and digital program.

• Management and Direction
• Supervise communications team junior staff, including California Creative & New Media Manager and other future junior personnel.
• In collaboration with CA WFP senior leadership team, exercise primary decision-making authority over communications strategy, priorities and execution Set team work plans and develop and execute communications strategy plan for organizational priorities.
• Determine messaging, tone and framing for CA WFP communications across platforms.
• Coordinate closely with National WFP Communications Team for cross-organizational priorities and campaigns.
• Manage relationship with communications consultants or vendors and direct their scope, deliverables and timelines.
• Participate in WFP/CAWFP manager trainings and meetings.
• Track, analyze and distribute key press clips and media metrics to inform strategic decisions.

• Strategic Communications
• Develop message and communications plans to advance priority legislative, electoral and organizational campaigns.
• Make real-time strategic decisions in fast-moving media environments, including approving rapid-response messaging and statements.
• Plan and execute internal and external communications to develop and grow our brand using earned, paid and digital media.
• Live in the news cycle; monitor risks and opportunities; seize real-time media opportunities to advance our values, position and brand.
• Build relationships with print, broadcast and new media journalists.
• Lead crisis communications strategy, including decision-making authority over messaging, timing and spokesperson coordination. 
• Anticipate, prevent, and, if necessary, manage crisis communications.
• Produce detailed reports of communications activities for staff and leadership.
• Support Director and staff spokespeople with talking points and media prep.
• Draft talking points, op-eds, memos, and other materials, as needed.

• Party-Building Communications Strategy
• Develop and lead a mass communications program, including sending high-quality emails and SMSs to our membership to grow our fundraising, build our lists, and deepen engagement.
• Set strategic direction for digital communications, including audience targeting, narrative goals and performance benchmarks. 
• Identify and develop CAWFP leaders, electeds, and staffers as spokespeople and to manage WFP chapter communications.

• Narrative Alignment
• Engage with staff, members, candidates, and elected officials on the latest narrative, messaging, and research developments.
• Coordinate and align with communications professionals of organizational allies and partners.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor, or take over sponsorship of, employment visas at this time.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Working Families Party is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to economic and social justice. Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, and members of other historically disenfranchised populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Any applicant who requires an accommodation in order to apply for or perform the essential functions of the job should contact us at [email protected] with the subject line "Application Accommodation" to request such an accommodation.