Advocacy Communications Specialist

Title: Advocacy Communications Specialist

Location: Remote Work from Anywhere

Summary

The Wikimedia Foundation is looking for an Advocacy Communications Specialist who can leverage creative, global advocacy to advance Wikimedia’s free knowledge public policy agenda. The position will report to the Senior Communications Manager in the Communications department.

This is a highly collaborative role in which you will work closely with the Communications and Public Policy teams to create and execute advocacy campaigns to drive our public policy agenda, which is focused on opening access to free knowledge around the globe. You will use communications to educate and connect lawmakers and public audiences to our public policy work in the areas of knowledge access, privacy, internet regulation, online censorship, and copyright. You will build advocacy strategies that leverage communications tactics, develop key policy communications materials including blog posts, op-eds, and social media content, and measure the impact of these efforts in furthering our policy goals.

The ideal candidate is:

• A strategic, creative storyteller with experience in the advocacy space and the ability to adapt nuanced policy messages into meaningful calls to action.
• A motivated and organized self-starter who can consistently produce high-quality work, prioritize effectively, manage multiple tasks, and execute under deadlines.
• A collaborative facilitator who can bridge communications and public policy expertise to develop high-impact, multidisciplinary advocacy campaigns.
• A results-driven achiever with the ability to drive, measure, and adjust advocacy strategies over the long-term to meet our goals.
• A thoughtful team player who is eager to collaborate and committed to advancing diversity, equity, and belonging in all their work.

You are responsible for:

Shaping and executing advocacy strategies, including:

• Advising and advancing the Wikimedia Foundation’s public policy priorities with a focus on communications tactics including media outreach, social and digital media, op-eds, public speaking, and thought leadership.
• In close collaboration with Communications and Public Policy staff, guiding the development and supporting dissemination of advocacy communications products for Wikimedia’s global advocacy work on knowledge access, copyright, censorship, internet regulation, and privacy.
• Serving as the liaison between the Public Policy team and the Communications department, and ensuring that projects are being built proactively.
• Collaborating with the Digital Communications team to develop and coordinate social media content for Wikimedia advocacy communications plans, and dissemination of materials via email, social media, and other avenues.
• Collaborating within the Communications team to leverage earned media (media outreach, op-eds, etc.) and build relationships with reporters aligned with our policy priorities.
• Developing public-facing advocacy messaging and materials that convey Wikimedia’s unique relationship to the policy issues that we pursue, and supports the work of partners and affiliates.
• Proactively identifying strategic opportunities for Wikimedia to engage in policy discussions in the news, on social media, and in other thought leadership spaces (ex. conferences).
• Cultivating and sustaining a network of communications advocacy partners to scale impact for major campaigns and policy initiatives.
• Creating and maintaining foundational advocacy materials including one-pagers, fact sheets, blog posts, and website content.
• Triaging and responding to crisis communications incidents that impact our public policy work, including censorship events.
• Creating training presentations and materials, toolkits, and guides for Wikimedia community groups and members working in public policy.
• Reviewing policy briefs, external statements and other materials drafted by the policy team shaping the content to ensure that it is clear, flows logically, and conveys the message powerfully and effectively.
• Developing our public policy staff as thought leaders and spokespeople with press, leading media training and identifying opportunities for staff to engage in policy forums.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of three years experience working in advocacy, public policy, or mission-driven communications
• Strong verbal and written communication, editing, and interpersonal skills
• Strong organizational skills and experience managing multiple projects at once, with an interest in both independent and collaborative work
• Intellectual curiosity, flexibility, and a desire to tackle challenging problems
• The ability to work on a team with diverse demographic and cultural characteristics, as well as the flexibility to virtually meet with people in multiple time zones

Qualities that are important to us:

• Resilience we work on new and interesting problems in public and collaborative ways
• Being open, curious, and inquiring in our work
• Internal motivation and high standards
• Working together for outcomes, and being willing to let go to scale or change course
• Sharing a culture of constructive criticism and respect

Additionally, we’d love it if you have:

• The ability to speak other languages, experience living or working outside the United States
• Building email campaigns and supporter lists
• Involvement or experience within Wikimedia communities and/or editing the Wikimedia projects
• Fluency or familiarity with languages in addition to English
• BA/BS or MA/MS

U.S. Benefits & Perks*

• Health Care Benefits Covered at 100%: We cover 100% of premiums for medical, dental and vision plans for all full time employees and eligible dependents
• Wellness Reimbursement Program: Up to 1,800.00 USD per year for reimbursement for staff wellness expenses, such as gym fees, educational expenses, and more
• Technology and Equipment Stipend: In addition to receiving a brand new laptop, monitor, & docking station, all new hires receive 600.00 USD stipend to set up their space for working virtually
• Professional Development Program: Up to 750.00 USD reimbursement per year to encourage continuous learning through attending conferences, courses, workshops and the purchase of educational materials
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: Employer match of up to 4% of employee contributions dollar for dollar with no vesting period
• Paid Time Off: Generous paid time off policy of over 45 days, which includes: vacation days, at least one observed holiday a month, sick leave, and volunteer days
• Flexible Schedules: Options available to balance your personal and remote-work life
• Silent Fridays: No scheduled meetings so you can get caught up at the end of each week
• New Parent Leave: Fully paid new parent leave for seven weeks plus an additional five weeks for pregnancy, and flexible options as you embark on your return to work
• Fertility and Adoption Reimbursement Plan: Reimburses staff up to 5,000.00 USD in expenses per year, with a lifetime maximum of 10,000.00 USD
• Assistance for those unexpected life events: Long and short term disability, life insurance, and an employee assistance program
• Pre-tax Savings Plans: Generously funded health savings accounts (HSAs), pre-tax contribution options for health care, child care & elder care, public transportation and parking expenses

*Please note that for remote roles located outside of the U.S., we defer to our PEO to ensure alignment with local labor laws.