Director of External Communications

District of Columbia, USA (Hybrid)

$120K/yr – $150K/yrDirector/Executive8+ years expFull time

Posted 2 weeks ago

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Job Summary

Own external communications for a trade association, coordinating media relations, crisis response, and government-affairs storytelling; translate complex policy into accessible briefs, while shaping messaging across websites, social, and digital channels.

Media relations and spokesperson role: build proactive plans, field inquiries, and coordinate interviews.
Messaging and content: ensure consistent framing, draft press materials, and translate legislation into accessible fact sheets.
Reputation and digital presence: monitor coverage, crises, and align external channels with brand and strategic plan.

Job Description

Craft strategic design and execution of all public-facing messaging, including industry narrative, in alignment with the association’s strategic plan
Develop comprehensive external communications plans that elevate brand visibility and support overall organizational goals
Ensure consistent framing of core messages across all public-facing platforms, including websites and social media platforms
Develop and execute proactive media and PR plans to advance the association’s communication goals
Act as the primary spokesperson and media liaison; field incoming press inquiries and coordinate interviews for association executives
Draft press releases, op-eds, talking points, and media briefing materials
Cultivate and maintain relationships with key journalists across trade, business, and mainstream media outlets
Develop and execute reactive crisis communication plans to mitigate reputational risks and address public relations challenges
Collaborate with the association’s Government Affairs team to translate complex legislative bills and regulatory issues into accessible, persuasive content (e.g., fact sheets, policy briefs, and one-pagers)
Monitor the news cycle and legislative developments to identify rapid-response opportunities and mitigate potential reputational risks

PaintCare

PaintCare Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, represents paint manufacturers (paint producers) to plan and operate paint stewardship programs in U.S. states and jurisdictions that pass paint stewardship laws.PaintCare is a program of the American Coatings Association (ACA) a membership-based trade association of the paint manufacturing industry. Working through the Paint Producer Stewardship Initiative (PPSI) facilitated by the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), ACA supported the passage of the nation’s first paint stewardship law in Oregon and established PaintCare in 2009.Since then, PaintCare has launched programs across the country following the passage of similar laws in California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.In states where PaintCare operates, we encourage households and businesses to take their unwanted, leftover paint to a PaintCare drop-off site. Most sites are paint retailers, which are convenient locations open year-round and seven days a week. Across the PaintCare programs, there are more than 3,000 drop-off sites, most of which are paint retailers.

Founded in 2009

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

48 employees (6 in marketing)

www.paintcare.org