Responsibilities

• Draft press releases, statements and campaign communications tailored to regional audiences and reporters.
• Develop social media strategy and content, and execute social strategy, including Instagram, Tik-Tok, Substack, Linked-In and X to expand the organization’s digital footprint.
• Build, cultivate, and maintain trusted relationships with reporters, editors, columnists, and producers across priority regional markets — including local dailies, statehouse press corps, education trade press, and political press.
• Serve as a regional spokesperson and press contact where appropriate
• Monitor regional media narratives on education policy, politics, and DFER-adjacent issues; surface threats and opportunities to the National Director and recommend rapid-response strategy.
• Partner with the National Director and the Digital Manager to plan and execute digital campaigns that amplify DFER, ERN, and ERNA priorities across priority states.
• Collaborate on day-to-day execution of regional social media content, including drafting copy, shaping creative briefs for our Graphic Designer & Digital Communications Manager, and ensuring content aligns with messaging strategy and entity-specific compliance requirements.
• Help shape paid digital strategy (targeting, copy, landing pages) for issue campaigns in priority states; collaborate with consultants and vendors as needed.
• Track, analyze, and report on earned and digital performance across priority states; use insights to iterate on strategy and inform organizational decision-making.
• Serve as a close thought partner to the National Director on messaging strategy, narrative development, and political positioning — especially as it translates into regional press and digital execution.

Requirements

• Press & Media Relations Experience — 4+ years of experience in communications, press, or public affairs roles, including demonstrated success placing stories, managing reporter relationships, and serving as an on-the-record or background resource. Prior experience on a political campaign, in a statehouse or federal press shop, advocacy organization, or political press operation is strongly preferred.
• Exceptional Writing — A sharp, versatile writer who can move quickly between a tight rapid-response statement or a social caption without losing voice or strategic discipline.
• Political Acumen — A feel for the center-left political landscape and an instinct for how stories, messages, and narratives land with political audiences, reporters, and the public. Comfortable operating in environments where politics, policy, and press intersect.
• Digital & Social Campaign Fluency — Hands-on experience planning and executing digital and social campaigns, including content strategy, platform-specific best practices (X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok where relevant), paid social, and performance analytics. Comfortable briefing designers and vendors and reviewing creative with a strategic eye.
• Regional Relationship-Building — Existing relationships with reporters, political operatives, and advocacy leaders in one or more priority states is a strong plus; a demonstrated ability to build those relationships quickly from scratch is essential.
• Education Policy Interest — Familiarity with K–12 education policy, school choice, charter schools, or related issues is preferred. A genuine commitment to educational equity and expanding opportunity for underserved families is non-negotiable.
• Rapid-Response Mindset — Comfortable operating on short timelines, in politically dynamic environments, with sound judgment and discretion.
• Collaborative Operator — Works well across teams, takes direction and feedback gracefully, and can also operate independently with minimal oversight when the situation calls for it.
• Multi-Entity Awareness — Working knowledge of the compliance environment governing 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4), and PAC activity — or a demonstrated willingness to learn it quickly and operate fluently within it.
• Remote work and stakeholder management across time zones.

Preferred

• Regional Relationship-Building — Existing relationships with reporters, political operatives, and advocacy leaders in one or more priority states is a strong plus; a demonstrated ability to build those relationships quickly from scratch is essential.
• Education Policy Interest — Familiarity with K–12 education policy, school choice, charter schools, or related issues is preferred. A genuine commitment to educational equity and expanding opportunity for underserved families is non-negotiable.

Benefits

The compensation band for this role is $80,000 - $100,000. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. DFER is proud to offer excellent benefits: health, vision, and dental coverage; cell phone and internet reimbursement; flexible spending plan; life insurance; short- and long-term disability insurance; 401K plan with a match; paid family leave; and paid time off (vacation, sick time, floating holidays, and all national holidays).