The Organization
The Commonwealth Foundation is Pennsylvania’s free-market think tank. We craft free-market policies, convince Pennsylvanians of their benefits, and counter attacks on liberty.
CF’s growth plans require a Director of Media Relations who will spearhead our outreach to the people of Pennsylvania through the media and help teammates develop and deepen their messaging and skill at PHD-ing (personalizing, humanizing, and dramatizing) policy issues. The Director will have primary, personal responsibility for media relations and is expected to prioritize relationships with journalists and the creation and maximization of media opportunities accordingly. In addition, the Director will work in close collaboration with the staff and directors of Policy Analysis, Community Relations, and Government Affairs on strategic messaging and delivery. The Director will report to the President & Chief Executive Officer.
The Director will preferably be located in Harrisburg or Philadelphia; other locations in Pennsylvania are possible.
Responsibilities
The Director’s responsibilities will include the following:
- Serving as the initial contact for all media calls and trusted counsel for staff in media outreach.
- Cultivating personal relationships with members of the media from local, regional and national outlets.
- Assisting other staff members in building media relationships, including conducting media training workshops.
- Appearing in the media and securing media appearances for other staff and scholars.
- Ensuring staff readiness, relevance, reliability, consistency, integration, alignment, and appropriate timing of messages, in cooperation with senior staff.
- Actively building and managing relationships with colleagues in order to identify communication opportunities and foster collaboration and mutual support.
- Identifying ways to expand and exploit media opportunities, with a focus on garnering coverage that is favorable, oriented around CF’s primary policy priorities as defined by the President/CEO and Board of Directors, and targeted in geographic areas of focus.
- Coordinating the writing, editing, and timely release of press materials.
CF is committed to the following communications principles, and the Director is expected to adhere to them in all of his work:
- Maximum disclosure with minimum delay for all media queries, ensuring 100 percent integrity and accuracy for external and internal communications.
- CF must clearly identify its audience on each issue and communicate accordingly.
- CF must personalize, humanize, and dramatize the benefits of freedom-based policy reforms.
- CF must consciously endeavor to break stereotypes about those who love freedom and free markets and enhance positive perceptions where they exist.
- CF must dramatically accelerate the improvement of its media resonance in Pennsylvania’s population centers of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
- CF must undertake its day-to-day work with 100-percent accuracy and consummate professionalism, giving the impression that its materials could have come from a Fortune 500 company.
Finally, the Director, like all senior staff members, is expected to play a leadership role in stewarding the culture of the organization as a whole, as outlined in CF’s “Expectations Given Our Aspirations” document.
Characteristics of the Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate for the Director of Media Relations role will possess the following attributes:
- Five or more years of experience in media, journalism, public relations, or related fields.
- Superb written and oral communication skills.
- Strong project management skills and ability to multi-task, set priorities, and follow through.
- A commitment to the principles of limited government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise.
Furthermore, the Director must exhibit at all times:
- Personal honesty, integrity and commitment to the interests and goals of CF.
- A deep respect for deadlines and results.
- A personal and management style that is effective in working with a small staff environment in which one must both be a team player and bear individual responsibility for advancing the organization’s goals and objectives.
How to Apply
Please send a cover letter (explaining your strong philosophical interest in the mission of CF), resume, salary history, and 2-3 relevant writing samples to Claire Kittle at TalentMarket.org (claire@talentmarket.org).
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. We request no inquiries from candidates to the Commonwealth Foundation and no calls to Talent Market.
