Director of Strategic Communications

Reports to: Co-Executive DirectorFLSA Status: Exempt

Job Summary: The Director of Strategic Communications is a senior leader responsible for shaping Abortion Care Network (ACN) communications strategy, public positioning, brand, and narrative work to elevate independent abortion providers, counter disinformation, and advance health and justice justice. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director serves as ACN’s senior communications strategist and advisor, leading brand and narrative strategy, media and urgent communications, digital strategy, and communications governance. The Director supervises two communications staff who lead member communications programming and digital media, providing the direction, coaching, and support needed for a strong, high-performing team. The role also advises leadership on the communications and reputational implications of key organizational decisions.

Strategic Communications & Narrative Leadership: Develop and execute a proactive strategic communications plan that advances ACN’s mission, vision, and organizational priorities. Serve as ACN’s primary communications strategist and advisor to executive leadership, staff, and members on organizational positioning, public messaging, reputation, brand, and audience strategy. Partner with organizational leaders early in major initiatives, campaigns, decisions, and organizational changes to identify communications needs, audiences, sequencing, risks, and opportunities. Lead narrative strategy to shape public dialogue around independent abortion care, centering equity, community care, and provider perspectives. Provide strategic oversight and stewardship of ACN’s brand, ensuring organizational identity, voice, messaging, and visual standards are consistently and effectively represented across audiences and channels. Establish benchmarks and metrics to evaluate ACN’s communications and narrative impact. Support internal communications that equip ACN staff and Board to serve as effective brand ambassadors.

Communications Governance & Organizational Alignment: Design and steward ACN’s Communications Governance Framework, establishing clear decision authority, ownership, approval pathways, brand governance, and protocols for routine, strategic, and urgent communications. Establish shared processes for engaging Communications early in organizational planning and clarify roles across strategic leadership, implementation, and cross-functional work. Partner with executive and departmental leaders to align significant organizational communications before information is shared internally or externally. Build consistent, documented systems and workflows that clarify ownership, reduce reliance on institutional memory, and create a coordinated audience experience. Maintain organizational standards for ACN’s brand identity, voice, messaging, and communications strategy.

Digital Engagement: Provide strategic direction for ACN’s website, social media, email communications, digital campaigns, and multimedia storytelling. Develop audience-centered communications approaches tailored to members, funders, partners, and other key stakeholders. Use audience insights and analytics to strengthen engagement, reach, and communications effectiveness.

Media Relations & Urgent Communications: Cultivate strong relationships with national, regional, and specialized journalists, editors, and media outlets. Lead rapid-response and urgent communications, including media inquiries and responses to emerging legal, political, and cultural developments. Oversee the development and distribution of press releases, media advisories, op-eds, public statements, and reporter materials. Prepare and coach ACN leadership for media interviews, press conferences, public testimony, and other external engagements. Partner with Development on campaigns to ensure strategic messaging, brand alignment, and fundraising and awareness goals. Monitor relevant media and external developments and recommend proactive communications responses.

Network & Campaign Strategy: Partner with reproductive health, rights, and justice coalitions to align messaging and execute joint narrative campaigns. Develop strategic campaigns that elevate the contributions, experiences, and challenges of independent abortion care providers. Translate complex legal, policy, and movement developments into accessible messaging for ACN stakeholders, public audiences, and partners. Support ACN leaders and spokespeople in movement workgroups, coalitions, panels, and other external opportunities. Identify emerging issues and movement opportunities where communications can strengthen ACN’s influence, advance shared priorities, and elevate member voices. Proactively shape narratives and strengthen ACN’s position as a trusted national voice for independent abortion providers.

Department Operations & Team Leadership: Lead and manage a Communications team of at least two Communications Managers, with responsibility for team structure, performance, coaching, professional development, and accountability. Lead, mentor, and develop communications staff, contractors, and agency partners. Manage the Communications function across strategy and executive counsel, media and member support, digital engagement, brand stewardship, and communications operations. Maintain appropriate distinction between strategic leadership and day-to-day production, coordination, and implementation work. Manage the department budget and establish priorities that align resources and capacity with ACN’s highest-impact organizational needs. Establish scalable workflows, systems, documentation, brand standards and governance, and digital security practices that clarify ownership and preserve institutional knowledge. Foster a departmental culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, well-being, and racial equity. Establish clear expectations for cross-departmental collaboration and shared accountability without positioning Communications as the default owner of all organizational content or production needs. This is not an exhaustive list of duties, though these are the general tasks that comprise this job.

Qualifications: A commitment to ACN values 7+ Years of Progressive Leadership: Demonstrated track record in strategic communications, public relations, or narrative strategy within movement, advocacy, or non-profit settings; Movement Alignment: Unwavering commitment to reproductive freedom, abortion access, bodily autonomy, and racial justice; Media & Urgent Communications Expertise: Proven experience managing high-stakes media relations, rapid response, and urgent communications under pressure. Strategic Campaign Management: Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and evaluate multi-channel communications campaigns that drive measurable narrative shifts. People & Resource Management: Demonstrated background in supervising staff, managing department budgets, and directing agency or consultant partnerships. Proficiency in managing several projects and deadlines at once; Proficiency using a computer to perform work-related tasks. Familiarity with Google Suites, collaborative file storage systems, and work organization systems like Asana. Comfort with digital communication (Zoom) and using remote work tools to move projects forward. Excellent written and verbal communications skills and the ability to explain complex, abortion-related issues to a general audience; A solid understanding of the political, economic, and social factors that impact and are impacted by abortion policies, access to abortion care, and cultural conversations about abortion. Experience and comfort as a small-group trainer, both in-person and online; Ability to travel independently. Competencies & Assets desired for the role: Strategic Vision & Execution: Ability to translate complex movement needs into clear, actionable, long-term communications roadmaps while remaining agile in dynamic political environments. Inclusive Leadership & Centering Equity: Deep practice of applying an intersectional racial equity lens to team leadership, narrative development, and external messaging. Media & Urgent Communications Management: Exceptional calm under pressure with sharp political acumen to navigate sensitive, fast-moving news cycles and reputational challenges. Project & Time Management: Superior organizational skills to oversee multiple complex projects, manage competing priorities, and consistently meet strict deadlines. Communication & Synthesis: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the capability to distill intricate policy, legal, and clinical concepts into resonant public messaging. Travel time expectation: The Director of Strategic Communications is expected to travel/ be away from home 10 - 15% of the time.