Communications and Engagement Lead, Democracy Resiliency Team

ABOUT GREENPEACE:
Greenpeace is a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green, just, and joyful future. For over fifty years, Greenpeace has fought to save the planet from the threat of global warming, destruction of ancient forests, deterioration of our oceans, and the threat of a nuclear disaster. As an independent organization, Greenpeace does not accept funds from any corporations or government entities, safeguarding our independence and ability to speak the truth and act boldly. We recognize the importance of the moment: Ours is the first generation to experience the impacts of climate change and ecosystem destruction, and the last generation with a window of time to do something about it.

POSITION SUMMARY:
Greenpeace USA campaigns on democracy because we understand that a healthy democracy is a precondition to a healthy environment. This includes the right to peaceful protest, to voice dissent, and to engage in public education, campaigns, and advocacy. These rights are currently under attack, which means that our ability to fight for a green and just future is under threat as well. One of those attacks comes in the form of lawsuits filed by extractive industries which have the express purpose of shutting down dissent, known as SLAPPs. SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) can be filed against people simply for speaking out and  represent a fundamental attack on First Amendment rights. Greenpeace is fighting these lawsuits to protect our right to engage in critical advocacy work, and ensure that these rights remain protected for the movement.  

The future of democracy - and our ability to voice dissent and protest - rests on what happens when Greenpeace goes to trial in July 2024. The Comms and Engagement Lead plays a critical role in building the public narrative around the July 2024 trial and its implications for the movement and beyond. The Comms and Engagement Lead, Democracy Resilience Team, will lead the planning and implementation of a communications strategy focused on the lawsuit filed against Greenpeace offices for our solidarity work around the protests at Standing Rock. This position will guide and weave together the movement, legal, and narrative strategies required to fight back –and win. The Lead oversees communications to advance our goals around our broader work to tie together the myriad challenges facing our democracy, including SLAPP suits – like the one against Greenpeace USA – and protecting the right to protest. This includes the development of overarching narratives, messaging, positioning, and media content. The Lead will capitalize on audience analysis to adjust messaging for maximum impact. Through this work, the Lead plays a critical role in advancing the broader narratives situating these tactics as part of a new playbook used by oil and gas corporate elites to stifle democracy and pump their fossil fueled profits for as long as possible.

The Comms and Engagement Lead, Democracy Resilience Team, is an exempt, full-time,12-month contract, benefits eligible role that can be based in any location Greenpeace USA is authorized to work in: CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, ME, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OR, VA, WA and reports to the Campaign Communications Director.
The Comms and Engagement Lead, Democracy Resilience Team will be responsible for:

• Leading Development of Global and U.S. Overarching Communications Strategies:
  • Lead development and implementation of communications strategies, in close collaboration with other global Greenpeace offices, to advance campaign objectives around combatting SLAPP suits, including telling the story of how Greenpeace is fighting the Standing Rock lawsuit not just for ourselves but for the entire movement and beyond.
  • This role leads planning and coordination of global pushes for the campaign. This includes adapting key messages based on data-informed audience analysis to ensure maximum impact in the U.S. and other key geographies.
  • The Lead works closely with Greenpeace USA’s legal team to ensure alignment with the legal strategy. The Lead also collaborates with the Democracy Resilience Strategy team, as well as the Digital Organizing Team and Marketing staff to identify and act on strategic opportunities to mobilize Greenpeace’s network of supporters and activists and engage new audiences to simultaneously grow our base while advancing campaign goals.
    
• Media Relations & Writing:
  • Manage media lists and proactively engage media on the Democracy Resilience campaign, including to educate media and bridge corporate efforts to stifle free speech with the myriad fights the progressive movement is up against.
  • Oversee and implement all strategic communications work to advance campaign objectives, including write statements, op-eds, and other materials and rigorously edit all public statements, news releases, and other output as required, in consultation with the Campaign Communications Director.
  • Co-produce and test outputs incorporating diverse voices and targeting a range of audiences. 
    
• Coordination Across the Global Network and Within Greenpeace USA:
  • Actively develop the working relationships necessary to ensure offices around the world participate in the campaign and campaign activities, and work closely with Greenpeace International (GPI), which is also a defendant in the Greenpeace Standing Rock Lawsuit.
  • Develop plans with GPI and key national/regional offices (NROs) –as well as the GPUS Development Department.
  • Ensure Greenpeace USA staff and global Media Hubs have a clear understanding of the issues in play in the Greenpeace Standing Rock lawsuit and the strategy behind this form of legal attack. 

• Managing Coordination with External Audiences and Allies:
  • Cultivate and manage relationships with allies, including the Protect the Protest Coalition. Bridge the gap between climate and democracy resilience work by maintaining relationships with key climate spaces.
  • Where possible, cultivate and collaborate with unconventional allies who are invested in the right to free speech.
    
• Reviewing and Managing Sign Off for Key Campaign Outputs:
  • Participate in and advise on communications and global project plans and outputs.
  • Ensure all global output materials for the campaign are signed off by the campaign team, campaign communications director, and legal. 
  • Upon request from NROs, review regional engagement plans, pitches from creative agencies, communications outputs, and engagement materials. 

Minimum requirements of the Comms and Engagement Lead, Democracy Resilience Team include:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in strategic communications, with an advanced understanding of, and proven track record in, delivering traditional media output for campaigns; previous experience with international issue-based advocacy a plus
• Willingness to travel extensively domestically and internationally and work across multiple time zones
• Exceptional English writing and analytical skills, from the ability to draft opinion pieces to translating political strategies into audience and engagement centric communications, strategies, and outputs
• Strong time and priority management, high level of self-motivation, proactive and can-do mentality, ability to work effectively under stressful conditions and across different time zones
• Strong interpersonal relations and influencing skills, able to work effectively in a remote situation, and still build trust quickly with partners and colleagues in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams
• Ability to lead and influence with a passion for excellence, to achieve agreed goals and to drive change without direct authority
• Expert knowledge of the climate crisis and the ways that free speech is critical for efforts to combat it
• Demonstrated experience in managing cross-cultural and geographically distributed teams
• A demonstrated commitment to racial equity, gender justice, and to empowering low- and moderate-income communities through engagement activities

Additional qualifications for the Comms and Engagement Lead, Democracy Resilience Team include, but are not limited to:

• Brings innovative ideas to the project, is able to think outside the box and has solid background in communications and media relations, storytelling, and messaging
• Showcases exceptional creativity, passion, proactivity and problem-solving skills
• Track record of developing creative campaign content that engages diverse communities, deepens relationships with existing supporters, and advances engagement goals and organizational capacity
• Strong project leadership and project planning skills to enable the delivery of projects to time, to budget and to deliver clear objectives
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams to enable the delivery of projects on time, to budget and to deliver clear objectives
• Ability to cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Clear understanding of the relationship between communications and campaigning and advocacy 
• Sound judgment and willingness to make tough and strategic decisions when confronted with difficult choices
• Ability to balance multiple projects at once, including both short-term responsive work and long-term capacity-building work
• Commitment to progressive values and peaceful direct action as a means to effect change

If you want to save the world from climate change and believe in environmental justice, please submit an application on our careers page. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will conclude once we have found the best candidate.

Greenpeace is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, class, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, family/marital status, religion or other protected classes. We strongly encourage applications from marginalized communities. If you require assistance applying to this opportunity, please contact [email protected]. 

BENEFITS:

Greenpeace USA values a healthy work-life balance and has flexible, family-friendly employment policies. Our competitive benefits package for full-time employees includes medical, dental, and vision coverage with low contributions from staff. We have options for pre-tax flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care costs. Greenpeace employees enjoy generous 401K matching and time-off for vacation, sick, personal, and parental leave. After five years, staff are eligible for a paid sabbatical. To encourage public transportation use and biking, we offer subsidies for staff who choose to bike or ride mass transit to work. Greenpeace is committed to the growth and development of staff and fostering a creative workplace culture. For more information, check out our benefits plan.

Only applicants eligible to work and live in the United States without any legal restrictions need apply for this opportunity.

The salary range for this position is anticipated to be $87,900 - $90,000 and is commensurate with experience.