Communications Director

Public Agenda, the nonpartisan research and civic engagement organization, nationally recognized for its more than 30-year commitment to bringing citizens and leaders together to address issues, such as education reform, foreign policy, the federal budget and many others, is conducting a national search for a new communications director to work in its New York City headquarters.

The director of communications is a senior-level position reporting directly to the president of Public Agenda. Prospective candidates for the position will have at least 10-15 years of experience in public policy-related communications, the ability to lead department staff and expertise in communicating through traditional and new media.

The mission of Public Agenda’s communications department is to articulate and amplify the organization’s program work by identifying target audiences and communicating its public engagement activities, public issues analysis and its advocacy of public dialogue.

Public Agenda’s communications department concentrates its efforts on:

1. Advising the organization and individual departments on how best to frame their messages, coupled with advice on timing and composition of audience target lists, etc.
2. Developing materials (both print and electronic as well as audio and video vehicles) that draw attention to Public Agenda’s work and communicate the departments’ “products”
3. Producing events that bring together audiences and draw media attention to Public Agenda’s
   work and mission of bridging the gap between citizens and leaders.

Essential skills/attributes of the communications director:

• Excellent writing skills
• Extensive media relations experience
• Demonstrable leadership ability
• Creativity
• Belief in the organizational mission

The position requires collaborative skills and the ability to work with leaders across departments on complex multi-dimensional projects.

Email a letter of interest, resume and writing sample to: atrilling@publicagenda.org.
References will be requested upon successful advancement through the interview process.
No calls, please.
Additional information about Public Agenda is available at www.publicagenda.org.

Materials should be submitted no later than December 19, 2008.

Contact:

Alex Trilling
General Manager
Public Agenda
6 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016