Director Digital Strategy - Communications

About the role:

The Digital Strategy Director is responsible for conceiving, developing, managing, and executing Vera’s digital engagement and digital advocacy strategy, and managing content across digital channels, from Vera’s website to social media platforms and email. The Digital Strategy Director supervises a team that uses Vera’s digital presence to advance Vera’s mission and goals, by planning and executing campaigns to grow Vera’s audience strategically, distributing our message efficiently, measuring and tracking the impact of communications efforts, and deploying best-in-class techniques and tactics. They develop and manage Vera’s in-house digital capacity, including social media management and content creation, digital marketing, web design and development, and digital content planning and production.  

1. Digital Advocacy Campaign Planning and Strategy

• Conceive, design, and implement integrated multi-channel digital advocacy campaigns across web, social media, paid media, email, and SMS
• Develop and implement Vera’s strategy for public engagement through digital tactics, channels, and tools, to support Vera’s broader public engagement and communications goals, including development and measurement of benchmarks, objectives, and key results
• Lead planning and strategy for digital campaigns and content, including, but not limited to: coordinating team resources, interfacing with program teams, and engaging with external partners to advance Vera’s programmatic objectives
• Effectively coordinate digital campaign strategy and execution within the Communications department and with the Advocacy & Partnerships and Vera Action teams
• Translate Vera’s work into compelling, accessible digital content and advocacy actions
• Track KPIs, analyze campaign performance, and manage digital dashboards to optimize real-time engagement

2. Social Media and Rapid Response

• Oversee Vera’s social media strategy, tools, and processes for effective engagement through social media, and development of KPIs
• Create, maintain, and expand messaging to reach and engage target audiences
• Coordinate breaking news and rapid response for digital channels

3. Web Development and Design

• Oversee Vera’s website engagement strategy, including managing relationships with external vendors overseeing website strategist and developers
• Strengthen Vera’s discoverability across search (SEO) and AI generated responses (GEO)

4. Marketing

• Oversee strategy for Vera’s paid marketing efforts on digital channels, including managing external vendors, budgets and spending, and media planning

5. Team Management and Leadership

• Manage staff and outside consultants while fostering a collaborative work culture and mutual accountability
• Effectively partner and collaborate with Communications leadership and other departments across Vera
• Monitor performance metrics, track campaign return on investment, and apply data-driven insights to bolster digital efforts
• Identify new technology and AI tools to help drive innovation

What qualifications are we looking for?

Required:

• Advanced degree and 10+ years of relevant experiences. In lieu of degree requirement, applicable work or life experience may be considered
• 10+ years of experience leading digital advocacy and campaigns

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong digital storytelling and editing skills
• Fluency with digital advocacy tools including Meta, YouTube, TikTok, Quorum, and Google Analytics
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Fluency with web content management tools and social media management tools 
• Proficiency with Raiser’s Edge
• Fluency with digital creative and design tools, including web design, UX, and other visual design applications
• Familiarity with video production and editing, both process and content

Technical knowledge helpful for this role:

• Microsoft Office Suite
• Raiser’s Edge and Engaging Networks
• Adobe Creative Cloud

Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $140,000 - $150,000.Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institute’s total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field, supporting Vera staff - both personally and professionally - is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / [JOBTITLE]
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status. 

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission. 

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.