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National Education Association (NEA) - Senior Director, Center of Communications

Organization Overview: The National Education Association (NEA) is America’s oldest and largest organization committed to advancing excellence in public education. NEA’s three million members work at every level of education and believe in the power of public education to transform lives and create a more just and inclusive society. NEA believes education is the cornerstone of democracy and advocates for equal opportunity for every student, every educator, every family.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the country. The nation’s largest professional employee organization, NEA is committed to fulfilling its vision to provide a great public school for every student. NEA advocates for education professionals and unites members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed. NEA focuses on improving the quality of teaching, increasing student achievement, and making schools safer, better places to learn.

Position Summary: The Senior Director of Communications at the National Education Association (NEA) leads high-impact integrated communications strategies to support NEA’s mission and strategic priorities, with an emphasis on member engagement, organizational growth, and brand elevation. This position oversees a team of 50+ communications professionals across digital engagement, media relations, editorial content, creative services, and business operations, ensuring that all communications initiatives align with NEA’s objectives. A successful candidate will need to build collaborative relationships across the NEA enterprise. The Senior Director will work collaboratively with NEA’s governance, provide strategic support to state and local affiliates, and contribute to the NEA’s strategic planning and influence.

Responsibilities: The Senior Director for the Center for Communications serves as a member of NEA’s executive team, with specific responsibilities to ensure the Center for Communications serves NEA’s members and advances the NEA’s mission by:

• Communications Strategy and Analysis
  • Developing and implementing actionable, measurable communication plans that support NEA’s strategic goals and enhance brand visibility and reputation among key audiences, including members, parents, policymakers, partners, and other stakeholders.
  • Developing and executing a public relations strategy to position NEA leadership as national thought leaders in education and labor issues, fostering strong external relationships with media and key influencers.
  • Anticipating and proactively addressing emerging issues, offering strategic communications counsel to the leadership team to support organizational goals.
  • Working closely with the senior management team to contribute to NEA’s strategic planning process, aligning communications strategies with organizational objectives.
  • Establishing performance benchmarks, conducting annual performance reviews, and providing regular reports to leadership on campaign performance, key learnings, and future opportunities.
• Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Supporting and enhancing NEA’s affiliate network by providing counsel on communications strategy, coordinating national and affiliate messaging, communications and message training for leaders and members, and building strong partnerships to meet state affiliates' needs.
  • Serving as the primary liaison between NEA’s national office and state/local affiliates, coordinating messaging priorities and campaign strategies to amplify NEA’s impact.
  • Representing NEA in professional forums, committees, and public relations events, positioning the organization as a leader in public education advocacy.
• Content and Brand Management
  • Overseeing development and production of all NEA communications across digital, media, editorial, and creative services, including NEAToday, newsletters, print publications, web, and other online platforms.
  • Creating and implementing integrated communications strategies that drive awareness and action, ensuring alignment across owned and paid media channels.
  • Leading teams responsible for creating innovative, compelling engagement strategies and content across channels, ensuring consistency in brand voice, tone, and messaging.
  • Designing, developing, and overseeing effective external communications systems and tools that amplify NEA’s programs and priorities among targeted audiences.
  • Serving as a spokesperson and managing media interactions, prioritizing media opportunities, and developing talking points, speeches, and presentations for NEA leadership.
• Team Development and Operations
  • Recruiting, managing, and mentoring a communications team, promoting a culture of high performance, innovation, continuous improvement, and accountability.
  • Setting and evaluating performance objectives, providing ongoing development opportunities, and administering performance reviews.
  • Ensuring non-dues revenue initiatives' continuous growth across all communications channels.
  • Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Center for Communications, including budgeting, planning, and the allocation of resources to ensure alignment with strategic goals.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in communications preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and skills may be obtained.
• Proven expertise in communications strategy, public relations, brand management, and media relations, with experience in organizational communications at a national or large-scale level.
• Ability to develop and implement comprehensive communication plans that align with organizational goals and engage diverse audiences effectively.
• Proven leadership skills in fostering a creative work environment and working collaboratively across a complex organization to ensure effective integration and alignment of resources and programs.
• Proven ability to direct, coordinate, coach, mentor, motivate, delegate, and supervise staff effectively through a collaborative, results-driven approach.
• Demonstrated senior management expertise, including a successful record of achievement in leading a diverse, professional business unit. Management experience within a union environment is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to labor-management collaboration.
• Proficiency in digital and media strategy, with demonstrated experience in managing multi-channel content strategies, engagement efforts, and public relations.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including media, influencers, and affiliate organizations.
• Ability to travel frequently (30-45 overnights per year).

Compensation: The salary range for this position is $225,000 - $255,575.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the following is provided: The position involves creative and analytical thinking; oral and written communication skills; meticulous attention to detail; human relations skills; use of a computer and/or laptop; sitting, standing or walking for long periods; stooping, bending, and reaching; and stamina to work long hours and ability to travel by various conveyances, e.g., automobile, plane.

The National Education Association is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply.