Director of Communications

Summary Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) seeks an experienced, savvy, and creative communications professional with an understanding of the public conversation around AI and a commitment to responsible innovation. As the Communications Director, you will craft and implement communication strategies that increase the public visibility of ARI and our senior leadership to advance the cause of protecting the public from harm while continuing to foster innovation. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Communications Director will collaborate with ARI’s President, Executive Director, SVPs of Government Affairs, and external stakeholders to drive consistent messaging across all communication channels. In addition to overseeing ARI’s messaging strategy, you may play a role in designing ARI’s tone and brand, and your assessments of the political dynamics among the general public and key constituencies could help ARI’s leadership team formulate our strategic priorities while identifying risks and opportunities.

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Core responsibilities will include issuing press releases, securing interviews and speaking engagements for ARI’s leaders, placing thought leadership writing across a range of media outlets, managing email & paid media campaigns, helping promote ARI events and publications, and building ARI’s social media presence. Part of the role will require reacting opportunistically to current events and political developments and working to ensure that ARI’s perspective is inserted into the public dialogue during critical moments. The ideal candidate has crafted innovative strategic communications for an elected official, company, or issue advocacy organization, and possesses deep knowledge of U.S. politics and at least a generalist understanding of the public conversation regarding AI. By driving awareness of ARI’s strategy and its policy positions and programmatic priorities among elected officials, other civil society organizations, tech companies, funders, and other key stakeholders, the successful candidate will shape a future in which appropriate safeguards steer AI innovation in the direction of the public interest. Essential Functions Shaping our tone and brand. You will set guidelines on how we should describe our work and policy positions, and help ensure that all team members adhere to them. Overall communications strategy. You’ll create and maintain a comprehensive communications strategy and determine the role that PR, social media, email, thought leadership, and paid ads play in that strategy. Depending on experience, you may become a strategic thought partner at the highest levels of the organization, and take ownership for steering our organization’s communications strategy through a time of early growth and increasing visibility. Content publication strategy. You’ll amplify the impact of our work through content publication and find ways to amplify the reach of each piece. PR and media. Write press releases, distribute them to journalists, and manage media relationships. Help ARI leaders get quoted in relevant stories. Fast, reliable service on day-to-day communications operations. You’ll manage “bread and butter” communications items like updating the website, sending out email newsletters, managing social media channels, and responding to media requests. Website. Update and manage the website, ensuring the content is in line with our tone and messaging guidelines. Social media. Develop, implement, and optimize a social media strategy for the ARI, develop original content/creative, manage or oversee scheduling and posting of content, and report on results. Support ARI leaders. Increase public visibility of our leadership, coordinate interviews & speaking engagements, develop messages, produce briefings, and provide talking points. Rapid response. Define ARI strategy and process, including when and how to respond, that ensures our perspective is inserted into the media and public dialogue when there is breaking news, current affairs, or crises related to (or adjacent to) ARI strategy and priorities. Measurement & evaluation (Optional). If you have relevant experience, we may ask you to set annual measurable success metrics for ARI communications reach, gather data and qualitative feedback to provide reporting, evaluate impact, and adjust strategy accordingly.

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Qualifications 3+ years (5+ preferred) of experience in communications or public relations, with significant experience in political communications or non-profit/advocacy work. Basic understanding of the public conversation dynamics around AI. A record of success securing and supporting high-profile media coverage. Alignment with ARI’s mission, vision, and values.

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Compensation & Location Location: This is a full time position based in Washington, DC. We have a hybrid work culture, where we work in-person downtown Tuesdays-Thursdays and from home on Mondays and Fridays. Salary range: $130,000- $240,000, depending on experience