Overall Duties and Responsibilities

Change Consulting is seeking a smart, creative communications and narrative strategist with a proven track record for developing strategies and plans, brand language and messaging that advances social and racial justice organizations’ mission, vision, and goals. 

As a key part of the strategy team, the communications and narrative strategies will provide cutting-edge expertise and leadership to the agency and to our clients. You will be our in-house narrative strategist and expert at all things messaging and framing, with a strong grasp on the science behind developing compelling messaging and a love for the art of language. You will be empowered to support our client partners to succeed in their policy-, advocacy/organizing-, culture-change and fundraising-related goals through the development and implementation of breakthrough communications strategy and messaging. 

Overall Knowledge and Expertise:

  • Strong commitment to racial justice and social justice
  • Excellent written, presentation and interpersonal skills 
  • Ability to manage and move projects, as well as manage relationships across organizations and teams
  • Ability to stay plugged into what’s happening in racial and social justice, mass media and popular culture 
  • Frequently use and general knowledge of industry practices, techniques and standards
  • Demonstrate sound judgement and present best ideas to clients
  • Acting as a model of good citizenship 
  • Fun to work with, and doesn’t take themselves too seriously

The primary responsibilities of the narrative strategist include: 

  • In collaboration with the strategy team, develop accessible, consistent, action-oriented, asset-based messaging and brand language that makes racial and social justice imaginable and irresistible for Change Consultant’s clients. 
    • Messaging projects will span the gamut from organizational and coalition core messaging, to program and campaign messaging, to talking points and speeches. 
    • Key brand language projects will include organizational and campaign naming, taglines, brand narratives and hashtags. 
  • As a core member of the strategy team, support the development and facilitation of client discovery sessions, workshops and trainings, especially those that pertain to messaging, branding and narrative change. 
  • Develop stories and other key pieces of content related to messaging and brand narrative.
  • In partnership with the research lead, develop client assessment and recommendation reports and brand, messaging, and storytelling guides and capacity building tools. 
  • Develop overall short- and long-term communications plans to support programmatic, organizational, policy goals and initiatives.
  • Support client accounts as needed, including by developing and maintaining internal and client-facing work plans and timelines, presentations, scheduling and excellent note taking.
  • Support the learning, growth and collaboration of the broader Change Consulting team by participating in team collaboration sessions and sharing best practices and learning opportunities in your area of expertise.

The ideal communications and narrative strategist is: 

  • A powerful writer with a knack for connecting the dots to make meaning of complex and convoluted concepts, and writing in a way that is empowering, empathetic and accessible to a variety of audiences 
  • Great at coming up with clever, catchy names and phrases relatively quickly
  • A natural storyteller and communicator with a vibrant creative mind
  • A strategic thinker who can hold the big picture and important details simultaneously and find the words that will most effectively move our clients’ priority audiences toward action that advances our clients’ goals 
  • Highly organized and able to stay on top of multiple projects at the same time 
  • A dependable self-starter that reliably meets deadlines
  • Able to work autonomously while proactively asking questions, checking assumptions, and seeking clarity and consensus 
  • A team player who is motivated by responsibility and delivering quality work and has a resilient, positive attitude 
  • Knowledgeable of best practices in narrative strategy, brand language and messaging for racial and social justice
  • Committed to racial justice with a demonstrated understanding of systemic issues impacting Black communities and communities of color and a track record for taking tangible action toward ending white supremacy
  • Polished and poised in client meetings and correspondence 
  • Committed to personal and collective progress, learning and growing

Nice-to haves: 

  • Has a global, decolonized view of narrative and strategic communications and draws inspiration from Black, indigenous practices
  • Stays on top of the news and social media generally and is fired up about following the latest developments in narrative strategy, messaging and brand communication
  • Understands grassroots organizing and legislative/policy campaigns
  • Has some experience in applied research 
  • Interest in and aptitude for taking on increasing leadership as we grow. Ideally the narrative strategist can quickly be trained up and play first chair as needed 
  • Facilitation, public speaking, meeting management skills

Compensation:

  • This position reports to the Director of Communications, Strategy
  • Salary begins at $85,000, contingent on experience; Benefits include health, dental, 401k, vacation and sick time, quarterly office-wide restorative breaks, and learning and self-care stipends 
  • While we are based in Oakland, California, this position can be remote 
  • Folks who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, trans, non-binary, disabled, parents, are/have been system-impacted, are immigrants, and anyone who has experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are encouraged to apply

How to Apply:

  • Please send resume, cover letter and 3 references to hello@change-llc.com.