Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Director of Communications

at Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute

🏢 About Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute

ACRE Institute uniquely merges racial and economic justice advocacy through strategic campaigns that directly challenge corporate power and systemic inequality. This organization stands out for its commitment to centering Black, brown, and poor communities in both its mission and leadership structure, offering a rare opportunity to drive systemic change at the intersection of race, economy, and democracy.

About This Role

As Senior Director of Communications, you'll architect the communications strategy for ACRE's newly merged organization during a critical five-year organizing push. This role directly shapes public discourse on racial and economic justice while leading a team to execute high-impact earned media, digital advocacy, and campaign materials that advance movement goals.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve strategizing with campaign directors about upcoming actions, reviewing press materials for a corporate accountability campaign, mentoring communications staff on narrative development, and planning digital content that connects local organizing to systemic economic justice issues—all while ensuring messaging aligns with ACRE's commitment to centering affected communities.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute Is Looking For

  • Has 12+ years in progressive advocacy communications with proven experience designing strategies that shift public debate on racial/economic justice issues
  • Demonstrates exceptional narrative-building skills through concrete examples of communications campaigns that mobilized communities or influenced policy
  • Combines deep racial justice commitment with practical experience managing teams through complex campaign cycles and crisis communications
  • Shows ability to translate organizing goals into compelling digital and physical materials for diverse audiences including grassroots organizers, policymakers, and donors

📝 Tips for Applying to Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute

1

Quantify your impact on previous racial/economic justice campaigns—include metrics like media placements, engagement rates, or campaign wins influenced by your communications strategy

2

Showcase specific experience with merged organizations or major strategic transitions, as this role requires building unified communications for ACRE's newly combined entity

3

Demonstrate understanding of ACRE's theory of change by referencing their campaigns against corporate targets like banks or fossil fuel companies

4

Include writing samples that show both strategic framing (op-eds, messaging guides) and executional excellence (social media campaigns, press materials)

5

Highlight experience managing communications across multiple stakeholder groups including grassroots organizers, policy experts, and funders—all crucial for ACRE's ecosystem

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your philosophy for building communications strategies that center racial justice while achieving concrete campaign victories', "Specific examples of how you've led teams through complex advocacy campaigns with measurable impact on public debate or policy", 'Your approach to integrating digital advocacy, earned media, and materials production into a cohesive strategy supporting organizing goals', "Why ACRE's focus on corporate accountability and community leadership resonates with your experience and values"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → ACRE's current campaigns targeting specific corporations or industries (like their work on banking or climate justice)
  • → The organization's recent merger and how it's positioning itself in the broader racial economic justice ecosystem
  • → ACRE's theory of change documents or public framing about corporate power and community-led solutions
  • → The leadership team's backgrounds and public statements to understand organizational priorities and culture
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design a communications strategy for ACRE's five-year organizing plan, balancing immediate campaign needs with long-term narrative building?
2 Describe a time you managed crisis communications for a racial justice organization during a high-stakes campaign—what was your process and outcome?
3 How do you approach supervising a communications team in a remote, distributed environment while maintaining campaign momentum?
4 What metrics would you establish to measure the success of ACRE's communications in shifting public debate on economic justice issues?
5 How would you ensure ACRE's communications materials effectively serve both grassroots organizers and policy audiences without diluting messaging?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Generic communications experience without clear connection to progressive organizing or racial justice movements
  • Focusing on brand-building or corporate communications approaches rather than campaign-driven advocacy strategies
  • Failing to demonstrate how your work has directly supported organizing goals or community leadership development

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Action Center on Race and the Economy Institute!

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