Job Description

Position:  Public Information Officer 

Department:  Communications 

Office Location:   The ideal candidate is located in any of the following states or major metropolitan areas where Lambda Legal has an office: New York, NY (Headquarters); Atlanta, GA (Southern); Dallas, TX (South Central); Chicago, IL (Midwest); Los Angeles, CA (Western); or Washington, D.C. 

Work Type Designation:  Work From Home 

Reports to:  Director of Media Relations or Senior Communications Director, Media & Messaging 

Annual Salary Range: $64,481 - $109,725. The salary for this role will be determined by a candidate's years of relevant experience related to the position, as well as their geographic region. Our salary scale steps start at 1 year or less and go up to 30+ years of experience. 

Union Salary Grade:  C1. This is a union position. 

Travel:  Approximately 30% travel required 

FLSA Status:  Exempt/Full-time 

Supervisory Responsibilities: None. 

Who We Are  

Lambda Legal is a national advocacy organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. Since 1973, Lambda Legal has used impact litigation and other advocacy tools to decriminalize same-sex relationships; challenge discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV in the workplace, in the home, in schools, in health care, and in the military; and protect LGBTQ+ families, including by winning and defending marriage equality. Our clients are not charged for legal representation or advocacy and Lambda Legal receives no government funding. Headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal also has regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington, DC.   

We believe that serving the full breadth of the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities requires cultural competency and enthusiasm for diversity of all kinds. To be successful, we must approach our work with an understanding that discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status is not the only obstacle to achieving full formal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV; rather, we recognize the intersectional nature of discrimination, specifically including biases based on race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, education, and class. Considering this reality, we prioritize a proactive commitment to counteracting these biases and their compounding effects in the work we do, but also in how we work together as an organization.  

 

Public Information Officer 

Lambda Legal is seeking a talented and creative Public Information Officer to join the communications team and drive media coverage of critical LGBTQ+ issues in the news. The Public Information Officer will coordinate news media activities for the organization. The goals of media and communications work at Lambda Legal is to educate the public on matters of equality as well as to position the organization as a national leader of legal, education and public policy advocacy on behalf of equality for LGBTQ+ people and people with HIV.  

The Communications Department leads the media and digital communications efforts of the organization and coordinates with the Legal Department in carrying out our public affairs work. We work to influence the national debate, create public support for Lambda Legal’s impact litigation and for laws that lead to equality for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV and increase support for the organization by communicating Lambda Legal’s ideas and achievements to a broad range of audiences. 

 

What you’ll do:  

The Public Information Officer is responsible for extensive contact with journalists, frequent interaction with Lambda Legal attorneys around the country. A central focus of this work is to establish Lambda Legal as a go-to source for legal information and vision related to the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities as well as to write press releases and place news stories about fast-breaking developments involving Lambda Legal’s legal, policy, and educational activities.  

Public Information Officers are also asked to write and place op-eds, cultivate reporter relationships, earn significant long-lead and broadcast coverage of Lambda Legal’s work, and coordinate closely with the organization’s digital team. Public Information Officers are typically assigned a region of focus and a portfolio of work but could work on any urgent or priority issues at the organization. 

The Public Information Officer also coordinates press conferences and other media outreach events that may require travel to locations nationwide and collaboration with on-the-ground and sibling organizations, and research into and connection with diverse local media platforms. The following is a list of the core responsibilities of the Public Information Officer:   

• Facilitate comprehensive communication strategies that effectively convey the organization's mission, values, and initiatives to the media, public, and internal audiences 
• Write and place press releases, op-eds, and internal communications, ensuring consistency and alignment with organizational messaging 
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key media contacts, proactively securing media coverage, managing media inquiries, and serving as a spokesperson for the organization 
• Develop and conduct media training sessions for organizational leaders, plaintiffs, and spokespeople, equipping them with the skills needed to effectively communicate with the media and the public 
• Secure significant long-lead and broadcast coverage of Lambda Legal’s work 
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure cohesive messaging and alignment with overall organizational goals, providing communication support for various programs and initiatives. 
• Coordinate closely with the organization’s digital team to support the distribution of communications and content. 

 

Who you are:  

With the understanding that no one person will offer every desired skill and characteristic outlined below, compelling candidates will offer much of the following:   

• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience demonstrating increasing responsibility in creating effective messages for breaking news, cultivating relationships with journalists, and proactively securing media coverage. 
• Strong pitching skills required, particularly with broadcast outlets.  
• Must have excellent writing skills, with the ability to translate complex legal material into concise, accurate, and compelling language for the general public including press releases, op-eds, blog posts and essays. 
• Experience conducting media training for organizational spokespeople and clients. 
• Knowledge of LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy as well as demonstrated understanding of messaging and communications for a mission-driven organization. 
• Experience and fluency with digital communications tools including social media platforms. 
• Experience in identifying and effectively communicating with diverse audiences.  
• Excellent planning and project management skills to help lead and support a talented team of professionals. 
• Spanish language proficiency a plus. 

Successful candidates will welcome the opportunity to work in a racially- and gender-diverse environment and to contribute to a positive and inclusive atmosphere. Working at Lambda Legal requires a demonstrated awareness of and commitment to the concerns of the breadth of the communities that Lambda Legal serves. Prior work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community and/or people living with HIV is highly desirable. Experience working with other historically marginalized communities (in a professional or volunteer capacity) is also desirable. 

All employees at Lambda Legal are expected to adhere to ethical conduct in all interactions and tasks, ensuring a positive and respectful workplace environment.    

 

Why Work at Lambda Legal? 

You get to do meaningful, life-changing work at a national level for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV. Lambda Legal also proudly offers competitive benefits for our team. We understand that our staff’s dedication and effort are instrumental in achieving our mission. A highlight of the benefits we offer include: 

• Medical benefits that begin on your start date 
• Dental, Vision, and Life insurance (effective 30 days from your start date) 
• Short & Long-Term Disability plans (effective 30 days from your start date) 
• 403(b) Retirement Plan (employer contribution and matching program begins after 90 days of employment) 
• Paid Time Off: 
  • Paid Vacation (15 Days) 
  • Sick Leave (12 Days) 
  • Personal Leave (3 Days) 
  • Religious Observance Leave (3 Days) 
  • Bereavement and Bereavement Anniversary Leave 
  • Floating Holiday (1 Day) 
• 12 paid holidays and 5 early office closures 
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA/DC FSA) and Commuter Benefits 
• Health Reimbursement Account 
• Annual professional development fund 
• $50 monthly mobile phone reimbursement 
• Summer Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day 
• Premium subscription to the Calm App 
• Paid sabbatical after 7 years of service at Lambda Legal (4 weeks for non-exempt positions and 8 weeks for exempt positions) 

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Read more about Lambda Legal's work on our blog and Instagram .

Lambda Legal believes in creating a more equitable playing field for applicants and values the depth of relevant skills built through successful education, work, and life experiences. If your background and skills are a close match for this position, you are strongly encouraged to apply.

Lambda Legal is committed to further building and maintaining a staff that reflects the full range of LGBTQ+, HIV-affected and allied communities, and is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. Lambda Legal encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and gender-diverse people, women, people with abilities in multiple languages, immigrants, people living with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals and individuals living with HIV are all encouraged to apply.

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