Company Profile

Company Description:

Organization                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Bureau of Indian Education, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. CCSSO seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public. 
 

Summary                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The Press Secretary leads CCSSO’s proactive media relations strategy and works with the Council’s Director of Communications to provide communications support to CCSSO’s member states and network of state communications directors. The press secretary builds strong relationships with members of the media, keeps their finger on the pulse of news and the media landscape and serves as the Council’s main point of contact for reporters.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Create a proactive media relations strategy for the Council to share the work of the organization and its members.

• Lead media relations for CCSSO by serving as Council’s central point of contact for reporters.

• Pitch compelling stories to national and education media outlets.

• Write and pitch opinion pieces.

• Coordinate interviews with members of the media and CCSSO’s leadership and content experts.

• Lead media relations for the National Teacher of the Year Program, which is run by CCSSO.

• Write, edit or fact check columns, website content, member correspondence, press releases and marketing materials. 

• Inform and support the Director of Communications to create and implement the organization’s strategic communications plan.

• Assist with the day-to-day management of CCSSO’s network of state education agency communications directors, providing strategic support and technical assistance as needed.

• Assist with the Council’s social media activity across multiple platforms.

• Lead media relations trainings with CCSSO staff and members.

• Assist with the preparation of speeches for CCSSO leadership and other staff members.

• Manage media monitoring and updates for the Council.

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 25 percent of the time.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications; Journalism; or similar course work

• 5-7 years of experience in communications (ideally in journalism, a communications firm, non-profit, state education agency, or on Capitol Hill). 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent proofreading skills.
• Ability to identify and successfully pitch compelling stories.
• Superb judgement, trustworthiness and ability to pursue work with care.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative, manage time, execute on competing priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Values collaboration and teamwork.
• Passion for education.
• Exceptionally detail oriented.
• Comfortable learning and using new technology hardware and software. 

Technical Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should be able to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and have created or used charts, spreadsheets, and databases. Successful incumbents are proficient at using Zoom, Outlook, Asana and a media monitoring tool. The individual should have strong writing skills and visual and written storytelling skills, fluency with social media and a proficiency with Microsoft Suite. Experience with WordPress is a plus.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 This is a mostly remote position.