Deputy Director of Communications
Overall Responsibility:
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is seeking an experienced and strategic Deputy Director of Communications to support the Director of Communications and help lead AFPI’s communications operations. This individual will play a critical role in the execution of communications strategies that elevate AFPI’s mission, promote policy initiatives, and amplify the voices of its experts and leadership. The Deputy Director of Communications will manage day-to-day tasks, provide media insights, assist in messaging development, and ensure seamless coordination between communications, policy, and campaign teams.
Responsibilities and Duties:
- Support the execution of day-to-day needs, working with campaign directors and policy teams.
- Develops daily news briefing sheets, analytics reports, etc. and disseminate them to the appropriate staff and leaders.
- Help develop and research messaging sheets for key issues and disseminate those messaging sheets to key leaders for awareness and consideration of changes, and then work with the Director of Communications to implement those messages within communications products.
- Provide feedback on the media landscape, identifying changes and proposing how we should adapt to the new environment.
- Media train up and coming spokespersons/representatives on their interview skills, staying on message, learning to pivot, maintain a brand-consistent presence during interviews and panel discussions, etc.
- Support team members responsible for booking interviews with ideas and opportunities.
- Stand ready to step in for the Director of Communications whenever needed.
Type of Employment:
Full-time
Qualifications:
- A commitment to advancing AFPI’s mission, rooted in constitutional liberties, free-market principles, and a servant-leadership approach.
- Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Political Science, or a related field; relevant professional experience may substitute for formal education.
- Minimum of 4–6 years of experience in communications, media relations, public affairs, or a related field—preferably within a public policy, political, or think tank environment.
- Demonstrated experience managing messaging development, earned media strategies, and issue campaigns.
- Strong ability to translate policy into compelling, accessible content tailored for a variety of audiences and platforms.
- Proven experience in media training, spokesperson preparation, and managing press-facing operations.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a portfolio of high-impact communications materials.
- Strategic thinker with excellent judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple fast-moving projects simultaneously.
- Familiarity with media monitoring, analytics tools, and communications project management platforms.
- Demonstrated professionalism, discretion, and commitment to excellence in all communication tasks.
Salaries for positions will be commensurate with the experience, expertise, and skills of the individual. Please send a cover letter, resume, salary requirement, writing samples, and references.
AFPI is a non-profit, non-partisan research institute offering competitive salaries and benefits to qualified candidates.