Theatre of the Oppressed NYC (TONYC) is seeking a full-time (32 hours/week) Communications Director, to be responsible for the development and implementation of our overall narrative and communications strategy. This role will amplify the work of our actors and facilitators to engage audience members, community organizations, incoming actors, volunteers, and donors. 

The ideal candidates have demonstrated expertise in planning communication strategies inclusive of social media, email campaigns, printed materials, and press releases; technical skills in graphic design and basic video editing; and experience maintaining information on a website and in a contact database. As some of our performances are in Spanish, proficiency in the language is preferred. Candidates have applied anti-oppression principles in prior work practices, and are prepared to participate in a workplace where issues surrounding systemic oppression are regularly discussed - including in regards to our own internal work.

The salary for this position is $75,000. Benefits include generous vacation and sick time, commuter benefits, retirement plan, Flexible Savings Accounts, discount ticket program membership, and employer-sponsored health, vision, and dental plans (inclusive of family members). We also offer staff the opportunity to train in the Theatre of the Oppressed practice and pedagogy and access to other professional development opportunities. This position is hybrid with at least one day in the office per week. Attendance at other in-person meetings and events may be required.

Currently, this role reports to the Executive Director. During 2023, TONYC will be codifying and implementing democratic workplace practices. This shift will likely mean that for certain projects and key decisions, the Communications Director will seek approval from a leadership committee that includes TONYC staff, actors, and board. 

Who We Are: Theatre of the Oppressed NYC (TONYC) partners with communities confronting systemic oppression to inspire transformative action through theatre. Through partnerships with social service organizations and advocacy groups, TONYC forms theatre troupes with community members who face pressing social, economic, and human rights issues. These troupes create and perform plays based on their own experiences of systemic oppression, collectively and creatively engaging audiences in brainstorming systemic change.

What You’ll Do:

Strategy and Planning

• Develop and implement narratives to share the work of Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, and promote public appearances, performances, and workshops.
• Manage the communication flow through which individuals can join TONYC as audience members, donors, partners, participants and volunteers. 
• Design and manage the production of public-facing materials, including newsletters, show promotions, and external presentations about our work.
• Coordinate the staff, actors, board members, and community members in developing new content for our website/blog, social media, external articles, and elsewhere. 
• Create messaging and accessibility guides to support staff, actors, board members, and community members in representing TONYC in person and online.

Storytelling & Communication

• Create content including newsletters (sent via email) and social media posts (Facebook/Instagram/Twitter).
• Collaborate with the Director of Development on major fundraising events, including one end-of-year campaign and one online crowdfunding campaign annually.
• Support staff and TONYC community members who are preparing for interviews and speaking engagements, and assist with preparing materials and presentations, as needed.
• Review media invitations and communications from our partners to assess what TONYC participates in and shares via our platforms and networks.
• Build strategic relationships with media and partner organizations.
• Manage the creation of an annual report summarizing activities for each year.
• Support grant proposal and report writing, as needed.

Administration

• Maintain and update our contact database and manage our newsletter lists.
• Update website content.
• Support the translation and interpretation of materials and events.
• Coordinate the documentation of TONYC’s work via photography and videography, and archive the documentation.
• Other responsibilities as developed and agreed upon.

Some key qualities that support collaboration at TONYC include:

• Understanding of democratic decision-making practices and collective approaches to work preferred, open to democratic decision-making practices required. 
• Able to develop productive working relationships with a variety of internal and external individuals and groups, and readiness to collaborate with people from a variety of different backgrounds.
• Strong organizational and project management skills and experience.
• Investment in sustainable collaboration by practicing proactive communication, readiness to learn, and the ability to take accountability.  
• Excellent writing and strategic communication skills.
• Proficiency in Spanish.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Experience with independent time-management.
• An awareness of movement work related to housing, health care, racial justice, the school-to-prison pipeline, LGBTQIA+  rights, immigration, and ending mass incarceration.. 
• Proficiency in the Google suite, Photoshop or a comparable editing software, Nationbuilder or a comparable CRM, social media management systems, Canva, Asana, Mightycause or a comparable crowdfunding platform.

What else you should know:

Theatre of the Oppressed NYC is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages all interested and qualified applicants to apply. TONYC does not discriminate based on age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, housing status, disability, or previous incarceration.

COVID-19 Protocols and Vaccination: TONYC currently requires daily health screenings for in-person work, masks for indoor activities, and rapid testing before eating indoors together and performing, among other safety policies. TONYC employees must also have received the primary vaccination series against COVID-19 before working in-person. TONYC will consider accommodation requests from individuals who are unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccination due to an underlying medical condition, sincerely held religious beliefs, or other reasons on a case-by-case basis in accordance with TONYC's policies as well as federal, state, and local laws. Supporting documentation may be requested. 

How to Apply:

Please fill out this form https://form.jotform.com/230176508268156 . The application includes questions, a request for work samples, and a request for references. TONYC will ask permission from applicants before directly contacting any references. 

Applications received by February 24 will be reviewed in full by our internal hiring committee. Our hiring process typically includes 1 introductory call (est 30 min), 1 in-person interview with staff (approximately 90 min), and a follow-up call as-needed. We aim to conduct interviews in March & April, for a start date in May. 

If you have technical issues with our application, please email [email protected] We request that applicants do not send additional information or materials via email, or contact TONYC to follow up about their application.