Senior Communications Specialist

California School Employees Association

Senior Communications Specialist - San Jose, CA

CSEA is a public employee union representing over 250,000 classified school employees who work in 750 school districts and community colleges in California.  We are seeking a Senior Communications Specialist to work in our Communications Department in our headquarters in San Jose, CA.

The Communications Department leads the organization’s messaging, branding, and public narrative across digital, print, and media platforms. Our team produces campaigns, publications, video, web and social media content, and print materials that reach members across the state.

This position is a high-impact writing role focused on persuasive, campaign-driven communications. The ideal candidate brings experience in political or advocacy-based writing and understands how to craft messages that move people to action. This includes speeches, campaign materials, member communications, and public-facing content that advances CSEA’s mission.

This role also requires experience managing integrated campaign communications across multiple platforms, including print, email, social media, texting programs, and phone banking, ensuring message consistency and effectiveness across all channels.

Examples of duties and responsibilities:

• Acts as project lead/coordinator for editorial projects, both digital and print
• writes and edits material related to organizing, recruiting members, promoting services and supporting political campaigns
• formats appearance, readability, headlines and story content for digital platforms
• promotes the CSEA brand and image
• writes stories, special publications, news releases
• coordinate workflow between graphic design, web team, and/or print production to ensure on-time, high quality delivery of digital and print materials

Knowledge of:

• cohesive communication across digital platforms
• digital marketing, advertising and public relations
• email marketing and best practices
• speechwriting
• digital content management systems
• data analysis
• project management 
• storytelling
• community, grassroots and worksite organizing
• social media campaigns on various platforms
• popular culture, new advertising trends and techniques
• Grammar, AP style, Chicago Manual of Style, and/or Strunk and White’s Elements of Style for creative and imaginative writing
• web formatting tools 
• newspaper or magazine writing

Ability to:

• be creative, imaginative, and curious
• ability to quickly understand complex information and paraphrase for a broad audience
• write with clarity in a simple, crisp style under tight deadlines
• adapt style to a variety of voices, on many different subjects, to a variety of digital platforms
• problem-solve with a team of creative people
• take critical feedback
• improve, enhance member satisfaction
• remain calm and think clearly under pressure 
• work independently, show initiative and sound judgment
• absorb traditional best practices and adapt to future trends
• conduct research using multiple sources, interviewing subject matter experts, and summarizing information or data
• show strong attention to detail

Experience and education

• Three years’ recent experience in communications, digital and print publications, or social media
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications or related field

Benefits of working at CSEA

CSEA has a proud history of fighting for social and economic justice to make a difference in our members’ lives.  We are dedicated to fighting for income equality, affordable healthcare, quality education, and secure retirements for our members.  We seek a creative candidate who is passionate about standing up for members, students and unions.

The salary range for the Senior Communications Specialist is $106,184 - $131,544.   Starting salaries are typically at the first step on our salary range.  Consideration may be given for exceptional qualifications and experience.  We offer 19 paid holidays, 3 weeks’ vacation to start and 5 weeks after 7 years, medical benefits for you and your family, life insurance coverage and a pension plan.

Only applications on our web site will be considered.  Go to: www.csea.com/careers, upload your resume and write a cover letter that tells us why this ad caught your eye and why we should hire you!  

Questions?  Contact HR at [email protected]  Please do not send resumes or other documents to this email.

CSEA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to building and supporting a diverse workforce.

This is an exempt position under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

EOE/AA

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