Assistant Regional Director, ADL Midwest Region

POSITION TITLE: Assistant Regional Director, ADL Midwest Region 

REPORTS TO: Senior Associate Regional Director, ADL Midwest Region 

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: May assist in supervising interns, including contributing to their hiring, training and evaluation. 

LOCATION: Chicago, IL 

Grade/Class: Grade E, Exempt, PSA-Eligible 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: 

ADL (Anti-Defamation League) is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its essential mission hasn’t changed in more than 100 years: to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.

ADL’s CEO and National Director, Jonathan Greenblatt—an accomplished leader and entrepreneur in the corporate, public, and nonprofit sectors—was recruited to the organization in July 2015. He has injected new energy and brought a bold vision to the agency. Under Jonathan’s leadership, ADL is transforming itself, upgrading its capabilities, leveraging innovation, building partnerships, and pioneering new horizons. 

PRIMARY FUNCTION: 

The Assistant Regional Director works in partnership with the full Regional Operations team to plan, develop, and implement regional communications strategies (earned media, social media and e-communications), coalition building, and advocacy initiatives. The Assistant RD manages the region’s incident response protocols, and as needed, supports program activities and services in the community to advance ADL’s mission. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Primary: 

• Oversee the region’s media and communications activities. This includes but is not limited to coordinating responses to news media inquiries and from members of the public (as appropriate); draft news releases, op-eds, letters to the editor, and media statements; manage the region’s social media channels and website; and oversee the region’s electronic communications program. 
• Demonstrate authoritative knowledge of ADL’s policies and positions and relevant local, national, and world events to respond to inquiries and proactively identify opportunities to promote ADL’s work, and position the organization and senior staff as thought leaders. 
• Respond to and resolve complaints of discrimination, antisemitic incidents, and other civil rights issues. Incident response activities could include in-depth fact-finding research; initiate contacts and develop sources as appropriate; coordinate with Civil Rights Area Counsel and other regional and national ADL staff; and maintain accurate records, reports and data sets on region’s responses to all incidents. 
• Develop and implement community outreach and coalition-building initiatives to elevate ADL’s work and strengthen ties between the organization and a diverse group of cross-cultural and interfaith organizations and leaders, such as the Black, Latinx, Asian American, Muslim, and other faith and communal leaders. 
• Manage government affairs activities, maintaining regular contact with state, local and national officials.  Advocate for ADL issues in state and local legislature. 

• Provide staff support and programming to volunteer-led committees related to the region’s advocacy and civil rights work. 
• Represent ADL and give speeches in a variety of forums to promote public awareness of ADL’s mission.  

 Skills: 

• Exceptional writing ability is essential. 
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and presentation skills and comfort with public speaking required. 
• Digital and social media literacy required. 
• Proven ability to work with and influence a wide variety of audiences through diplomacy and conflict resolution needed. 
• Ability to multi-task with strong administrative and organizational skills essential.  
• Strong competency with Microsoft Office (i.e. Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint) required. 

• Familiarity with WordPress, Salesforce, and various social media platforms, or ability to adapt quickly to new technology platforms essential. 

Work Experience: 

• Two to four years of progressively responsible human relations or community service experience required. 
• Media, communications, community organizing, and/or political organizing preferred. 

Education:   

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent work experience required. 

Work Environment: 

• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends when necessary to represent ADL and to attend community events.  Some travel within the region is required.  Occasional overnight travel is required.  

The information in this job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of employees in this classification.  It is not designed to contain, or be interpreted as, a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and objectives required of employees assigned to this job, nor is it to be interpreted as a contract for employment. 

Salary and benefits are competitive and commensurate with experience.  

 ADL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Recruitment, hiring, promotions and other terms, conditions and privileges of employment shall be maintained in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or military status, or in violation of any applicable Federal, state or local legislation.