Digital Director, Lambda Legal (Remote)

About Lambda Legal

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.

Since 1973, Lambda Legal has used impact litigation and other advocacy tools to decriminalize same-sex relationships; challenge discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV in the workplace, in the home, in schools, in health care, and in the military; and protect LGBTQ+ families, including by winning and defending marriage equality. Clients are not charged for legal representation or advocacy, and Lambda Legal receives no government funding. Headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal has regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington, D.C.

Lambda Legal believes that serving the full breadth of the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities requires cultural competency and enthusiasm for diversity of all kinds. To be successful, the organization approaches its work with an understanding that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is not the only obstacle to achieving full formal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV; rather, it recognizes the intersectional nature of discrimination, specifically including biases based on race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, education, and class. In light of this reality, Lambda Legal prioritizes awareness and proactive commitment to counteracting these biases and their compounding effects.

Position Summary

Lambda Legal seeks a Digital Director who is a creative, strategic, and intuitive marketer with a well-developed sense of urgency. The Digital Director will drive Lambda Legal’s digital presence, web technology, and digital marketing strategies, establishing a digital center of excellence that defines scalable and prioritized systems + processes. S/he/they will be charged with hiring a digital team that collectively executes the plan and contributes to the organization’s strategic vision.

In partnership with Development and Legal department leaders and the Chief Communications Officer, the Digital Director will define the strategy for how Lambda Legal’s digital presence drives fundraising, outreach, member acquisition, and brand building forward.

In service of the organization’s strategic imperative to make Lambda Legal a household name, the Digital Director’s overarching objectives are to decisively increase the organization’s visibility, elevate its profile, and strengthen its engagement with donor communities, ultimately driving revenue and showcasing the critical importance of its work at this moment in history.

This is a wonderful opportunity for a talented marketer to help solidify the brand story of a 50-year-old organization poised to be the most influential leader and defender of rights in the LGBTQ+ movement over the next decade and beyond. Virtually every right that exists for LGBTQ+ Americans has been won through impact litigation, many because of Lambda Legal. This story must be told.

This new leader and their contributions will advance Lambda Legal’s new strategic plan, a priority of which is to make Lambda Legal a household name. By raising the visibility and influence of Lambda Legal, the organization will reach new audiences, deepen its relationship with current supporters, and attract new donors to drive revenue that fuels its critical legal advocacy and impact litigation. A prominent profile and brand presence across various media will support fundraising and development efforts to secure Lambda Legal’s long-term financial health—another strategic objective and a priority for the marketing and communications teams.


Essential Job Functions

The Digital Director will lead the creation of long- and short-term digital communications plans for Lambda Legal’s digital properties and conduct market analysis on digital content. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Establish and lead the digital communications strategy for the organization, both proactive and reactive, prioritizing the improvement of Lambda Legal’s rapid response mechanisms and performance
• Conceptualize and implement Lambda Legal’s approach to digital messaging and how it relates to the organization’s overall communications strategy
• Communicate digital strategy across teams and departments at Lambda Legal
• Create and enhance the direction and tone of digital content
• Analyze and optimize digital marketing; conduct and oversee A-B testing and various other assessments to achieve maximum engagement and effectiveness
• Develop and support multi-channel strategies
• Leverage search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) as it relates to content and digital strategy
• Develop and hone one’s understanding of fundraising
• Leverage digital mechanisms to convert audiences; donation pages to drive revenue, galvanize constituents, and increase membership
• Set KPIs to track and measure digital outreach
• Manage and mentor direct reports while cultivating a growing a team
• Identify digital communications opportunities to amplify Lambda Legal’s mission and initiatives
• Maintain a successful and proactive digital strategy

Qualifications

Education + Experience Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree and/or equivalent work experience; advanced degree in Digital Marketing, Marketing, or Communications

• Seven or more (7+) years of experience in high-stakes, fast-paced communications environments, with three years or more (3+) setting, leading, and executing a complex digital communications strategy
• Demonstrable experience in corporate/tech/media communications and a successful track record in messaging strategy, consumer marketing, and sales marketing is ideal
• Experience working with a nonprofit organization and/or law firm is a plus
• Experience building a department, processes, and infrastructure from scratch

Skills + Competencies

• High emotional intelligence; able to understand the needs and concerns of partners and colleagues
• Big thinker; Data-driven with an interest in or experience with the legal community
• Comfortable with change; flexible and agile in a constantly transforming environment
• Strong attention to detail with an analytical mind and superb problem-solving skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, exceptional communication + presentation skills (both written and spoken), supervisory, and decision-making skills; good judgment
• Highly organized with excellent time and project management skills
• Ability to cultivate and maintain strong relationships remotely
• Resourceful, proactive, self-motivated with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
• Possess the following personal attributes: Trustworthy, Strategic, Organized, Results-driven, Self-starter, Inclusive, Transparent, and Collaborative
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with the capacity to make decisions and anticipate future needs in a changing environment
• Capacity to translate complex and/or legal issues to the public in accessible, understandable terms
• Experience with direct mail/direct response a plus
• Self-starter with a history of leveraging exceptional creativity and digital savviness to advance an organization's digital communications goals
• Proven success within a highly flexible, visible, entrepreneurial culture; comfort working under tight timelines in a fast-paced environment
• A collaborative approach to work and a demonstrated capacity to "play well with others," including colleagues in other departments
• Strong interpersonal skills and exceptional communication and presentation skills, both written and spoken, with an ability to inform, influence, convince, and persuade
• Ability to navigate a wide variety of stakeholders and juggle competing priorities and interests to move the work forward

Working at Lambda Legal requires a demonstrated awareness of and commitment to the concerns of the breadth of the communities that Lambda Legal serves. Prior work on behalf of the LGBT community and/or people living with HIV is highly desirable but not required. Some experience working with historically underrepresented communities (in a professional or volunteer capacity) is also desirable. Any successful candidate will welcome the opportunity to work in a gender-diverse and racially diverse environment.


Reporting Relationships

The Digital Director reports to the Chief Communications Officer and has the following supervisory responsibilities:

• Deputy Digital Director* – vacant
  • Social Media Manager – vacant
  • Social Media Associate – vacant
  • Email Strategist

*indicates a direct report


Compensation + Benefits

The salary range for this position starts at $125,000.

A competitive benefits package is provided, including:

• Medical*
• Dental*
• Life insurance*
• Short- and long-term disability insurance*
• Vision
• Pre-tax Health Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent care account
• Commuter transit account
• 403(b) retirement account with a 2% employer contribution plus up to 4% match
• Substantial vacation (accrue up to 15 days year 1)
• Three personal, 12 sick days
• Lambda Legal observes ten holidays per year and is supportive of the observance of religious holidays

* Life insurance, short- and long-term disability, and basic medical and dental provided at no cost to the employee.

As a reflection of our firm’s commitment to equity and equal pay for all, it is Cooper Coleman’s requirement that salary ranges or salary starting points be published for every search we conduct. The practice of not posting salaries perpetuates the gender and racial wage gap and discriminates against women, people of color, and other historically excluded populations by causing individuals to negotiate from a disadvantaged starting point.

Location

This position is remote. The ideal candidate is located in any of the following major metropolitan areas where Lambda Legal has a regional office:

• National Headquarters – New York, NY
• Southern Regional Office – Atlanta, GA
• Midwest Regional Office – Chicago, IL
• South Central Regional Office – Dallas, TX
• Washington, DC Office

Travel + COVID Statement

During the COVID-19 pandemic, travel will be minimal. However, some amount of travel (~15-20%) will be required in the future. Lambda Legal’s offices have reopened. The health and well-being of our employees and their loved ones are of the utmost importance to us. We follow CDC and Department of Health guidelines to ensure the safety of employees who work from the office.


EEO + Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Lambda Legal is committed to further building and maintaining a staff that reflects the full range of LGBTQ+, HIV-affected, and allied communities and is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, transgender, non-binary and gender-diverse people, women, people with abilities in multiple languages, immigrants, people living with HIV, and people living with (or perceived as having) other physical or mental disabilities are encouraged to apply.


Background Checks

Before sending your resume for this position, please read it over for accuracy. Cooper Coleman verifies its candidates' employment and academic credentials at the time of offer, and our clients frequently conduct background checks before finalizing an offer.

Submission Instructions (read carefully)

​​​​Cooper Coleman is leading this search on behalf of Lambda Legal. To apply, please visit this link (www.coopercoleman.com/lambda-legal-jobs). Inquiries and nominations of qualified candidates can be sent to:

Kathy Kraushar

kathy@coopercoleman.com

Kindly use the position title as the subject line of your email. All inquiries will be held in confidence.

A cover letter is not required with your initial application but is welcomed to help us understand your fitness for this role during our initial evaluation. Candidates invited for interviews will be asked to provide a thoughtful letter of interest indicating their specific qualifications for the opportunity, desire to join Lambda Legal, and connection to its mission.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the successful candidate has been selected.

Cooper Coleman LLC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified candidates and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or identity, age, ability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis.