National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is the nation’s oldest and largest national parks nonprofit advocacy organization. NPCA has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Communications Manager, Federal Policy, to join our communications department.

Location: Remote (Eastern or Central Time Zone Preferred)

Grade: N

Salary: $75k – 90k (based on experience and location)

Work Status: Full-time (32 hours per week); Exempt

Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package for this role including a four-day, 32-hour work week, paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and paid sabbaticals for staff after seven years of service. Learn more about our benefits at npca.org/jobs.

This position supports NPCA’s Communications Team in elevating the organization’s national policy and legislative priorities through strategic media engagement, messaging and storytelling. The role focuses on translating complex federal issues, such as park funding, park staffing and energy development into compelling narratives that resonate with the public, press and policymakers. 

Working closely with NPCA’s government affairs and conservation programs departments, this position helps shape and execute communications strategies that support NPCA’s national advocacy goals, influence public opinion, and strengthen the organization’s role as a leading voice for park protection across the country.  

Key Responsibilities: 

• Drive media strategies that support NPCA’s national policy and legislative agenda, including but not limited to, park funding, park staffing, energy development, and federal land protection. 
• Develop, execute and lead communications campaigns that align with federal advocacy efforts, including media outreach, press releases, messaging materials and campaign content. Project manage implementation of plans with colleagues from communications and other departments.
• Collaborate with government affairs and other programmatic and regional teams to identify emerging national issues and create timely communications responses that amplify NPCA’s leadership and influence. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with national media outlets and reporters, positioning NPCA as a trusted source on federal park policy and advocacy. 
• Monitor policy developments and media trends to identify proactive and rapid response opportunities that highlight NPCA’s national work and elevate our experts. 
• Prepare NPCA experts and spokespeople for media opportunities, including message development, talking points and media coaching. 
• Ensure consistent and effective messaging across issue areas, reinforcing NPCA’s national brand while advancing advocacy goals. 
• Support cross-channel storytelling, including digital, earned media and content partnerships to further engage audiences in legislative and policy priorities affecting national parks. 
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with media, coalitions and opinion leaders to help move NPCA’s national policy agenda forward. 

Essential Functions:                                                                                                       % of Time

• Communications strategy and project coordination                                               30%
• Media relations and public outreach                                                                       30%
• Messaging and content creation                                                                             40%

                                                                                                                                      Total 100%

Other: Respect employees regardless of their position or background. Participates in developing department goals, objectives, and systems. Participates in administrative staff meetings, organization-wide meetings, staff committee meetings, training programs, and attends other meetings and seminars as designated by the supervisor. Assists in evaluation of reports, decisions, and results of department in relation to established goals. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee in this position. 

Minimum Work Schedule: (32-hour work week, Monday-Thursday.)

Minimum Scope of Position: Phone, video and personal contact with other NPCA staff as well as reporters and partners. Work closely with relevant teams in planning and carrying out press events and activities and in managing media contacts. Up to 20% travel to meet with staff and reporters and attend annual staff retreats.

Minimum Qualifications, Competencies, Skills, Education, and Traits: At least 5-6 years of strategic communications experience, including communications campaign development and execution, and/or combination of environmental sciences, public policy or related fields. Baccalaureate degree in communications, journalism, environmental science or related field and/or lived experience preferred. Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal and presentation skills. In-depth knowledge of best writing and messaging practices for business correspondence, public relations, advertising, marketing and social media. Demonstrated ability in building and maintaining media relationships. Demonstrated success generating earned media. Demonstrated expertise creating strategic, creative and integrated communications campaigns or other similar environmental or sustainability plans to enhance brand recognition and programmatic priorities. Ability to translate complex conservation and government policy into compelling, actionable messages for a variety of audiences. Proficiency in using software including MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel, MuckRack/or similar reporter database.

Core Values

Live, honor, and own the organization’s Core Values: 

Commitment: We are passionate about NPCA and dedicated to achieving excellence through our work and mission. We seek to improve our performance by taking opportunities for professional and personal development and encouraging reasonable risk-taking and innovation.  

Inclusion: We value diversity of thought, background, experience, and opinion. We create a culture of empowerment by welcoming and encouraging meaningful participation from all people and promoting an environment that embraces different perspectives.  

Integrity: We hold ourselves accountable to each other, our members and partners, and our mission. We evaluate the impact of our work and strive for honesty and transparency across the organization. We operate ethically in the organization's best interests.  

Respect: We collaborate in results-oriented teams based on trust and consideration for each other. We promote harmony between our work and our personal lives. We foster a healthy and positive workplace culture and work collaboratively with external partners.  

Physical Effort and Dexterity:  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is typically required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; talk or hear. The employee may lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job may include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Physical Environment: Remote home office.

Employer’s Rights:  NPCA reserves the right to revise this position description at any time.  The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the NPCA and employee and is subject to change by the NPCA as the needs of the NPCA and requirements of the job change. The above is in no way an exhaustive list of the requirements for the position.