SEIU Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR)
 

Deputy Communications Director

Based in Chicago, IL; New York City, NY; Washington, DC areas

 

About Us
The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is the largest house staff union in the United States. We are a local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing over 41,000 resident physicians who are dedicated to improving residency training and education, advancing patient care, and expanding healthcare access for our communities. CIR’s mission is to empower our nation’s interns, residents and fellows to fight for excellence for our patients. 

Job Summary 
CIR is looking to hire a Deputy Communications Director to be located in the Chicago, New York City or Washington, DC areas to join the Communications team. The Deputy Communications Director strengthens the union’s Communications Department by building the internal capacity of staff, managers, and systems to achieve department goals and organizational priorities. The Deputy Director is responsible for leading staff development and supporting department operations—ensuring team members are resourced, trained, and supported to deliver powerful communications campaigns that amplify the voices of residents, interns, and fellows. 

The Deputy Director focuses on quality control and workflow systems, while also serving as a key partner to the Director in planning, evaluation, and organizational leadership. This position ensures that the department consistently produces clear, engaging, and high-quality communications that mobilize members, shape public debate, and advance CIR’s priorities.

The Deputy Director shows a demonstrated commitment to racial, economic, gender and social justice in messaging, leading staff, and interacting with colleagues and members. This position requires directing multiple staff and consultants working on high-profile and sometimes confidential issues.

The Deputy Director of Communications reports directly to the Communications Director. The Deputy Director supervises staff as assigned and may serve as acting lead of the Communications Department during the Director’s absence. 

What You’ll Do
Team Development & Capacity Building

• Lead training and professional development within the Comms Department, ensuring all staff have the information, tools, coaching, and growth opportunities needed to thrive.
• Strengthen quality control practices within the Comms Department, ensuring department outputs are effective, accessible, disciplined, and connected to union strategic priorities.
• Lead accountability and performance evaluation practices within the Comms Department.
• Supervise Comms staff as assigned, providing direct coaching and evaluation.

Department Operations & Planning

• Partner with the Director on annual department and long-term strategic planning and evaluation that advances team goals and organizational strategic priorities.
• Contribute to the development and monitoring of multi-year strategic communications plans, ensuring alignment with the union’s overall strategic vision.
• Strengthen project management practices within the Comms Department, ensuring Comms staff and consultants collaborate effectively within the team and across departments.

Strategic Communications Leadership

• Assist in developing and lead the implementation of campaign communications, media strategy, member to member communications programs, message development and message discipline.
• Evaluate communications strategies and integrate lessons learned to improve future campaigns.
• Follow emerging media, digital, and organizing trends; equip staff with tools and strategies.
• Ensure the department makes full and effective use of all available communications channels, guided by a cohesive, long-term strategic framework.

Organizational Leadership

• Represent the Comms Department in cross-departmental meetings and collaborative projects as needed.
• Help manage workflow between the Comms Department and other internal departments.
• Serve as acting lead of the department when the Communications Director is unavailable, assuming key responsibilities during absences, leaves, or periods of high workload.

What Makes A Great Candidate

• Demonstrated success supervising, training, and mentoring staff, with a focus on leadership development and accountability. 
• Proven ability to build systems that raise quality standards, strengthen team capacity, and sustain high performance.
• Experience in campaign communications, media relations, and/or public affairs in labor, advocacy, or social justice organizations. 
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with ability to develop strategy, plan, evaluate, and improve systems.
• Excellent collaboration skills and the ability to build constructive relationships across teams and with external allies.
• Commitment to racial, economic, gender, and social justice, to building a progressive labor movement, and to organizing the unorganized.
• Ability to work effectively in politically sensitive and fast-paced environments.
• 5+ years of experience in campaign communications, media relations, public affairs, or related fields with a labor union.
• 2+ years in a supervisory role, including direct responsibility for staff development and team capacity building with a labor union.
• A Bachelor’s degree in a communication-related field a plus, but not required 
• Must reside in either the Chicago, New York City or Washington, D.C. areas.
• Understand email and social media analytics and be able to leverage online tools to prioritize engagement over vanity metrics
• An understanding of brand-cohesion and good storytelling
• Must have basic graphic design skills to create textable graphics, memes, and flyers 
• The ability to work in a fast-paced organization with tight deadlines 
• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy 
• Familiarity with a range of online campaigning tools, CRMs, tactics, and strategies (Every Action/Member van a plus)
• The ability to work independently and as part of a remote team, and can demonstrate a strong ability to work cross-functionally
• Basic knowledge of HTML, Adobe Creative Cloud, or similar programs
• Ability to document actions and turn around compelling content 
• Must be fully vaccinated for Covid in accordance with CDC guidelines, subject to any laws of the state in which the applicant resides.
• The ability to work long and irregular hours including some evenings and weekends
• A willingness to travel as needed 

CIR Offers 
This is a full time, overtime exempt salaried position. The salary for this position is $129,000.

Excellent benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage with no employee contributions; generous paid leave time including four weeks’ vacation within the first calendar year of employment, paid holidays, personal days, and sick days; short and long-term disability insurance; 401(k); defined benefit pension plan; and mileage reimbursement. 

To Apply: 
In addition to a résumé, please include a cover letter that explains your reason for wanting to work for CIR, an example of how you demonstrated success in a similar position, and a description of how this position fits into your long-term career plan. Please be sure to include all of your paid professional experience on your résumé. Please send your résumé and cover letter to: jobs@cirseiu.org with the Subject Line: Deputy Communications Director. 

CIR is committed to equal opportunity for all employees and applicants and encourages applications from all qualified candidates. As a proud Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE), we do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, religion, sex, sexual stereotyping, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), or any other protected category recognized by state, federal or local laws. CIR provides reasonable accommodations, in accordance with applicable law, for qualified individuals with disabilities, for individuals’ religious beliefs and practices, and on any other basis required by law. If, to apply for this job or to participate in a job interview, you require a reasonable accommodation, please let us know. 

Please visit our website for more information: www.cirseiu.org.