What are the responsibilities and job description for the Communications Strategist position at National Legal Aid & Defender Association?
Position Description
Job Summary - Why you’ll love this position
Job Location: This position can be located in Columbia or St. Louis.
Why You’ll Love This Position
The Communications Strategist reports to the Director of Client Advocacy and is responsible for advancing public understanding of our mission to defend indigent clients and advocate for meaningful systemic change. This role strengthens and elevates the narratives that shape how our community views our clients and the importance of public defense, helping ensure that the public fully sees the value, professionalism, and impact of the work we do every day.
The Strategist helps enhance our department’s public image—making our work more visible, better understood, and more compelling to those who may be inspired to support or join our efforts. Through strategic communication, narrative development, and media engagement, this position brings our advocacy to the forefront and amplifies the voices of those we serve.
This position may be based in Columbia or St. Louis, MO, depending upon the candidate’s availability and MSPD needs.
Responsibilities - What You’ll Do
Strategic Communications
Develop and support comprehensive internal and external communications strategies that highlight client advocacy, systemic inequities, and mission-driven public defense work.
Strengthen organizational messaging to ensure the public has an accurate, informed, human-centered understanding of challenges faced by indigent clients.
Create messaging frameworks and talking points for leadership engagements, media appearances, and communication with the community.
Assess communications effectiveness and identify opportunities to improve clarity, impact, and engagement.
Media & Public Relations
Build and maintain relationships with journalists to elevate stories illustrating client experiences and the importance of public defense.
Draft and edit press releases, statements, media advisories, and rapid-response communications.
Identify and pursue media opportunities that enhance public perception, highlight advocacy efforts, and increase visibility of systemic issues.
Content Development & Messaging
Create and oversee other staff in preparation of compelling written and digital content—including newsletters, brochures, web content, reports, and storytelling pieces—that communicate client experiences and organizational impact.
Maintain and update website content to ensure timely, accurate, mission-aligned information.
Lead social media strategy to strengthen public understanding, promote holistic advocacy and resources for clients, and uplift client-centered narratives.
Maintain monthly internal newsletter to keep staff informed, connected, and aligned.
Advocacy Outreach & Stakeholder Communication
Enhance MSPD public presence by improving clarity and resonance of messaging that communicates our impact and values.
Craft materials portraying the mission of public defense in a compelling, accessible way for community members, partners, and stakeholders.
Oversee creation of the annual report, ensuring it reflects client-centered outcomes, advocacy achievements, and organizational values.
Assist Director as needed with communications to the legislature, which may include drafting messaging, preparing explanatory materials, and participating in interactions with legislative offices to help convey client needs, public defense priorities, and the impact of proposed policy changes.
Internal Communications & Organizational Support
Collaborate with staff to gather stories, program updates, and insights that strengthen public messaging and advocacy.
Provide communications support for major initiatives, campaigns, and departmental priorities.
Qualifications - All You Need For Success
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field.
Experience & Skills
Five or more years of communications experience with success creating persuasive, mission-forward messaging. (Additional experience could substitute for educational requirement listed above).
Outstanding writing and editing skills with experience translating complex systemic issues into clear, compelling narratives.
Proven ability to strengthen public understanding of organizational mission through strategic storytelling and media engagement.
Highly collaborative style with strong relationship-building skills across diverse staff, clients, and stakeholders.
Strong organizational skills with experience managing multiple projects, deadlines, and content streams.
Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
Proficiency with digital communications tools, content management systems, and social media platforms.
Familiarity with the legal system or public defense environment is a plus.
Job Details - More reasons to love this position
The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here.
Job Summary - Why you’ll love this position
Job Location: This position can be located in Columbia or St. Louis.
Why You’ll Love This Position
The Communications Strategist reports to the Director of Client Advocacy and is responsible for advancing public understanding of our mission to defend indigent clients and advocate for meaningful systemic change. This role strengthens and elevates the narratives that shape how our community views our clients and the importance of public defense, helping ensure that the public fully sees the value, professionalism, and impact of the work we do every day.
The Strategist helps enhance our department’s public image—making our work more visible, better understood, and more compelling to those who may be inspired to support or join our efforts. Through strategic communication, narrative development, and media engagement, this position brings our advocacy to the forefront and amplifies the voices of those we serve.
This position may be based in Columbia or St. Louis, MO, depending upon the candidate’s availability and MSPD needs.
Responsibilities - What You’ll Do
Strategic Communications
Develop and support comprehensive internal and external communications strategies that highlight client advocacy, systemic inequities, and mission-driven public defense work.
Strengthen organizational messaging to ensure the public has an accurate, informed, human-centered understanding of challenges faced by indigent clients.
Create messaging frameworks and talking points for leadership engagements, media appearances, and communication with the community.
Assess communications effectiveness and identify opportunities to improve clarity, impact, and engagement.
Media & Public Relations
Build and maintain relationships with journalists to elevate stories illustrating client experiences and the importance of public defense.
Draft and edit press releases, statements, media advisories, and rapid-response communications.
Identify and pursue media opportunities that enhance public perception, highlight advocacy efforts, and increase visibility of systemic issues.
Content Development & Messaging
Create and oversee other staff in preparation of compelling written and digital content—including newsletters, brochures, web content, reports, and storytelling pieces—that communicate client experiences and organizational impact.
Maintain and update website content to ensure timely, accurate, mission-aligned information.
Lead social media strategy to strengthen public understanding, promote holistic advocacy and resources for clients, and uplift client-centered narratives.
Maintain monthly internal newsletter to keep staff informed, connected, and aligned.
Advocacy Outreach & Stakeholder Communication
Enhance MSPD public presence by improving clarity and resonance of messaging that communicates our impact and values.
Craft materials portraying the mission of public defense in a compelling, accessible way for community members, partners, and stakeholders.
Oversee creation of the annual report, ensuring it reflects client-centered outcomes, advocacy achievements, and organizational values.
Assist Director as needed with communications to the legislature, which may include drafting messaging, preparing explanatory materials, and participating in interactions with legislative offices to help convey client needs, public defense priorities, and the impact of proposed policy changes.
Internal Communications & Organizational Support
Collaborate with staff to gather stories, program updates, and insights that strengthen public messaging and advocacy.
Provide communications support for major initiatives, campaigns, and departmental priorities.
Qualifications - All You Need For Success
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field.
Experience & Skills
Five or more years of communications experience with success creating persuasive, mission-forward messaging. (Additional experience could substitute for educational requirement listed above).
Outstanding writing and editing skills with experience translating complex systemic issues into clear, compelling narratives.
Proven ability to strengthen public understanding of organizational mission through strategic storytelling and media engagement.
Highly collaborative style with strong relationship-building skills across diverse staff, clients, and stakeholders.
Strong organizational skills with experience managing multiple projects, deadlines, and content streams.
Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
Proficiency with digital communications tools, content management systems, and social media platforms.
Familiarity with the legal system or public defense environment is a plus.
Job Details - More reasons to love this position
The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here.