Careers and Internships
IAVA’s culture is an important part of our DNA. As a results-oriented organization, we have an edgy, intelligent and innovative personality that makes us unique, and our passion for our mission drives us every day. We embrace a diversity of styles, ideas and people – veteran and civilian alike form our staff, from all walks of life.
IAVA’s team members uphold a high level of professionalism and excellence in our Communication, Analytical Thinking, Drive, Execution and Teamwork. That’s why we sell them our CADET Standards of Impact, and together they drive us to power our mission to improve the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families. Similarly, we expect all prospective candidates to demonstrate the same qualities in their professional and personal experience.
IAVA is headquartered in New York City and has an office in Washington, DC. IAVA offers competitive compensation and a great benefits package, including medical, dental, access to vision and a 403(b) retirement plan, and generous paid time off.
If you are interested in working with IAVA, please review our current career and internship opportunities listed in the links below.
Current Job Openings
Current Internships
- Click here to see IAVA’s internship opportunities.
Volunteer Opportunities
IAVA is always seeking dedicated civilian and veteran volunteers to support our mission and grow our reach. Opportunities range throughout the year, from involvement in our membership events or campaigns across the country, to providing administrative support or technical expertise in our NYC or DC offices.
Press Secretary
New York, NY
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the leading voice and empowerment organization for post-9/11 veterans in America. A non-profit founded in 2004 by an Iraq veteran, IAVA’s mission is to connect, unite and empower post-9/11 veterans. IAVA has the largest, most dynamic and most diverse network of post-9/11 veterans in the world and believes that veterans are not a charity, we’re an investment. In the fourteen years since our founding, our groundbreaking advocacy and support programs have invested in those men and women and changed history, driven the national conversation, trained a generation of leaders, and connected more than 1.3 million veterans with resources, community, and support. After over a decade of war, and in the face of a deeply divided nation, our non-partisan work has never been more important.
SUMMARY
The Press Secretary supports the Communications team to raise public awareness of IAVA’s mission and the challenges impacting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families. The Press Secretary supports the execution of IAVA’s press strategy, pitching reporters on our issues, managing data and information related to IAVA communications, and cultivating a national roster of veteran spokespeople to represent the public face and voice of the organization.
The Press Secretary reports to the Director of Communications.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Supporting overall press strategy for IAVA programs, policies and campaigns:
- Tracking the news and breaking alerts about the wars, U.S. military, veterans issues, and developments on Capitol Hill;
- Generating and distributing the IAVA Daily News Brief for members and supporters;
- Drafting press releases, statements and talking points for media under the guidance of the Director of Communications;
- Press intake, pitching and placement of spokespeople;
- Cultivating IAVA’s national roster of veteran spokespeople;
- Working with other departments to generate daily content for our in-house blogs on IAVA.org;
- Supporting research for opeds and other writing projects tied to key campaigns and initiatives including Veterans Day, Memorial Day, etc;
- Organizing press conferences, speaking engagements, and other IAVA events;
- Filing and maintaining IAVA’s online press archive and database.
- Supporting overall constituent communications strategy for IAVA programs, policies and campaigns:
- Drafting and distributing national and local email communications to our veteran and civilian supporter lists under the guidance of the Director of Communications;
- Managing the national and local email calendar(s) week-to-week;
- Tracking overall list growth and email analytics week-to-week;
- Managing and drafting daily content for IAVA’s social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, Community of Veterans, YouTube, etc.
- Other duties as assigned.
EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
- A bachelor’s degree required.
- A minimum of 2 to 4 years of experience as press secretary or similar role
TRAITS
- Exceptional writing and communications skills
- Strong news and political sensibilities
- Strong proficiency with social media
- Basic understanding of HTML and web publishing
- Salesforce data management, Photoshop and video editing skills a plus
- Calm and efficient under pressure and deadlines
- Master organizer and multi-tasker
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment in high-level conversations with press
- Willing to work a flexible schedule including long hours, nights, and occasional weekends
- Enjoys and excels at working as part of a team
- Self-starter with a great sense of humor
- A commitment to IAVA’s mission
TO APPLY: Click Here to complete our online application. Include a cover letter that concisely explains how your experience could be applied to IAVA and why you believe you are what we’re looking for. Applications without a cover letter and writing sample will not be considered. No phone calls, please.
IAVA is an equal opportunity employer; POST 9/11 VETERANS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.
To learn more about IAVA’s history, mission and model, click here.