Communications Manager

Job Information

• Location: NC (remote or Raleigh/Durham)
• Close Date: 05/17/2024
• Hiring Organization: North Carolina Environmental Justice Network
• Contact Email: rania@ncejn.org
• Job Website

Description

ABOUT YOU

You are a creative and collaborative communications professional with a passion for impact; a self-starter who can spot emerging communications opportunities and work with colleagues and community members to bring those strategies to life. You would relish the chance to create content across digital, social and other media to educate and mobilize North Carolina residents for environmental justice. As a strong writer, you can easily pivot from writing Tweets to newsletter articles while bringing an eye for the basics of good graphic design.

Most importantly, you’re a committed team player who’s grounded in equity and justice. You can thrive as part of a remote team, bringing self-awareness and humility to nurture healthy relationships across the organization, our members and partners.

ABOUT US

The North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN or “The Network”) is a leading, member-based 501(c)3 organization with a mission to promote health and environmental equality for all people of North Carolina through community action for clean industry, safe workplaces and fair access to all human and natural resources.

All individuals and groups of people should live in a safe and healthy environment. However, because of their race, ethnicity, and income, many North Carolinians have been subjected to living in unsafe environments. Environmental injustices exist because many businesses, government agencies, and other organizations in positions of power have discriminatory practices and policies. As a BIPOC-led organization with deep roots among the state’s earliest, people-of-color-led movements, NCEJN seeks to enable and empower more livable communities through organizing, advocacy, research, and education based on principles of economic equity and democracy for all people.

The Principles of Environmental Justice serve as fuel and touchstones for our work, reconnecting us with a broader sense of purpose.

Responsibilities

The Communications Manager will report directly to the Co Director of Organizing and Policy, while working at the intersection of all functional units. Responsibilities include:

Content Creation for Engagement (70%)

• Develop and implement a strategy for increased engagement with our members, and with communities at large.
• Develop and maintain a plan for strategic communication on particular EJ issues, in coordination with the Co-Director of Organizing and Policy
• Create and adapt an ongoing plan to educate and mobilize community members and stakeholders across social media platforms, newsletters, blog posts, website content updates, and other creative communications products.
• Take the lead in the production (drafting, recording, editing, or design e.g. Canva) of communications products that speak to both timely campaigns and the broader value of NCEJN in the fight for environmental justice.
• Embrace, self-educate on, and incorporate fun content approaches, such as pithy copy and cultural references, light videos, memes, social media slideshows, and other techniques.
• Collaborate with colleagues, movement partners and consultants to jointly craft key messages for campaigns and emerging issues.
• Support the promotion of key NCEJN events and touchpoints such as its annual summit and topical webinars with digital and creative outreach.

Media Relations (20%)

• Research and maintain lists of media outlets and reporters relevant to NCEJN work.
• Collaborate with colleagues, consultants, and movement partners to conduct media outreach and nurture relationships with journalists through pitches, media advisories, news releases, op-eds, and social media.
• Act as a media coordination contact at NCEJN events, and cover through social media (e.g. live tweeting)
• Maintain a library of media coverage of NCEJN and relevant issues and partners

Relationship Building (10%)

• Join and actively participate in NCEJN’s weekly all-staff planning calls
• Be accessible online, twice a week, on Tandem (similar to Slack or MS Teams) to help foster collaborative spirit and reduce project delays and misunderstandings.
• Attend occasional movement coalition calls to act as NCEJN’s eyes and ears for communications opportunities.
• Support donor relationship maintenance.

To be successful in this role, these minimum qualifications are essential: 

• Basic understanding of the role of communications in building support for social change.
• A commitment to social justice, racial equity and intersectionality.
• Early- to mid-career background (about three to seven years’ experience) in either communications, content creation, public relations, media, nonprofit communications, donor engagement, community-based advocacy, political or election campaign work, or the equivalent academic study or lived experience.
• Demonstrated skill in writing, editing, and proofreading for a range of different audiences (writing samples may be requested).
• Demonstrated skill in digital and social media platforms and strategy, from e-newsletters to Twitter and Instagram. Willingness to make basic website content updates (especially WordPress).
• Strong working knowledge of standard office platforms (e.g. Zoom, Google Docs, MS Office, GSuite) and an interest in and aptitude for learning new software and platforms.
• A willingness to learn on the job and be flexible.
• Highly self-motivated and organized, able to thrive in a remote-work setting.
• A sense of self-awareness, situational and emotional maturity, and a willingness to give and receive constructive feedback.
• Ability to travel to periodic in-person staff meetings, quarterly meetings, and major NCEJN events is required.

Additional skills and gifts that we value but do not require:

• Experience living or working closely within an environmental justice community, communities that are often led predominantly by people who are Black, Latine, Indigenous people-of-color, and sometimes lower income.
• The ability to speak and/or write persuasively in Spanish, or another non-English language spoken in North Carolina communities.
• More advanced visual storytelling skills, such as video production and editing, graphic design, etc.

Salary/Benefits

This position is a full-time, remote, non-exempt position with a salary of $69,000. While many staff live near the Durham-Raleigh area, this position has the flexibility to work from anywhere within the state. Ability to travel to periodic in-person staff meetings or major NCEJN events is required. NCEJN is committed to the health, well-being and work-life balance of our team. Our benefits include:

• 10 paid holidays plus two week office closure at year end
• 18 days paid time off per year prorated
• 12 health days (conventionally known as sick days)
• Health insurance coverage
• Individual and team professional development opportunities and support.

Application Instructions

• Please submit your resume and something to show us who you really are! It’s your choice – it could be a written summary, a video cover letter, a digital collage or portfolio of work samples. Using the subject line “NCEJN Communications Manager,” send those materials to rania@ncejn.org.  Please include your full name in any file attachments.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting from April 15,  and the position will be open until filled.

The North Carolina Environmental Justice Network prioritizes an equitable and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to engaging the skills and leadership of people of color, LGBTQIA+ persons, and other individuals from diverse backgrounds. People from these and other historically marginalized backgrounds are encouraged to apply. If you require assistance or accommodation due to disability, please email us at hr@ncejn.org.