Communications Specialist – Columbia Riverkeeper
Organizational Overview: Columbia Riverkeeper is a successful nonprofit organization that unites communities to fight for clean water and our climate. Columbia Riverkeeper advances high-profile campaigns to recover healthy salmon populations and protect the Columbia River from fossil fuels, toxic pollution, the Hanford Nuclear Site, and other threats facing Columbia communities and salmon habitat. Our work is featured in national media, including CNN, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times.
Across our campaigns, we promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in environmental decisions and our own actions. This includes working in solidarity with Tribal Nations to achieve common goals. Our team includes community organizers, scientists, communications specialists, and attorneys. To learn more about our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, click here, and to review our values, click here.
Office Location: Portland or Hood River, Oregon. The Communications Specialist is expected to work twodays a week from the office, with the option to work remotely three-days per week. Note: Work-from-office expectations are subject to change as Columbia Riverkeeper evaluates post-pandemic policies. Depending on the office location, the position requires periodic travel to the Portland/Hood River office and occasional travel within the region for events and meetings.
Status: Full time (40 hours/week average), FLSA exempt (salaried) position. Position Description: The Communications Specialist is a new position that will work in collaboration with the Communications & Marketing Director and Communications Coordinator to support Columbia Riverkeeper’s five program areas and fundraising efforts. The ideal candidate will be a digital marketing marvel with a finger on the pulse of technology. They regularly identify web trends and email marketing strategies from other leading nonprofits to glean insights on best practices and new innovative ideas for email marketing tactics, including audits of how we can acquire, nurture, and retain members.
The Communications Specialist will lead web updates and email layout, list segmentation, and scheduling.
This position needs to balance the planning aspect of long-term projects as well as the time-sensitive nature of the job. As an advocacy organization, we both plan and need to move quickly. The ideal candidate is someone with a willingness to plan and pivot. This includes changing a day or week’s work plan for rapid-response needs to support the communities and Tribes we work with.
They understand the power of strategic digital communications to drive people to action and create real change. They can think through a digital campaign from start to finish and how to track success. They are willing to do creative brainstorming, develop plans, work independently, project manage, hire and manage contractors, hire and monitor vendor agreements, and other logistics for digital campaigns.
This position requires high-level communications skills, strong project management ability, and experience working in a team on a daily basis. Attention to detail and a keen eye for typos are important. The position requires occasional evening and weekend work and travel.
Responsibilities:
• Overview: The Communications Specialist will develop and execute a robust digital marketing strategy around the website, email campaigns, and the client relationship management program (CRM). The Communications Specialist will support staff with digital marketing requests including writing, editing, updating the website, writing and laying out emails, and graphic design (Canva).
• Work in Teams: The Communications Specialist works with almost every member of the staff. They are responsible for task management, time management, and fielding requests from multiple people.
• Manage and Update Website: Lead website as “Project Owner” (creating an editorial calendar of blog posts, evergreen pages, petition landing pages, regular content updates, IT, project management). Regularly look for new ways to improve overall programs through new technology, tools, partners, trends, and best practices.
• Lead Email Marketing Strategies: Execute email and text campaigns, including building emails from templates, list segmentation, scheduling, asset coordination, and on occasion writing and copywriting. Build effective target audiences and segments for every message to drive engagement. Execute email/text marketing calendar and ensure alignment with organization priorities. Devise and execute A/B tests, manage testing calendar, record results, and advise on improvements. Testing includes subject lines, message content, calls-to-action, segments, send time, and new features intended to drive performance lift. Work in partnership with communications and program staff to optimize email creative and template structure based on best practices. Provide regular campaign performance reports that include opens, clicks, conversions, donations, unsubscribes, etc. On occasion support content creation for various digital platforms like social media, website, email, and potentially other channels (e.g., blogs, videos, infographics).
• Social Media Support: The Communications Specialist will work in tandem with other communications professionals on the team to field social media requests on occasion.
• Analytics and Reporting: Tracking and analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) for digital campaigns. This could include metrics related to website traffic, email engagement, social media reach, and campaign effectiveness.
• Crisis Communication / Rapid Response: Communications Specialists will handle digital communication during rapid response moments or time-sensitive situations.
• Online and In-Person Events: The Communications Specialist will collaborate with the Communications Coordinator on management for webinars (creating an editorial calendar of webinars with staff, marketing the event, IT, project management, and running slides during the webinar) and attend in-person events to connect the organization’s online followers to important gatherings.
• Other Duties as Needed: The Communications Specialist will assist the Communications & Marketing Director with the print newsletter, media support on occasion, and other communications-support duties.
Required Qualifications and Skills:
• Strong computer skills, with proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Products, and Zoom required. Experience with WordPress or Drupal web platforms, CRM and email marketing tools. Data Analytics and Reporting Tools: Google Analytics, Email Marketing Analytics (open rate, click rate, completion rate, conversion rates), Google Ads, Bitly.
• Two or more years’ experience in email marketing.
• Two or more years’ experience in website management and search engine optimization.
• Experience with digital communications strategy, implementation, and management.
• Understanding of and commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Excellent writing, editing, and communications messaging.
• Strong project management skills, including attention to detail and time management.
• Experience working in a team and with partner organizations to develop and implement joint strategies.
• B.A. or B.S. (or four years experience, which may include volunteer work or personal branding)
Preferred:
• Desire to work in a growing nonprofit organization, ability to adapt, creativity and commitment to excellence highly valued.
• Strategic thinker and problem-solver.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices.
• Experience with Salsa Engage or similar CRM.
• Video editing experience.
• Graphic design experience
• Canva proficiency.
• Spanish fluency.
Physical Requirements:
• The position requires extensive hours on a computer and light physical demands of lifting/moving up to 20 lbs.
• Hybrid office environmental minimum 2 days in the office with occasional travel.
• Work environment includes desk work with a sit/stand option, using a computer extensively.
*A note to potential candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary, BIPOC, and other candidates from most-impacted communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s welcome. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.
Reports to: Communications & Marketing Director
Salary & Benefits:
• $55,000 – $60,000 starting annual salary, negotiable within this range for 2 to 4 years of experience; $60,000 – $65,000 starting annual salary, negotiable with this range for 5 or more years experience.
• full employee medical, vision, and dental coverage
• a generous vacation, family, and sick leave package
• paid holidays and personal days
• 401k annual contribution
• annual professional development allowance
• annual self-care bonus
• encouraging and flexible work environment
• option to work remotely part-time
To Apply:
Email a resume, short cover letter, three professional references, and marketing portfolio highlighting your top marketing campaigns) to [email protected] with the subject line “Communications Specialist.” Include: If possible, please combine materials in one PDF attachment titled “Last Name.First Name Communications Specialist.”
Application Deadline: November 26, 2023. Consider applying early; the Hiring Team will review applications on a rolling basis.
Start date: Preferred start in January 2024.
Columbia Riverkeeper is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.