About the Biodiversity Project:
The Biodiversity Project connects people with causes that protect and restore the rich diversity of life on earth. We design, implement, and evaluate communication strategies and campaigns for non-profit organizations, coalitions, and public audiences; and we offer consulting, research, and training services to support the communication needs of the environmental and conservation movement.
Mission:
Biodiversity Project works to further public awareness and understanding on select environmental issues of importance to build widespread commitment to addressing those issues through individual action and policy. The organization’s primary task is to meaningfully engage people and empower them to act by making the connection between the environment, their own daily lives and their basic values. Biodiversity Project does this by developing communication approaches and campaigns that motivate more people to protect the environment and building strategic communications capacity within other environmental and conservation organizations.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Biodiversity Project and the Mississippi River Network: Headwaters to Gulf (MRN) seek applicants for an Outreach Coordinator. The MRN is a collaborative effort of 40 organizations who have joined together to protect and restore the Mississippi River. The MRN has several initiatives: 1) a public communications campaign 2) improved and amended policies that restore and protect the River and 3) promoting communication and collaboration among the MRN partner organizations. The MRN is managed by Biodiversity Project, an environmental, nonprofit communications organization located in Chicago. The Outreach Coordinator reports to the Mississippi River Program Manager.
The MRN Outreach Coordinator will implement the MRN’s public communications strategy, promote the 1 Mississippi campaign, develop and disseminate outreach materials and increase the campaign’s presence in the national media. He or she will work closely with the MRN Public Communications Committee to ensure that the communications strategy is delivered effectively to the public. As a full-time proponent of the campaign, the Outreach Coordinator will motivate Network members to reach their goals and support their efforts.
Goals:
The Mississippi River Network has identified a number of goals it would like to achieve with its public campaign over the next two years. The primary responsibility of the Outreach Coordinator will be to see that these goals are met. Broadly, these goals include:
- Recruit 5,000 new River Citizens
- Engage action through the online advocacy center of a least 500 River Citizens
- Develop River Citizens’ knowledge of the threats facing the Mississippi River and potential solutions
- Identify and reach new audiences with the 1 Mississippi campaign
Specific roles and responsibilities include:
- Write and produce all 1 Mississippi campaign materials
- Write and distribute all communications to River Citizens, including blog posts, newsletters and email action alerts; manage River Citizen database
- Develop and manage current content on the 1 Mississippi website, regularly track its progress and promote it through online media such as relevant blogs and social networking sites
- Recruit, train and manage five regional interns (located throughout the ten mainstem states)
- Manage recruitment, education and engagement events throughout the five regions along the Mississippi River
- Collect and manage data on campaign activities such as events held, River Citizens recruited, advocacy actions taken, and letters/articles published
- Cultivate outreach techniques via social networking tools and web-based materials
- Attend and participate in all internal MRN planning meetings, the MRN Annual Meeting, and Committee meetings as appropriate
- Identify and develop outreach strategies consistent with our public communications campaign
- Assist with planning of MRN Public Communications Committee meetings
- Assist Policy Manager in coordinating local in-district meetings with River Citizens and decision-makers
Qualifications:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Experience with managing several projects at the same time
- Creativity and the ability to quickly adapt to new situations
- Familiarity with online social networking tools is preferred, but not required
- Bachelor’s degree, with at least one year of project management experience
- Driver’s license
The successful candidate will be a self-starter with a solid understanding of environmental issues, experience in project management and working with coalitions. We seek a candidate with at least one year professional work experience in the environmental arena, and demonstrated organizational, communications, research, and writing skills. The ability to work well with diverse interest groups and within a team is a must. This position requires travel approximately 8-12 times per year.
How to Apply:
Please send cover letter and resume to Mississippi River Program Manager Amy Sauer at asauer@biodiverse.org.
This is a full-time, year round position. The posting will remain open until filled.
To Learn More:
The Mississippi River Network’s public campaign is titled 1 Mississippi. The 1 Mississippi website has a great deal of information about the campaign and some information about the Mississippi River Network and its members.
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