COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Job Description:

The Wetlands Initiative (TWI) envisions a world with plentiful healthy wetlands improving water quality, climate, biodiversity, and human well-being. To make that vision a reality, TWI restores wetland ecosystems in rural, suburban, and urban areas in Illinois and Northwest Indiana.

TWI seeks a Communications Coordinator who is passionate about the environment and interested in using their skills on behalf of a growing nonprofit. The Coordinator will report to the Director of Development & Communications and be part of a small, collaborative development and communications team that supports TWI’s regional ecological restoration projects.

This position focuses on collaboration, creativity, and storytelling and will work across teams and directly with project staff to create insightful and inspiring narratives of TWI’s on-the-ground work. A person who is energized by creatively thinking about impactful methods of sharing TWI’s science-based, long-term, partner driven work and catering content to our various audiences will excel in this role. While some content created by the Coordinator will be adapted for use on social media channels, social media publishing responsibilities are handled by an external contractor managed by the Director of Development & Communications.

These functions will be carried out mostly during normal office hours, with the exception of some regional travel and evening/weekend hours for special events. This position will be hybrid, with the opportunity to work in person at the TWI downtown Chicago office and remotely from home.

Responsibilities:

Programmatic Content Creation

  • Attend project restoration field activities and events as needed to capture photographs, videos, and narratives that demonstrate the how and why of TWI’s on-the-ground work.

  • Proactively plan content creation and distribution schedules to highlight TWI’s varied project areas, taking into account the long-term nature of restoration work and prioritizing narratives with high impact and relevance to our audience.

  • Maintain an organized and accessible record of all captured media including photo and video assets.

  • Work directly with project staff to create multi-format content that explores the impact of TWI’s work and importance of TWI’s mission, such as infographics, short form videos, written pieces, and ArcGIS StoryMaps.

General Communications Support

  • Support the Director of Development and Communications in updating the website.

  • Assist in the development of content calendars for organizational communications.

  • Maintain Mailchimp contact lists by adding new users and updating tags.

  • Assist in developing content for E-newsletters and lead E-newsletter drafting in Mailchimp.

Donor Communications Support

  • Collaborate with the Director of Development & Communications to create compelling narratives of funding opportunity for current organizational priorities including planned giving.

  • Collaborate with the Grants Manager to adapt programmatic content for use in reporting to institutional reporting and to provide engagement metrics as needed for grant reporting.

  • Collaborate with the development and communications team to adapt programmatic content for use in digital and print donor communications avenues such as email newsletters, social media channels, website, and PR opportunities.

Qualifications:

  • 3+ years of professional experience in communications, external affairs, or a related context. Experience at a 501(c)(3) nonprofit is desired but not required.

  • Interest in TWI’s mission and commitment to the values of conservation.

  • Strong communication skills and confidence in facilitating collaborative, creative projects across multiple teams.

  • Excellent writing, editing, and proofreading skills.

  • Knowledge of email marketing platforms (TWI uses Mailchimp) and website building platforms (TWI uses Squarespace)

  • Demonstrated familiarity in media and content creation tools (TWI uses Adobe Creative Suite and Canva). Experience with video editing is a plus.

  • High level of organization and ability to plan proactively to complete concurrent projects with varied timelines and priorities.

  • Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office software skills.

  • Ability to interact professionally and enthusiastically with colleagues, donors, and volunteers.

  • Willingness and ability to travel regionally to TWI work sites. Possession of a driver's license is required.

Compensation:

Starting salary is $60,000 annually. This is a full-time position with benefits including health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, 403(b) retirement plan, and paid vacation, sick, and personal days. Professional development opportunities will be supported and over time there will be opportunities for professional growth within the organization.

The Wetlands Initiative is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or marital status. Increasing diversity of all kinds at the staff and board levels is an organizational priority.

Application Instructions:

To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and 2-3 references to jobs@wetlands-initiative.org.