SALARY RANGE: $75,000.00 To 92,000.00 Annually

LOCATIONS: Los Angeles, CA, Oakland, CA, Seattle, WA, Albuquerque, NM, or Denver, CO. Salary will depend on location. 
TO APPLY: Please submit resume & cover letter through our online application system at https://www.wilderness.org/careers-internships by October 30th.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Wilderness Society is focused on making America’s system of public lands part of the solution to the most pressing conservation challenges: climate change, unprecedented species extinction and inequitable access to nature’s benefits. We work with diverse partners around enduring, science-based conservation solutions, combining long term investments in community-led conservation, deep public lands expertise and commitment to advocacy efforts that share voice, power and impact.

The Equitable Benefits Communications Manager will report to and work closely with the Communications Senior Manager and other members of our Equitable Benefits and Community-led Conservation Teams in developing and implementing communications strategy and messaging for work related to environmental justice, community development and economic transitions. This position also serves as the lead communicator for the Southern California Mountains landscape work. Additionally, this position is a member of the Advocacy Communications and External Affairs teams supporting broad organizational efforts to unite people to protect America’s wild places.

This position plays an important role in supporting an inclusive organizational culture that is grounded in trust and accountability to shared goals and outcomes.   The Wilderness Society has made diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic priorities for the organization and the Communication Manager will integrate these priorities throughout our communications work.  Across our team, we aspire to be campaign oriented, nimble, collaborative, innovative, transparent, and supportive of staff – our greatest asset.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Thought partnership. Review and offer input and counsel on broader Equitable Benefits narrative and plans as they are created, including leading on building out and articulating the earned media strategy for portfolio of work within those plans.
• Issue messaging. Message creation for portfolio of work related to both the Community-Led Conservation Team and Southern California Mountains Landscape Team, including drafting talking points, memos, reports, statements, etc.
• Communications planning: Developing long-term communications plans to ensure marketing, digital and earned media efforts are reaching intended audiences and are having intended impact.
• External partner coordination. Lead partner relations with relevant external partners and coalitions.
• Support drafting digital content. Collaborate with digital team to ensure owned-media content is accurate and in keeping with broader organizational narrative.
• Collaboration on creative projects. Partner with marketing team on big creative pushes such as film launches, webinars and story maps.
• Relationship building with partners. Building relationships with partners who can tell powerful stories about why this work matters.
• Media relations and prioritization. Coordinate with Director of Media Engagement on all national media relations related to Community-Led Conservation and Equitable Benefits portfolio, including driving holistic stories, storytelling, drafting releases and shaping of narrative with journalists.
• Reporter cultivation. Coordinate with Director of Media Engagement to cultivate new reporter relationships that reach and influence target audiences.
• Prioritization and strategy execution. Collaborate with the Community-Led Conservation and Equitable Benefits Teams on strategies that drive stories, including cultivating a spokesperson list for individuals who can speak compellingly about the policies we’re promoting.

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience and Competencies

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in communications, external affairs, public relations, and/or marketing.
• Track record working successfully in teams representing a rich mix of talent, backgrounds, and perspectives—across race and gender.
• Understanding and commitment to advancing equity and justice in the policy-making process. Experience working with coalitions focused on environmental and/or social justice issues preferred.
• Experience working collaboratively within and providing leadership to inclusive coalitions and engaging a broad set of partners across lines of difference including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and interests.
• Strong experience working with members of the press and a solid understanding of the legislative process at the federal level.
• Proven ability to evaluate and analyze legislation and/or other policy solutions for understanding and their alignment with organizational positions and values.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills, including the ability to translate complex policies succinctly and clearly for a public audience and decision makers. Working knowledge of programs and policies that support equitable access to nature’s benefits and/or environmental justice a plus.
• Proven ability to develop strategies and tactics to achieve an advocacy goal.
• Strong problem-solving skills and careful attention to detail.

Desired Characteristics:

• A good understanding of or experience in crafting strategies that include values-based audience targeting and tailoring messaging accordingly.
• Some knowledge of behavior change science, behavioral economics, social psychology, social marketing, or grassroots/community organizing.
• Familiarity with the concept of intersectionality, especially as it relates to the issues of environmental justice and access/exclusion from nature’s benefits.
• Familiarity, sensitivity to and/or experience working with Indigenous communities and/or sovereign tribal nations.
• Commitment to and experience with ethical storytelling.
• Some knowledge of federal public lands management, policy and law.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.   Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to adverse weather conditions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of this position and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of experience, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.

The Wilderness Society has instituted a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all staff reporting to an office or engaging in in-person work meetings. There is an exception to the vaccine mandate for any staff who have an objection because of a medial or religious reason. We will do our best to devise reasonable accommodation that respects your objection while balancing the competing demands of your specific position.

The Wilderness Society offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including: health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance; sick and vacation leave; a sabbatical program; and a retirement plan.  The Wilderness Society is an equal opportunity employer and actively works to ensure fair treatment of our employees and constituents across culture, socioeconomic status, race, marital or family situation, gender, age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, physical ability, veteran status or sexual orientation.

As an organization, we aspire to being inclusive in the work that we do, and in the kind of organization we are.  Internally this means working as a team that listens to different points of view, recognizes the contributions of every employee and empowers each employee to bring their whole selves to work every day.  Externally this means ensuring that public lands are inclusive and welcoming, so that our shared wildlands can help people and nature to thrive.  We are committed to equity throughout our work, which we define as our commitment to realizing the promise of our public lands and ensuring that all can share in their universal benefits.

To learn more about our commitment, please see http://wilderness.org/our-commitment-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-wilderness-society