Communications and Outreach Manager

WaterNow Alliance (www.waternow.org) 

WaterNow is a nonprofit network of water utility leaders dedicated to achieving high impact, widespread adoption of sustainable water solutions in the U.S. West and nationwide.  We work with communities to facilitate the transition to a resilient and secure water future, bringing innovative solutions to scale. We are developing a network of community leadership and partners to address policy and financial barriers, identify success stories, and design demonstration projects to support the growth of sustainable water strategies that work for communities and the environment. With offices in San Francisco’s Presidio community, WaterNow is an independent operating division of Multiplier, formerly known as the Trust for Conservation Innovation, a nationally recognized nonprofit with a growing portfolio of innovative initiatives that conserve and protect a sustainable and resilient world (www.multiplier.org)   

Position:  Communications & Outreach Manager

The Communications & Outreach Manager will manage WaterNow Alliance’s digital and traditional communications, messaging functions, and activities, lead membership recruitment and outreach, and expand our online presence and role as a thought leader. The Manager is responsible for designing and developing numerous presentations, creating online and print content, and stewarding organization-wide communications planning and dissemination of materials. In close collaboration with other team members, the Manager will share lead responsibility for one of WaterNow’s most critical mission-driven activities: engaging, activating, and expanding WaterNow Alliance’s membership (currently about 400 water leaders in 31 states nationwide). Website management, content design, social media, public speaking, and partner management are also key components of this position.

Specific job responsibilities include:

1. Managing, updating and keeping vibrant and current WNA’s two primary websites  https://waternow.org/ and https://tapin.waternow.org/
2. Establishing and tracking key website and outreach performance metrics
3. Designing and developing conference and event presentations, including Prezi and PowerPoint decks
4. Managing WNA membership recruitment and retention to reach annual growth goals
5. Supervising maintenance and growth of WNA’s salesforce database
6. Designing and managing all digital and print outreach and attendance recruitment for WNA events, including an annual Summit, workshops, webcasts, and other engagement activities
7. Managing WaterNow’s Editorial Calendar including monthly e-newsletters, alerts, blogs
8. Managing outreach to potential partners and building WNA’s organizational network
9. Managing a variety of social media channels, including Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin to raise visibility, bring in members and partners, and increase awareness of our work and the benefits of sustainable water solutions broadly
10. Identifying opportunities to elevate WaterNow Alliance through traditional media by researching news and information relevant to WaterNow’s various audiences and connecting current issues and topics to WNA’s work
11. Building relationships with the media and engaging with press, bloggers, and key influencers
12. Drafting and pitching opinion editorials as appropriate
13. Providing communications support for WNA’s substantive policy and project work  including drafting and designing informational handouts and briefs
14. Supporting fundraising and program initiatives as appropriate

The Ideal Candidate

• You are a skilled and savvy communications generalist with a solid reputation for comprehensively building brand visibility and have a strong background in engagement and outreach. With a thorough knowledge of the key elements of online and offline communications, you feel at home in a lean nonprofit work environment and are looking for an opportunity to own and grow all communications and outreach functions.

• You are also an excellent written and verbal communicator skilled with digital media platforms, presentation preparation, online community building and traditional media relations. You have very strong technical skills and are comfortable working across a full range of communication and outreach tasks from strategic planning to media relations to presentation development to database management. You are also an energetic self-starter, skilled multi-tasker, and creative problem solver. 

• This isn’t just a job; it’s mission critical work that is personally important to you. You are passionate about our planet and the ecosystems and communities it supports. You believe that sustainable water solutions are integral to fostering a healthy and resilient planet for future generations, and your passion shines through in your day-to-day work, your relationships with your colleagues, and your engagement with your partners.

Specific Candidate Requirements 

• 4-year Bachelor’s degree with 5-7 years relevant work experience in communications/PR, organizing, and/or outreach and recruitment; Master’s degree preferred.  
• Outstanding writing/editing skills with the ability to synthesize complex information for a variety of audiences.
• Excellent verbal communication and presentation skills
• Experience with strategic communication planning
• Experience with organizing and/or recruitment and engagement strategy
• Strong proficiency with social media platforms and online community building – both from a technical and content standpoint
• Experience with Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn audience targeting, promotions, and advertising
• Strong technical proficiency with MailChimp, Salesforce, and other CRM technology. WordPress and basic HTML, Squarespace, MS Office Suite, including Excel & Powerpoint; Adobe Design Suite, significant experience with Google Analytics and SEO.
• Ability to be a quick study in grasping unfamiliar content areas
• Highly collaborative style; desire and ability to thrive on a shared services team
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to build rapport and be effective with a variety of personalities people with differing points of view 
• Strong work ethic, commitment to excellence; demonstrated ability to meet deadlines consistently; strong attention to detail & organizational skills
• Commitment to environmental sustainability, WaterNow Alliance mission

Candidates with water utility, municipal and/or water policy backgrounds will be given particular attention.

Benefits

Salary is commensurate with experience and is accompanied by a comprehensive benefits package that includes employer-paid health, vision, dental, short- and long-term disability, voluntary life, commuter benefits and employer-matched retirement contributions. Intangible benefits include a highly collaborative work environment.

Applications

Please provide a resume and compelling cover letter that describes your interest in this position, your relevant qualifications and experience, and your availability and your salary requirements (please don’t just say “negotiable”). Please also submit a brief writing sample written entirely by you and a PowerPoint presentation designed entirely by you. Applications will be accepted until position is filled. Applications can be sent to jobs@waternow.org. We’re a small team and politely request no follow-up calls or emails.

Multiplier and WaterNow celebrate diversity and are committed to building teams and partnerships that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Multiplier and WaterNow are also committed to providing an environment of mutual respect that is free from discrimination and harassment. Multiplier and WaterNow prohibit discrimination in their governance, programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, marital status, amnesty, status as a covered veteran, because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from public assistance, or for any other non-merit based factor.