Communications Associate, Composting for Community

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is hiring a Communications Associate to join the Composting for Community (C4C) Initiative. We are advancing local, distributed composting as part of our mission to build healthy and equitable communities. Composting reduces food waste, cuts pollution, protects the climate, supports local food systems, and creates local jobs. When done at the local level, communities, not multi-national corporations, receive these benefits. It is an integral part of moving toward a circular zero-waste economy and replacing the burn-and-bury waste paradigm, which disproportionately harms low-income and BIPOC communities.

Our strength is championing composting as a solution to a range of issues facing rural and urban America: food system resiliency, climate protection, and economic prosperity, to name a few. Not all composting is created equal. We explicitly amplify the benefits of local composting rooted in and serving community, and we do this, in part, by elevating best practices, model programs, and model policies. We provide workshops, training, guides, outreach materials, networking opportunities, and more via a wide range of media: podcasts, webinars, social media channels, mapping, videos, and website posts. We specifically support the growth of a national Community Composter Coalition and share members’ stories and tips for replication.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for communications strategy, reaching diverse audiences, making complex information accessible, and supporting equitable sustainability solutions that benefit marginalized communities, farmers, and other locally rooted businesses.

Who We Are: The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has a vision of thriving, diverse, equitable communities. To achieve this vision, we build local power to fight corporate control. Founded in 1974, we are a national research and advocacy nonprofit organization that partners with allies across the country to build an American economy driven by local priorities and accountable to people and the planet. We work in key sectors including energy, waste, broadband, and small business.

What You’ll Do: The Composting for Community Communications Associate will help the C4C Initiative execute its communications strategy as well as strengthen the networking capability of the national Community Composter Coalition. This will entail coordinating with ILSR’s Communications and Composting teams to support the following responsibilities.

Responsibilities:

Outreach (45%):

• Conducting targeted outreach campaigns to disseminate our training, policy, and other resources (via Mailchimp, email, Hubspot, Sales Navigator, etc.)
• Drafting monthly Mailchimp newsletter
• Developing outreach lists and contact management via Mailchimp, Sales Navigator, and HubSpot
• Responding to inquiries

Content creation (25%):

• Assisting with social media management (Instagram and LinkedIn) and tracking engagement
• Supporting the Composting for Community podcast (such as conducting background research, scheduling interviews, reviewing audio, editing transcripts, drafting web posts, and promoting episodes)
• Drafting web posts, press releases, social media copy, emails, etc.
• Maintaining website content for the C4C initiative (such as updating tags and posts, supporting resource reorganization, and posting content)
• Ideally creating graphics and short-form video via Canva and/or Adobe Illustrator, drafting copy for social media

Event planning (15%):

• Event planning support for our national forum of community composters
• Supporting virtual composting workshops and webinars (such as registration, outreach, and managing virtual platform)

Coalition support (15%):

• Providing support for our coalition of over 350 organizations as assigned, including:
  • Membership maintenance
  • Communicating with existing members
  • Populating resource databases on Circle.so networking platform
  • Assisting with virtual events
  • Analyzing data from feedback surveys

Other projects as assigned. Percentages are subject to change.

Who You Are & Keys to Success (the must-haves): To be successful in this job, you will excel in the following areas:

• An effective storyteller: A good communicator in both written and visual formats. Able to synthesize and convey complex ideas and policies in a clear and compelling way. Experience with social media with a firm grasp of available tools and platforms.
• Highly organized, motivated, and detail-oriented: Strong sense of ownership over goals. Strong project management skills. Able to juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. Flexible and able to adapt to shifting priorities. Leave things better than you found them.
• Reliable and collaborative: Follow through on commitments. Welcome feedback and able to adapt to new ideas and priorities. Respect diverse cultures and working styles. Contribute actively, communicate well, and collaborate effectively with others to achieve shared goals. Able to coordinate with multiple team members on specific projects and manage project tasks (we use the Asana platform).
• Strong communicator: Pride in providing clear, helpful information. Effective graphic design, writing, and speaking skills, and comfortable with email communications. Attention to detail.
• Committed to racial equity and social justice: Recognize ways that race, income, and other identities intersect in shaping societal disparities. Interest in joining a team that is working to recognize how our own identities show up in the work, and welcome, reflect on, and act on feedback with an eye toward continuous learning about race, ability, and other lines of intersection.
• Computer proficient and able to work remotely: Comfortable with computers with proficiency ideally in WordPress, Mailchimp, Canva, and Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, Meet, and more). Prepared to participate in virtual meetings and spend long hours on a computer.

Graphic design skills; short form video editing; prior communications experience; and familiarity with Sales Navigator, Circle.so, and Asana are preferred but not required. Knowledge of systems thinking and environmental issues is a plus.

Compensation:

This is a full-time, remote position that can be done remotely within the US. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The salary for this position is $58,600 and includes 100% employer-paid health plan (you pay no premiums); generous vacation, holiday, and parental leave; and a retirement plan available immediately with a matching contribution after two years of employment. We are a dynamic and friendly team dedicated to making the world a better place. ILSR takes professional growth seriously.

This is a full-time, exempt bargaining unit position with salary and benefits subject to collective bargaining, represented by OPEIU Local 12.

How to Apply:

Click this link to apply through BambooHR. Submit your résumé, a cover letter, three references (including email and phone), and an engaging writing sample of no more than 1,000 words (excerpts of longer pieces are welcome). Be sure to include in the cover letter how you learned about the position. Additional comms assets showcasing previous work, such as graphics and short-form video, are highly encouraged but not required.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis until this position is filled.

ILSR welcomes applicants from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. We encourage qualified applicants of all ages, racial, economic, social, and cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, abilities, gender expressions, national origins, and veteran statuses to apply.