Communications Coordinator

Communications Coordinator, Hybrid

The Chesapeake Bay and our region’s other natural resources are one of the nation’s greatest assets, and at the Chesapeake Bay Trust (the Bay Trust), we believe getting the community involved is key to restoring and protecting our watersheds. Our tagline, “Empowering people, Restoring nature” perfectly describes who we are: We deliver resources to communities on the ground who lead and sustain their own projects that improve their communities as well as natural resources.

The Bay Trust seeks a Communications Coordinator to play a critical role in accomplishing the Bay Trust’s evolving communications, outreach, and branding goals. The successful candidate will leverage skills in communications and community engagement to implement strategies that support our grant programs and partners to expand reach, maintain and grow funding sources, and build brand awareness. The Communications Coordinator will be responsible for developing high-quality content and executing campaigns that may include social media, website, video, media relations, events, and other tactics to strengthen our brand, elevate our impact, and help ensure communities have access to healthy natural resources for generations to come.

This person will be a key member of a high-energy, collaborative team of 40+ who work diligently to advance the Bay Trust’s mission and daily consider the Bay Trust’s core values of grantee focus, accountability and transparency, inclusiveness, collaboration, and innovation. The Program Communications Coordinator reports to the Vice President of Communications and Advancement. This is a full-time, salaried position (40 hours per week).

Primary Responsibilities:

Storytelling, Content Creation, & Distribution:

• Work closely with programmatic staff to support their communications, funding partner cultivation, and messaging needs. Develop a strong editorial calendar for program communications that aligns with the Bay Trust’s organization-wide editorial calendar.
• Develop and distribute compelling content for social media, newsletters, and the website. Assets will highlight the goals, eligibility criteria, and impact of the grant programs, ensuring clarity and accessibility.
• Conduct field visits and attend events to collect photographs, video, testimonials and other content for improved storytelling.
• Design flyers and other marketing materials to support outreach efforts. Coordinate communications strategies with staff and partners to expand applicant pool for funding opportunities.
• Write, edit, and distribute success stories to key stakeholders that showcase the environmental and community impact of our grant programs and partners.
• Produce videos, infographics and other engaging content that highlight successful projects funded through our grant programs.
• Lead, support, and/or advise on messaging for other communications vehicles, including but not limited to: the Annual Report, mass email campaigns, correspondence and collateral for legislators and donors.
• Collaborate with Program and Communications teams to ensure consistent messaging and alignment with organizational goals and objectives.

Public Relations and Special Events:

• Program-Related Events: Assist in the planning, promotion and/or execution of events such as informational webinars, convenings, press events, and other community events with grantees and partners. Promote events through digital channels, including email, social media, and event listings, to maximize participation.
• Special Events: Support the Bay Trust’s annual Treasure the Chesapeake Celebration, community events at our green headquarters, and other opportunities to engage key audiences.
• Legislative Outreach: support the engagement of Maryland General Assembly members through an annual Legislative Reception and quarterly correspondence about relevant grants and press, highlighting program impact in their Districts.
• Community Engagement: Lead the Bay Trust’s evolving efforts to engage key constituencies. Duties may include managing a new volunteer/ambassador program, organizing volunteer days with grantees and partners, and representing the Bay Trust at community events, among others.
• Media Relations: Write and/or support media advisories and press releases, coordinate responses to press inquiries, coordinate promotion and logistics for annual press events, and other opportunities as they arise to elevate grant programs. Build and maintain relationships with media outlets, journalists, and influencers to increase awareness of grant opportunities and program success stories. Pitch stories and press releases to relevant publications and media channels to secure coverage of funded projects and initiatives.

Reporting & Analytics:

• Track the effectiveness of communication campaigns, including social media engagement, website traffic, and media coverage.
• Stay on top of trends to inform strategies.
• Prepare regular reports to assess the impact of communication efforts and adjust strategies accordingly.

Communications tactics for other key revenue streams:

• Support as needed tactics for other key revenue streams including the Chesapeake & Coastal Bays License Plate (the “Bay Plate”), Chesapeake and Endangered Species Fund on the Maryland tax form, voluntary donation line on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources boating, fishing, and hunting license/registration portal, and the Bay Trust’s merchandise program (shopchesapeakebaytrust.org)

Qualifications:

Required

• Two years or more of experience in marketing and/or communications.
• A track record of excellent writing and editing skills.
• Demonstrated experience in graphic design (Canva and Adobe Creative Suite) or demonstrated ability to quickly learn new programs.
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite of programs.
• Personal vehicle and valid driver’s license required to facilitate site visit and event travel.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or related field.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including successfully managing multiple projects with competing priorities.
• Proficiency in some or all of the following: WordPress, Canva, Raiser’s Edge, Mailchimp, Google Adwords, and Google Analytics.

Ideal Personal Profile:

The ideal candidate for this position is a person:

• who has high integrity, energy, and enthusiasm and who is self-directed, motivated, and resourceful.
• who has a strong ability to build relationships and demonstrate tact, diplomacy, and initiative when working with others.
• who displays discretion and sound judgment when dealing with confidential and sensitive material and who maintains standards of professional competence and adherence to a professional code of conduct.
• who has strong writing, organizational, and time management skills.
• who has excellent attention to detail. The right candidate must be exceptionally thorough and detail-orientated with the ability to analyze data, research information, problem-solve and coordinate projects.
• who is committed to the Bay Trust’s growth, sustainability, and organizational goals (please refer to the Bay Trust’s strategic plan at cbtrust.org).

About the Bay Trust

The Chesapeake Bay Trust seeks to engage and empower a diversity of groups to take actions that enrich the natural resources and local communities of the Chesapeake Bay region. The Bay Trust is a nonprofit grant-making organization established by the Maryland state government in 1985. The Bay Trust currently makes 400+ grants and other awards per year ranging from $100 to ~$400,000 for projects in the K-12 environmental education, on-the-ground restoration, science, capacity building, and community engagement realms. In the past 15 years, the Bay Trust has increased its grant-making four-fold through various revenues streams under the purview of four Trust departments, with annual awards of approximately $20-30 million.

Salary:

The range for this position is $56,000 - $60,000, commensurate with experience. The higher end of the range is reserved for candidates who can demonstrate past success with and/or capacity for the responsibilities listed above. The Bay Trust also offers potential for merit-based bonuses, an excellent benefits package, professional development opportunities, paid time off and opportunities for advancement.

Position Location and Travel:

This full-time salary position (40 hours per week) requires at least one day per week at the Bay Trust offices in Annapolis, Maryland, when not on travel or off-site at meetings; the rest can be remote. Additional travel (mostly but not exclusively within Maryland) may be required. Some evening and occasional weekend hours will be required for events.

Application Instructions and Deadline:

The position will remain open until filled. Please submit your resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please address your ability, based on your skills and experience, to accomplish the specific duties of the position as outlined above. Your cover letter is the most important piece of your application: In your cover letter, please address your ability to accomplish the duties of the position as listed above. We recognize that the skills needed in this position may be gained from a variety of personal, education, employment, and volunteer experiences. Please do not simply list your previous experience. Your cover letter should describe what makes you a strong match specifically for this position, and why this position is a match for you.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Our values guide us to create a workplace where everyone is respected and valued. The Trust strives to recruit, retain, and promote employees that reflect the communities we engage in our work Applicants must have a residential address in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington D.C and must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The Trust does not participate in programs that require sponsorship for work visas.

Our accessibility statement is available on our website at Accessibility Statement - Chesapeake Bay Trust