Communications Manager, HECHO

  • National Wildlife Federation
  • Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Northern or Central Virginia
  • Jun 03, 2022
Full time Communications Marketing Communications Nonprofit-Social Services

Job Description

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF or Federation) is America's largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state/territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. The Federation's mission is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world through programming focused on conserving wildlife, restoring habitats and waterways, expanding outdoor opportunities, connecting children with nature, and addressing the causes and consequences of climate change.

Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors (HECHO) was created in 2013 to help fulfill our duty to conserve and protect our public lands for future generations. In 2017, HECHO became a program of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) through a unique and mutually beneficial partnership built upon values of inclusion and equity and a commitment to elevating underrepresented perspectives as part of our conservation missions.

HECHO provides a platform for Hispanics to contribute knowledge and perspectives about public lands conservation issues, enhance leadership capacity of Hispanic leaders, and promote Hispanic cultural heritage and connections to nature. While our focus is on the protection of public lands in the American Southwest, our work has a national scope and impact. To achieve our mission of empowering Hispanic leaders to engage their communities in the conservation of our nation’s public lands, we are seeking an experienced Communications Manager to work in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Northern or Central Virginia (due to COVID-19 all employees are working remotely until we make return to work decisions).

Initially reporting to HECHO’s Executive Director, the HECHO Communications Manager is responsible for crafting the overarching narrative of HECHO’s work and ensuring that narrative is told and understood by the public. The Communications Manager will develop compelling messages, uplift strong messengers, and use targeted communications vehicles to support our advocacy and education campaigns. This person will serve as HECHO's lead communications staffer on all issues and will work closely with the National Wildlife Federation’s communication department, HECHO’s advisory board members, HECHO’s Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council, and HECHO and other NWF staff to develop successful communications campaigns, projects, strategies, and tasks. The Communications Manager will also work closely with an HECHO Communications Coordinator.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Lead the development of a comprehensive communications strategy for both English-language and Spanish-language audiences, including an editorial and social media calendar, to authentically engage HECHO’s target audiences and to advance HECHO’s policy, advocacy, and education priorities.
  • Oversee the implementation of the comprehensive communications strategy with the Communications Coordinator.
  • Prioritize communication strategies that advance diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, and that lift up the voices of Hispanic leaders and communities.
  • Oversee the strategic use of HECHO’s digital media (including HECHO’s website, Facebook and Twitter accounts) by creating and executing innovative social media campaigns.
  • Regularly write educational and editorial content in English and Spanish including press releases, blog posts, fact sheets, issue briefs, letters, op-eds, and newsletters.
  • Serve as HECHO’s media liaison and place stories in print, radio and television news outlets, and ensure excellent working relationship with reporters covering public lands and conservation issues. Serve as a good resource for reporters on background info and connection to story sources. 
  • Develop and maintain media lists and contacts in English and Spanish media.
  • Monitor media coverage and identify strategic opportunities for HECHO to engage in state and national issues, adjust goals and strategy accordingly.
  • Identify opportunities for enterprise, in-depth media coverage of HECHO’s core issues and pursue them.
  • Provide communications expertise and media coaching to the HECHO staff and assist with broader coalition efforts that HECHO is involved in.
  • Work closely with National Wildlife Federation’s communications staff and seek opportunities for joint-communication projects, strategies, actions, and synergy.
  • Manage and maintain HECHO's website.

Qualifications: 

  • Outstanding written and oral communication skills. 
  • Familiarity with monitoring media and managing media monitoring platforms, as well as digital analytics and email metrics.
  • Knowledge and ability to use multimedia communications tools, including producing graphics. 
  • Familiarity and passion in conservation issues, public land management agencies, and legislative and administrative processes.
  • Ability to work independently
  • Ability to get along with diverse personalities; tactful, mature, and flexible.
  • Fluent and conversational English and Spanish language skills preferred.
  • Capable of representing and bolstering marginalized voices in advocacy.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with internal peers and external partners and allies.
  • Competency in website design and management (Squarespace or Wordpress)

Experience:

  • Six to eight years of experience working in communications, government relations, political campaigns, public relations, public affairs, or journalism, with a minimum of two years' experience leading staff or projects in an operation that delivered strong results.
  • Experienced storyteller and wordsmith.
  • Proven success in writing, pitching, and securing media placements in a variety of media platforms.
  • Experience managing simultaneous work streams and tracking deliverables, through various organization systems and work flow processes.
  • Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to establish priorities and manage activities independently.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of Hispanic heritage, in particular cultural and historical connections to the land, air, and water, and ability to share knowledge in a culturally responsive way.
  • Experience managing, communicating, teaching, and motivating others to engage in environmental justice work.

NWF Values:

Your actions are expected to reflect the staff values of the National Wildlife Federation: collaboration, mindfulness, empowerment, inclusivity, and mission focus.  Your competencies should include:

  • Being motivated by values of equity and responsibility to those most marginalized;
  • Consistently bringing a high level of empathy and social skills to work and interpersonal interactions;
  • Being committed to deepening an environmental justice approach in policy priorities, program development and partner engagement;
  • Actively seeks feedback, direction, and guidance from all team members and keeps staff informed of decisions that impact them;
  • Being dedicated to advancing NWF’s internal equity transformation and compelling partners and allies to incorporate equity into their work; and
  • Passion for and commitment to NWF's mission

Travel Requirements

Expect travel 2-4 times per year, 12-15 nights per year in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines.

Salary Range and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $60,000 to $70,000 annually, dependent upon qualifications and experience.

We are proud of our designation by Mogul as a Top 100 Workplace with the Best Benefits in 2021!  We value work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere with flexible scheduling.  We want you to be able to integrate work and personal life with attention to your self-care, so that your work schedule is not depleting.  We offer benefits so you feel restored and fueled through the day and week.

We offer these supports to help manage your mental, emotional, and physical health: 

  • Paid time off: Vacation that starts off at three weeks accrual, unlimited wellbeing (this time can be used for physical, spiritual, emotional, cultural, religious or financial wellbeing for yourself, a partner, or family member – including pets), 10 holidays, and 3 floating holidays
  • We close down for a paid winter break between December 25 to January 1 to recognize end of-year stress, and time for reflection, rejuvenation, and spending time with family.
  • Up to 16 weeks of fully paid Family and Medical Leave
  • Low cost health, dental, and vision insurance options – all outpatient mental health is covered at in-network rates
  • Therapist available at no cost
  • Pet insurance and discount perk program
  • Annual wellbeing allowance

In addition to your salary, we offer the following supports to your personal finances:

  • Retirement plan with immediate match and vesting
  • Annual year end retirement contribution
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Adoption and Surrogacy assistance
  • Pet adoption stipend
  • Student Loan management

Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

COVID Consideration:

The National Wildlife Federation closely follows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease and has implemented processes that promote the safety of our employees, candidates, and communities.  Because the health of our employees and candidates is a top priority, we conduct our hiring process virtually via phone or video until further notice.  We are currently starting our positions as remote, but will transition to onsite work when our offices re-open, expected to be in 2022.  Proof of vaccination will be required as a condition to join the National Wildlife Federation.

Application:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and will be accepted through June 30, 2022.

Please submit your resume, along with a letter responding to the following, as a PDF:

  1. Why is HECHO’s mission of interest to you?
  2. How do your experiences and personal strengths prepare you for this position?
  3. Describe a successful communications campaign or project in which you have been involved or provided a leadership role.

We strive to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of wildlife and people in a rapidly changing world. We recruit, employ, train compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at nwf.org/equity.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build the competencies and knowledge that translates to our openings. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.

Please let us know if you require accommodations during the application or interview process by reaching us at hrhelp@nwf.org or 703-438-6244.

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.

Occupations

Environmental Protection-Conservation

URL

www.nwf.org

Salary

$60,000 to $70,000

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