We’re Hiring: Energy Media Regional Communications Director

April 6, 2018

We’re Hiring Four Positions: Las Vegas, Chicago, Washington, DC & Raleigh, NC

Resource Media and Energy Foundation have partnered with the recruiting firm Chaloner on a search for four Regional Communications Directors to be part of the Energy Media team.  We are seeking candidates in Las Vegas, Chicago, Washington D.C. and Raleigh.

Energy Media is a collaboration between Resource Media and Energy Foundation, created to provide nimble and coordinated strategic communications capacity to Energy Foundation’s state and regional campaign infrastructure. The Regional Communications Director is responsible for designing and executing communications strategies in support of the region and states’ key public engagement and policy priorities and in coordination with communications strategies at the national level.

Resource Media works to create a more just and sustainable world by harnessing the power of communications and community to create change. As a mission-driven nonprofit PR firm, we highly value an equitable and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to engaging the skills and leadership of people of color, LGBTQ persons, and other individuals from diverse backgrounds. People from these and other historically marginalized backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The Regional Communications Directors report to the Energy Media Co-Director at Resource Media and will work closely with a regionally-based Energy Foundation team, including campaigns and policy staff.

Salary—$90k+/year, depending on experience, and includes a generous benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance, and 403b matching program.

Description of Duties

The duties of the Regional Communications Director include, but are not limited to, the following:

Program:

  • Develop and execute communications strategies focused on driving long-term narrative change with storylines that build cultural and political pressure on clean energy (and climate change as appropriate) policy action in service of the public good.
  • In concert with Energy Foundation staff, design and coordinate strategies to deploy media relations, opposition accountability, issues management, and digital services as needed to support local public engagement and policy goals, drawing on capacities and expertise of grantees and consultants within the Energy Foundation network.
  • Collaborate with Energy Foundation state directors and their communications teams, in partnership with the regional Energy Foundation teams, and integrate Energy Media work with state communications strategies.
  • Coordinate communications activities on campaigns and projects across multiple platforms and partners, creating and managing calendars, ensuring projects are completed on-time and within budget.
  • Generate and direct production of content for a variety of channels, platforms and purposes, ranging from blogs, op-eds and press releases to social memes, videos and paid media.
  • Liaise between Resource Media, Energy Foundation and other partners, helping to ensure a smooth, efficient and transparent flow of communication.
  • Plan and facilitate meetings, including creating agendas, taking and synthesizing notes and identifying and communicating next steps.
  • Manage individual project budgets as needed.
  • Ensure accuracy and quality of products. Write, edit and proofread documents and other written materials with a critical eye for style, grammar, consistency, voice and tone. Review visual deliverables to ensure they are on-message, strategic and optimized for intended outreach tactics. Ensure work product is high quality.
  • Manage contractors such as designers, video producers, web builders and photographers as needed.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

  • Demonstrate a keen understanding of one’s own race, culture and identity and how it fits into the staff and client environment and landscape, as well as the world at large.
  • Model vulnerability and accountability and invite feedback from partners, allies, funders and staff on DEI work and leadership.
  • An ability to communicate across differences that exist between you, executive leadership and direct reports in a way that fosters learning, understanding and advancement of staff of color.
  • Support and participate in equity and inclusion work in the organization.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Understanding of the political, cultural, social and economic landscapes as they relate to clean energy and climate change issues in the specified region.
  • Ability to network with and maintain relationships with a broad range of partners.
  • Ability to mentor and collaborate effectively with colleagues.
  • Ability to assess research/information/capacity gaps and devise strategies to address them to meet project goals.
  • Ability to articulate communications strategy and Energy Media’s role to partners/funders. Strategic thinking skills to develop plans for presenting our work to prospective funders and partners, and presentation and training skills to lead sessions with partners and funders.
  • Excellent project management skills, demonstrated by the ability to track timelines, budgets and contributions from other staff and consultants while providing quality control for deliverables and effectively managing expectations with partners.
  • Capacity to respond rapidly and appropriately to changing priorities, objectives and situations; self-starter with sense of initiative, dedication to delivering exceptional work products, and good judgment.
  • Working knowledge of current technology for creating and giving presentations.
  • A deep understanding of the roles of various media materials and the ability to draft them.
  • Ability to discern what makes a story appealing to reporters and to frame a pitch.
  • Basic understanding of public policy and the role of communications in building support for social change, especially as it relates to the threat posed by climate change.
  • Exceptional writing skills. Writes clearly and can communicate complex ideas. Knows how to tell a story.
  • Understands how newsrooms work, has strong reporter relationships, understands the regional media landscape, and has demonstrated ability to get stories in the press.
  • Digital media fluency (e.g. email and social media strategy, web design and website administration, CRM management and Facebook advertising) and the ability to direct a team to implement a strategy to support specific project goals. Ability to learn and execute social media actions from editing short Wochit videos, to setting up a Thunderclap.
  • Can assess whether media coverage or other communications channels align with preferred strategy.
  • Understands how individual media outreach efforts fit into a larger policy or narrative framework.
  • Sufficient technological abilities to make use of necessary software and to comply with business processes and procedures.
  • An awareness of the dynamics and differences between white mainstream audiences and the needs and priorities of diverse communities, and the specific tools needed to reach, mobilize and empower them (e.g. ethnic media, partner CBOs, social media platforms)

Interpersonal Skills

As a member of the Resource Media team, the Energy Media Regional Communications Director:

  • works well independently, on teams and respects and supports colleagues;
  • is accountable for individual actions as part of a greater whole;
  • possesses a high standard of integrity and an open and honest manner of communication;
  • demonstrates flexibility in working style and range of work performed;
  • can solve as well as identify problems;
  • takes initiative and sees projects through to completion;
  • seeks new challenges and professional opportunities;
  • demonstrates the belief that equity is the cornerstone of progress toward a just and sustainable world; and
  • thrives professionally in an innovative, constantly evolving work environment

To apply for the role in Las Vegas or Washington, DC please send your resume to:
Amy Segelin (amy@chaloner.com).

To apply for the role in Chicago or Raleigh please send your resume to:
Larry Brantley (larry@chaloner.com).