Water Education Colorado CSU Spur – The Shop

4777 National Western Drive Denver, CO 80216

Position Type: Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt

Target Start Date: January 2024

Application Deadline: Applications open until position filled, but preference given to applicants submitting by Nov. 10, 2023

About Water Education Colorado

Water Education Colorado (WEco) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing policy- neutral news and informational resources, engaging learning experiences, and empowering leadership programs focused on Colorado’s most critical natural resource: water. Since 2002, we have been working statewide to ensure Coloradans are knowledgeable about key water issues and equipped to make decisions that guide our state to a sustainable water future. We have a trusted reputation in and outside of the water sector and are widely considered the leading organization for informing and engaging Coloradans on water.

Our programs target a range of audiences in service of our mission, including lawmakers and other decision makers, water sector professionals, business leaders, students, educators, and interested community members. We publish Headwaters magazine and the Citizen’s Guide series, offer the annual Water Fluency and Water Leaders programs, convene and support the Water Educator Network, provide a variety of tours, workshops, webinars and outreach events, and co-host the annual Sustaining Colorado Watersheds conference, among other activities. We collaborate with partner entities around the state to accomplish our programs and strategic goals. Increasingly, we are working to reach underserved audiences across the state with a focus on equity and inclusion.

We offer a collaborative, flexible, supportive, and rewarding work environment in a great location at the new CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center in north Denver.

Working with WEco’s dynamic team, audiences, and broad-based community of supporters provides opportunities to engage within all major river basins in the state and to network with a wide variety of educators, top resource managers, and decision makers.

Position Summary

Water Education Colorado seeks a skilled and enthusiastic Marketing, Communications and Outreach Manager to join our collaborative 8-member team. With a focus on strategic communication, you will be responsible for crafting compelling content and delivering innovative communication campaigns that engage our target audiences, raise visibility for our brand, and drive our mission forward.

Working closely with other team members across every aspect of the organization, the Marketing, Communications and Outreach Manager will plan and implement overall communications with members, donors, and the public. This will involve developing marketing materials for both member/donor development and programs, managing all communications platforms for the organization, including the website, and leading a strategy to increase visibility and awareness of the organization as a resource through targeted participation in community and water industry events.

The ideal candidate brings at least 3-5 years of experience in marketing and communications, shares our passion and enthusiasm for the future of water, and recognizes the value of our policy-neutral approach to building a water-aware Colorado and informing decision making and civic engagement at all levels. This is an exciting opportunity for a talented and dedicated professional to make a significant impact on our organization and work in a fast- paced, dynamic environment.

This position is non-supervisory and reports to the Executive Director.

Responsibilities

Marketing and Communications

Maintain visibility for WEco’s brand, programs and activities, announce important organizational and programmatic milestones, and help attract new audiences and supporters, by managing all marketing and communications

• Develop an annual marketing and communications strategy and budget that outlines the goals, methods, and timelines for communication with WEco’s various target audiences, with the goal of involving new program participants, supporting the Membership and Development Manager in enlisting new supporters, and elevating the organization’s brand profile
• “Own” and grow WEco’s brand and ensure all organizational communications and messaging is recognizable, compelling, and stylistically cohesive organization-wide
• Develop numerous external communications materials about WEco and its activities, including press releases, fact sheets, speeches, presentations, blog posts, social media content, videos and more
• Collaborate closely with the publications team to develop effective supporting communications materials for Headwaters magazine, Community Guides, Fresh Water News, and related fact sheets
• Work with program staff to produce print and digital marketing materials for leadership programs, tours, and other events
• Work with the development team to produce print and digital marketing materials for membership and fundraising campaigns, and the annual fundraising gala
• Manage the WEco website to continually upgrade our online presence, increase accessibility, and meet the educational needs of our members, supporters and the general public
• Solicit, review, and publish submissions to the Your Water Colorado blog as a community forum to advance understanding and awareness in water
• Manage and produce weekly, monthly, and quarterly e-newsletters
• Develop and implement a social media strategy and campaigns to increase brand visibility, awareness, and participation
• Manage events calendar to make the community aware of internal and external water- related events
• Track and report communications analytics for internal evaluation and for the WEco Board of Trustees and WEco’s members and supporters
• Stay up to date on foundational and emerging best practices on communications and marketing and bring that knowledge back to the WEco team
• Identify and produce new branded marketing materials to engage
• Support and potentially lead implementation of special communications projects, such as the Water ’22 campaign and other public awareness campaigns

General Outreach

Develop event-based public outreach opportunities targeted toward the general public across the state, and elevate WEco’s visibility in Colorado’s water sector and beyond through targeted participation at conferences and community events

• Develop and implement low-pressure community educational events in line with the annual program plan and as opportunities (These may include activities such happy hour events with a panel discussion, rain barrel building workshops, author book talks, webinars, and more.)
• Work with program staff to identify opportunities to host regular webinars, such as lunch-and-learns that enroll external partners as presenters on key
• Oversee development of educational event “toolkits” that can be used by partners to host their own
• Identify, attend, and represent WEco at conferences and community events, through tabling and strategic presentations, to grow visibility for and engagement with WEco’s mission and
• Manage volunteer list and distribute accordingly to other WEco team members
• Collaborate closely with program and publications teams to identify opportunities to act as a liaison to other education and outreach partners in order to stay apprised of their activities and opportunities to partner or support their efforts

Special Events

Lead or support planning and execution for a variety of special events, including member appreciation, VIP, and recruitment events, as well as the annual fundraising gala

• Working with Membership and Development Manager, identify opportunities and plan an annual schedule of events to engage members and supporters
• Coordinate closely with Membership and Development Manager to manage event budgets and logistics
• Coordinate closely with the Operations Manager to execute registration and RSVP processes
• Develop materials and execute strategies to promote and publicize events
• Identify volunteer and staff support needs and coordinate their activities

Additional Duties

• Participate on the Board of Trustees’ Program Development Committee
• Attend, participate, and report out to the full Board of Trustees as assigned during its meetings three times per year
• All other duties as assigned

Qualifications

This position requires a passionate, reliable, and organized communicator who enjoys connecting with people, tells powerful stories, has a high visual acumen for designed materials, creates inspiration around mission and vision, contributes positively in a team environment, and takes initiative to achieve through innovation and excellence.

Education and Previous Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required (degree in communications, marketing, journalism, nonprofit management, business, or other related degrees are a plus)
• At least 3-5 years of professional experience in marketing, communications, public relations or a related field
• Proven success in developing and managing effective marketing tools and communications campaigns
• A strong track record in creating insightful and innovative content across various mediums, including traditional media, digital platforms, and social media channels
• Experience with event planning and logistics management

Skills, Qualities and Abilities

• A strong belief in WEco’s mission of advancing a sustainable water future for Colorado through growing public awareness, informing decisions, and equipping and empowering leaders
• Embraces a policy-neutral approach to education and information programs
• Knowledge of marketing and communications tools and strategies, and keen understanding of audience engagement techniques
• Excellent written and verbal communicator with the ability to adapt messaging for a range of audiences
• Exceptional project management skills, adept at managing multiple campaigns or projects simultaneously, meeting deadlines and delivering results
• Strong analytical abilities, able to assess campaign performance using key performance indicators and make improvements and adjustments based on the data
• Strong visual acuity and ability to work in graphic design programs (e.g. InDesign, Photoshop, Canva) to produce compelling visual marketing materials
• Computer usage, including proficiency with Microsoft, Adobe, and Google applications, and experience with databases and email marketing software
• Experience with WordPress website management highly desirable, but can be trained
• Some background knowledge of Colorado’s water resources management and policy is highly desirable, but not required
• Ability to engage and work effectively with a broad set of individuals and interest groups
• Comfortable and confident presenting to large groups
• Highly self-motivated, hard-working and enthusiastic in the pursuit of excellence, and can work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Exhibits an authentic commitment to equity and inclusion in the workplace and in the field
• Availability for intra-state travel, including some weeknight and weekend activities
• Valid driver’s license and ability to drive required

Physical Requirements

Job duties include a general office environment, spent sitting and operating a computer and other office machinery. Events supported by this position may require the transportation of equipment and supplies. Must be able to occasionally lift up to 40 pounds, for moving or transporting outreach materials and other needs. Must be able to read, write and communicate fluently in English. Spanish fluency is an added plus.

Compensation and Accountability

This is a full-time salaried, exempt position with competitive benefits, including generous paid time off; 75% employer paid health, vision, dental, and life insurance; plus 4% employer contributions to a retirement plan. Salary range $55,000-65,000, commensurate with background and experience. Following an introductory training period, we offer a hybrid work environment facilitating both remote and in-office opportunities with flex time, to be determined as employment progresses. The WEco office is located in The Shop building on the CSU Spur campus at 4777 National Western Drive, Denver, CO 80216. The position reports to the Executive Director.

Equal Opportunity

Water Education Colorado is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity. WEco prohibits unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis of age, race, sex, gender, color, religion, national origin, disability, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law.

To Apply

Email a cover letter and resume to jobs@wateredco.org and include “Marketing, Communications and Outreach Manager” in the email subject line.

In the cover letter, please address the following 3 questions:

• Why do you want to work with Water Education Colorado?
• What makes you uniquely qualified for this job?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years and how will this help you get there? No calls or drop-ins,

Applications open until position filled, but preference given to applicants submitting by November 10, 2023.