Communications Specialist, Water Program

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Communications Manager, you will develop written and graphic content and maintain the website and social media channels. In this role, you will draft briefing materials for conferences and speaking engagements. Other duties will include developing infographics for research products, supporting event management, and engaging with the global core communications and International Office colleagues as needed to ensure institutional coordination and alignment.

This position offers an opportunity to have an international impact within a small and effective communications team. As the Communications Specialist, you will work with the team’s Communications Manager, Director and Project Manager, and others within the team.

This position is remote due to Covid-19, but you will be based in Washington, DC once restrictions have been lifted.

 Job Responsibilities:

Communications (80% of time required)

• Support Communications Manager in daily tasks as assigned
• Contribute to the development of and support execution of Cities4Forests communications strategy
• Write, edit and/or produce a variety of outreach materials (e.g., blogs, op-eds, presentations, infographics, videos, media materials, etc.) as needed by the team
• Help coordinate media outreach and responses to media requests
• Develop and upload content for web platforms that have international audiences, including creating new web pages as needed
• Ensure content is up to date, of high quality, and consistent in tone and message
• Create content and support the process to develop newsletters
• Prepare presentations and briefing materials
• Organize events and manage communications activities ahead of annual international partner meetings and other outreach events
• Create content for and manage social media accounts
• Carry out data analysis to report the way in which people access our websites and online content
• Facilitate translation of English content into other languages such as Spanish, French, Bahasa, and Portuguese, using WRI-approved translation services

Operations and Fundraising (20% of time required)

• Keep track of core communications labor and overall communications expenses in coordination with the Communications Manager and Grants and Finance Manager
• Work in collaboration with internal colleagues – including communications colleagues in the International Offices, Forests and Cities programs – and external colleagues as needed, including on fundraising proposals

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, creative writing, environmental advocacy or similar; relevant work experience in lieu of degree is accepted
• Minimum of 2 years of full-time, relevant professional experience working in public relations, journalism, or communications with salient link to nature, water, biodiversity, climate, human livelihoods or broader environmental issues (fewer years may be acceptable if holding an advanced degree.)
• Proven ability to lead the planning, coordination, and execution of communications products, influence strategies, and audience targeting
• Experience overseeing institutional social media platforms and regularly tracking analytics to inform social media outreach strategies
• Experience with communications planning, publications development, marketing, and other specialized communications skills
• Strong communication skills and ability to produce materials focused on diverse external audiences
• Experience working with reporters or members of the media (and established media contacts) is considered an advantage
• Experience working in a large US or global organization preferred
• Existing relationships with influential business, energy or environmental reporters at leading media outlets

Preferred

• Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese and/or French is an asset.

Potential Salary:

$53,000 – $68,000. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with cover letter. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. 

Program Overview:

Program Overview Over the past decade, WRI has been at the forefront of increasing investment in well-designed nature-based solutions (NBS) for water security, disaster risk reduction, and climate and community resilience. We have developed guidance on best practices for evaluating enabling conditions for NBS and appraising NBS projects. We have pioneered an economic method for analyzing NBS investment opportunities and applied it with utilities in several watersheds around the world including in Portland (Maine, USA), Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Monterrey (Mexico), Bogota (Colombia), and other locations. We have supported the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank with their NBS strategies. We have advanced the first green bond standard for water infrastructure and worked with a utility to issue the first-ever green bond for forest-based water infrastructure. And we have developed and piloted a multi-stakeholder finance platform, known as the Forest Resilience Bond, resulting in an unprecedented pipeline of blended finance NBS deals.

Our Learning Guide on Social Equity Considerations supports cities to advance inclusive and equitable NBS projects and our work with Caterpillar Foundation, L’Oréal, FEMSA, and Danone, has resulted in significant investment in watershed stewardship as well. Building on this progress, we now aim to scale up our work on NBS through the Cities4Forests initiative. Cities4Forests Overview Cities4Forests, is a cross-programmatic effort – involving WRI’s Water, Forests, and Cities programs – that aims to catalyze political, social, and economic support among city governments and urban residents to integrate forests and other nature-based solutions – both inside and outside of city boundaries – into city development plans and programs. Participating cities share an aspiration to help reduce deforestation, restore forests, and manage forests more sustainably. Cities4Forests’ goal is to amplify current best practices and extend the deliberate city-forest relationship to the global scale on which cities and forests interact. It is a voluntary coalition involving mayors’ offices — and supported by other subnational agencies such as public water utilities and offices of sustainability — from more than 75 cities around the world. We encourage peer-to-peer inspiration and learning, and members receive technical support from WRI and partners with expertise in forests, climate change, water, communications, finance, and policy.

WRI Overview:

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills, and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence, and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years, and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.