MountainTrue – Communications Associate

The Organization
The mission of MountainTrue is to champion resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. MountainTrue works across 26 counties in western North Carolina and southern Georgia, has 23 staff and a $1.7 million budget. For more information, please visit mountaintrue.org.

MountainTrue is committed to the principles of equity, inclusion, and non-discrimination. We do not discriminate against individuals, communities, or organizations on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or physical/mental disability.

We recognize and honor diverse cultures and traditions and proactively seek individuals for all aspects of our work from varied backgrounds for the greater enrichment of the organization. To address structural bias, MountainTrue intentionally invests in diverse leadership within our programs, staff, board, volunteer base, and membership. We strongly encourage applicants from traditionally marginalized groups to apply for any open positions.

We are looking for enthusiasm, a can-do attitude, and real-world experience above formal accreditation. Have a hobby or something you do as a volunteer that you think is relevant to the position? We want to hear about it.

The Position
MountainTrue seeks a bright, organized, and outgoing individual with strong communications skills, experience in online advocacy, and development writing. The Communications Associate will report to the Director of Communications and work closely with our Community Engagement Director, program directors and regional directors to (1) promote our programs through member outreach and correspondence, public relations, social media, and marketing; (2) support our advocacy goals through online organizing/advocacy; (3) provide writing and communications support for our fundraising activities.

The Communications Associate will manage the production of monthly regional e-newsletters and a quarterly print newsletter; assist in the writing, editing, and formatting of blog posts, emails, and fundraising appeals; manage the organization’s social media engagement; and build and execute effective high-impact online advocacy campaigns.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Manages the writing and production of four regional monthly e-newsletters with the assistance of our regional directors.
• Manages the writing and production of our quarterly print newsletter with the assistance of a contract graphic designer.
• Manages MountainTrue’s 15 social media properties in coordination with regional directors and program staff.
• Monitors, responds to, and engages with our constituents via email, website, and social media.
• Uses MountainTrue’s email, advocacy, and constituency relationship management system to compose and effectively target emails, build advocacy pages, and track and report results.
• Makes regular maintenance and updates to MountainTrue websites.
• Assist with other projects as needed.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal, writing, and editing skills and demonstrated skills in writing and producing press releases, blog posts, and online advocacy materials.
• Ability to work with and write for diverse audiences from across the political spectrum.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Ability to prioritize among competing goals to execute on tight deadlines.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Enthusiasm for technology and adopting the latest and most effective social media practices.

The following are preferred:

• Copy editing or professional writing experience.
• A background in online advocacy and organizing.
• Experience working with social media management tools such as Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or Buffer.
• Experience working with nonprofit/advocacy-focused constituent relationship management (CRM) systems such as EveryAction, Salsa, or
• Salesforce, or with campaign-focused systems such as NGP-VAN.
• Experience in managing and updating website content management systems such as WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla.
• Ability to create simple but effective graphic design and layout using Adobe Creative Suite (especially InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop).
• Experience with photography and videography.
• Experience with video editing software such as Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro.
• A demonstrated passion for the environment and an understanding of conservation issues.

Salary: Mid 40s. Excellent benefits package.

How to Apply:
Submit cover letter and resume, and three references to Karim Olaechea, Director of Communications at karim@mountaintrue.org. Please include “Communications Associate” in the email subject line.

In your cover letter, please include the answers to the following questions:

• Without looking at a dictionary, please define the word “environment” and tell us why you think it’s important to protect. (400 words or less)
• What has been your most significant social media success? How was success measured, and how did it help you meet your goals? (400 words or less)
• Do you have a demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion? If so, please describe. (400 words or less)

MountainTrue is committed to the principles of equity, inclusion, and non-discrimination.

Application deadline: Sunday, August 15