CNPS Communications Manager

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Communications Manager
Job Announcement
July 2013

About CNPS
Founded in 1965, the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is a science‐based non‐profit organization dedicated to increasing understanding and appreciation of California’s native plants, and to conserving them and their natural habitats. The Society’s administrative and technical staff facilitates and supports the work of the chapters and implements statewide programs. The Society is headquartered in Sacramento. CNPS has more than 9,300 members organized in 34 chapters, including the newly‐formed Baja California Chapter.

As a volunteer‐based organization, CNPS owes its history of success to the hard work of thousands of committed members. These dedicated individuals educate the public, deliver inspiring talks, organize field trips and plant sales, fight ill‐advised development projects, guide CNPS statewide programs, perform important plant science, and in many other ways keep CNPS strong and vital. Each year volunteers contribute more than 90,000 hours of time to CNPS chapters and programs. CNPS has made a commitment to helping chapters become even more effective, and this new position will lead this exciting effort.

Job Summary
CNPS is seeking a Communications Manager who is passionate about supporting CNPS members and chapters. He/she will listen to members and chapters to identify needs, develop creative solutions to those needs, and
work with volunteers and staff to make chapters even more fun and more effective. The successful candidate will join a growing professional staff and be part of a committed team that includes hundreds of smart and
dedicated volunteers.

This position requires an organized, highly collaborative individual with extremely strong communication skills. He/she must be able to think clearly about systems that can be used by chapters across California, while embracing the principle that CNPS is a Society in which every individual is unique and valuable. The Communications Manager will collaborate with other staff, volunteer leadership, and chapter leadership to survey existing communications needs and solutions, and to make the best solutions available to all chapters and volunteers. This position will supervise at least one staff position, will manage a budget for contractors or vendors that provide specialized technical expertise, and will work with numerous highly skilled volunteers.

Duties and Responsibilities
Facilitate Chapter Communications and Outreach Serve as the primary point of contact for chapter communication needs. Expand the CNPS Speakers Bureau, including promoting sharing of good speakers among chapters, and identifying and recruiting new speakers. Maintain resources to help chapters identify and engage speakers, including the existing PDF based Speakers Bureau Handbook, and also including online systems. Work with chapter volunteers, program staff, and others to publicize and disseminate CNPS success stories and to train chapter volunteers in publicity and outreach techniques. Assist in publicizing wildflower shows, plant sales, speakers, workshops, and other public events. Write, edit, and distribute press releases via Green Media Toolshed or other platforms. Support chapter newsletter editors, including: identifying authors and soliciting articles, developing stories on local chapter and statewide topics, and assisting with sharing of articles across chapters. Help chapters to develop effective public outreach materials, including: promoting or adapting existing materials, developing new brochures and displays, and ensuring translation into languages and formats
that best reach a large and diverse audience. Maintain current and relevant Chapter information on the CNPS website.

Support Chapter Leadership Develop a simple system that accurately tracks chapter volunteer time contributions and gathers data required for CNPS annual activities reporting. Coordinate regular trainings for chapter leadership, including leadership, treasurer, and webmaster trainings. Work with the CNPS webmaster and chapter webmasters to scope and address chapter website and information technology needs. Work with the CNPS webmaster to provide training to chapter webmasters, and to provide centralized maintenance of chapter websites in the event that such service is requested. Lead the effort to update chapter membership lists, including consolidating existing databases, error checking to ensure reliability, ensuring the resultant database contains the most current contact
information available. Coordinate development of a simple to use system that provides most current membership information to chapter membership chairs, allows membership chairs to update information, and updates listservs and
newsletter mailing addresses as contact information changes. Maintain excellent awareness of chapter conditions and needs, coordinate sharing of tools and approaches among chapters, and represent chapter and member needs across the organization.

Develop and Implement Shared Communications Tools Assist with dissemination of chapter newsletters, including making newsletters available via the internet. Develop systems for delivering trainings requested by members and chapters, including ability to provide trainings via webinars or on demand videos. Set up and maintain a simple an affordable conference call capability that is available to chapter leadership and committees. Set up and maintain an email listserv capability that is available to chapter leadership, committees, and for distribution of electronic bulletins and newsletters. Set up and maintain web‐based, consolidated events calendar to provide information on chapter activities.

Job Qualifications Bachelor’s with a minimum of two year of experience in a comparable position, or minimum of five years of experience in lieu of Bachelor’s degree. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work well with people of different backgrounds. Excellent oral and written communication skills, and enthusiasm for communicating with chapters and members. Experience supervising the design and implementation of print and electronic communications, including coordinating with volunteer authors, managing staff, and directing contractors and vendors. Experience writing and editing of a variety of messages, for various media, for a diversity of audiences. Experience working with radio, TV, and newspapers to obtain positive press for issues and events. Experience managing organizational outreach and communications using current electronic communication and networking tools, e.g. Facebook, Flickr, Flipboard, Twitter, YouTube, etc. Experience managing the adoption and maintenance of information technology communications systems such as: website user interfaces and design; databases and CRM tools; listservs and e‐advocacy tools. Demonstrated ability to be a self‐ starter, and to complete detail‐oriented work with high level of accuracy working independently or with a team. Ability to independently and efficiently plan and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously. Skill at working with volunteers and supporters to accomplish challenging projects, while keeping it a fun and fulfilling experience that builds joy and goodwill inside and outside the Society.

Additional Desired Skills Fluency in Spanish or other languages spoken in California. Knowledge of CNPS, familiarity with native plants and plant communities throughout California, and a commitment to conservation.

Physical Requirements
The requirements described here are representative of those that must be met, and reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This job requires prolonged sitting and use of computer and mouse. It also requires ability to participate in field trips, including traveling uneven trails with variable grade of several miles in length.

Additional Job Requirements Working with volunteers and partners requires travel throughout California. Work travel is reimbursed. Some evening and weekend work is required to meet deadlines or to participate in meetings. A valid California driver’s license and proof of car insurance are required, provided annually.

Status
This is an exempt, full time staff position eligible for benefits.

Supervision
The Member and Chapter Communications Czar is supervised by the CNPS Executive Director. The position supervises at least one staff, manages contractors and vendors, and may supervise office volunteers and interns.

Compensation and benefits
Compensation is generous, commensurate with qualifications and experience. CNPS offers benefits that are competitive with non‐profit organizations of comparable size, including full payment of employee health
insurance premiums, retirement match, and paid holidays and vacation.

To Apply
Please email cover letter, resume and contact information of three references to cporter@cnps.org. Subject line of email should read “Chapter job application.”
This is a full time, Sacramento‐based position. Please explain in cover letter if you seek special arrangements such as location other than Sacramento area, job sharing, part time, or unusual working hours.

Position is open until filled. Review of applications begins July 30, 2013.

The California Native Plant Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer