Break Free From Plastic

Global Communications Associate

The Global Communications Associate will provide focused communications implementation support for the Break Free From Plastic movement - particularly focused on Comms Hub priorities and providing support (logistics and admin support) to the Comms Hub and Comms Hub Lead.

Job Description

Location: Remote work within the US. US East or Central Coast location preferred.
Position: Part-time (20/hours week)
Schedule: As this role works across time zones, working hours will frequently be outside of normal office hours. Some domestic and international travel may be required.
Hourly rate: $24/hour
Benefits: Employee Assistance Program; MarketPlace Perks at Work; Commuter Benefits
Training and Development courses through Insperity Premier; flexible work culture
Reports to: Global Communications Lead
Direct Reports: This role may have a supervisory role over consultants and third-party suppliers, as delegated.
Timeline: Encouraged to apply by Jan 25th

About the employer Story of Stuff Project

The Story of Stuff Project was founded in 2008 to leverage one of the earliest and most successful cause-related viral movies: Annie Leonard's The Story of Stuff. Our mission is to transform the way we make, use and throw away Stuff to be more sustainable, healthy and fair. Over the last decade-plus, our trademark movies have garnered more than 50 million views; we’ve provided sustainability education and training tools to thousands of schools, faith communities, businesses and governments; and our 500,000+ Community members have contributed to countless grassroots campaigns to protect people and the planet. The Break Free from Plastic Comms Hub is a movement serving project hosted at The Story of Stuff Project.

Summary

In practice it is likely to focus:

Providing logistics and administrative support to the BFFP Comms Hub and the Global Comms Hub Lead.
Supporting communications strategies and implementation including the tracking of performance
Internal and member-facing communications products and systems
Coordinate planning and implementation

Core Responsibilities

1. Provide internal communications and administrative support to the Communications Hub and Global Comms Hub Lead (40%)

Provide administrative assistance to team meetings, planning, calendars, capacity training; webinars; distribution of toolkits, etc
Manage contact databases and other shared information needs
Collate media coverage, analytics and metrics information to draft reports, regular updates and audience related reports
Contribute to various internal communications (e.g. newsletters, emails to lists, presentation development, etc)
Provide administrative support to financial monitoring, team coordination and other administrative functions to the Comms Hub
Respond and refer general queries to Comms Hub
Regularly update and capture key Comms Hub processes, impact tracking, and share with relevant collaborators
Maintain Communications Hub related records as required

2. Provide support on key communications initiatives and tools (40%)

Support key communications initiatives - for example, editorial calendar management, performance tracking, content copyediting.
Assist Comms Hub colleagues (regional and digital colleagues) in identifying and collecting movement stories for amplification.
Provide logistics support to Communications Hub public-facing and internal to BFFP activities and initiatives.
Monitor key Comms Hub email addresses.
Provide or organize proofing/editing support (at least in English, other languages desirable)

3. Provide logistics support for the BFFP global team meetings as required. (10%)

Deliver specific projects as delegated.
Organize logistics for identified movement activities (including press and public relations events, toolkits and distribution of materials, digital assets distribution)
Support members' communications capacity building and amplification of communications campaigns
Attend movement or internal meetings on behalf of the Comms Hub, and support with logistics, facilitation, note-taking and documentation as needed.

4. Contribute to part of a global team (10%)

Participate in various BFFP, Communications Hub meetings, and working groups
Other duties as agreed through workflow management

Key Relationships

The Communications Hub builds strong relationships throughout the movement. This includes those dedicated solely to BFFP work, and those for whom BFFP is a contribution, rather than a key focus. This role will need to be able to maintain a range of different relationships - many of which will be remote and online, some that will be ‘internal’, and some that are key target audiences.

Communications Hub colleagues
Global Coordination Team
Regional Communications Working groups or similar

Key organizations involved in leading BFFP projects - including campaign teams
Movement members and key communications contacts
Media, allies, influencers, and other external audiences
Suppliers and contractors
Funders, potential donors, and supporters.

Qualifications

Essential

At least three-year experience in similar roles, ideally in communications or campaigning organizations
Strong editorial and written communications experience, including demonstrated strong writing and communication skills in English
Strong organization and administrative skills, including some experience in budget tracking and event organizing (including virtual).
Computer literate, and experienced with new media technologies and social networking tools (particularly Google Drive, Zoom, Google Groups); adept in using a range of software, including those used for tracking communications performance
Passion for social and environmental justice, and a commitment to communications strategies that elevate the work of our grassroots membership and create a space for communities to speak for themselves.
English is the working language of BFFP Communications Hub

Desirable

Experience in developing and tracking social media campaigns
Experience in proofreading or editing communications products.
Ability to speak or write in another language
Experience working in remote/ distance-based teams.
Experience in network development and/or within people’s movements, or within the NGO environment.

Personal qualities

Reliable and extremely organized
Tech savy
Collaborative team player with strong interpersonal communication skills and demonstrated experience in working with people from different cultures and nationalities in the region
Demonstrated ability to turn projects around in a timely manner, maintain attention to detail, and adhere to deadlines;
Flexible, open, adaptive, responsive and resilient. Takes initiative and is outcome and solution-focused.
Ability to handle a high influx of email communications while being responsive.
Willingness to travel internationally as required, and flexibility in working with international staff, including biweekly calls outside of regular work hours.

Team Balance - Areas of Expertise

Between all the positions in the Communications Hub, there is a need to have expertise in Media Relations, Digital Communications, Social Media, Digital Campaigning, Writing, Graphic Design, Video Editing, Vendor Management, Audience Mapping, Message Testing.
Applicants with one or more of these areas of expertise as additional skills are desirable.

All participants in BFFP hold ourselves accountable to the following values

Trust & Respect
Distributed Leadership
Resilience & collaboration
Diversity, inclusion & equity
Being Adaptive and Responsive
Ensuring Transparency in decision making and Accountability in our work
Upholding and respecting Confidentiality as required
Direct Communication is encouraged in conflict resolution
Openness and Flexibility.

Our Movement Values

Solidarity
Cooperation and Collaboration
Letting People Speak for themselves
Bridging and Transcending cultural barriers
Language Mindfulness (cultural sensitivities)

Our Relational Values

Commitment to Self-Transformation (walk the talk)
Commitment to follow through on Agreements (professionalism)

Our Issue Values - in our issues, we value:

Being Strategic and Goal Oriented
Our Commitment to an inclusive movement or network model

How to apply

Please send an email with the subject line “BFFP Communications Associate” to news@breakfreefromplastic.org. Please include the following:

1 page cover letter that outlines your interest in the position, your relevant experience, and explains why you want to join our team.
A resume that includes 3 references who can provide insight into your professional skills and experience.
A writing sample or examples of original content created in an educational or professional context, such as an advocacy email, website, blog post, or graphics.

The Story of Stuff Project strongly encourages and seeks applications from women and people of color, including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the LGBTQ community.

About the Communications Hub

The Break Free From Plastic Communications Hub (Comms Hub) is a remote working team with team members in multiple time-zones (US, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America), and stakeholders located around the world.

The Comms Hub works to harness and amplify the diverse voices of the Break Free From Plastic movement in order to shift the narrative on plastic pollution in line with the goals set to achieve a global strategy to fight plastic pollution. The Comms Hub Officers, regional coordinators, Global Coordination Team, and key leadership across the movement, collaborate to tell BFFP’s story in a consistent voice across the entire plastics pipeline.

Over the next few years, the Comms Hub will lead the movement’s work to shift the narrative through strategic and proactive communications that will strengthen and empower the movement to speak about our solutions more loudly and with greater impact. Through smart, well-orchestrated, and timely communications, the movement can consistently erode and undermine the industry-peddled narrative while future-proofing our collective work.

About Break Free From Plastic

#breakfreefromplastic is a global movement envisioning a future free from plastic pollution. We believe in a world where the land, sky, oceans, and water is home to an abundance of life, not an abundance of plastic, and where the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat is free of toxic by-products of plastic pollution.

Our vision is a world where the principles of environmental justice, social justice, public health, and human rights led government policy, not the demands of elites and corporations. This is a future we believe in and are creating together. We come together with a common goal - to bring systemic change through a holistic approach to tackling plastic pollution across the whole plastics value chain, focusing on prevention rather than cure, and providing effective solutions. Read More about our Principles here