Communications Associate

About Appalachian Voices

Appalachian Voices is a nonprofit advocacy organization that brings people together to protect the land, air, and water of Central and Southern Appalachia and advance a just transition to a clean energy economy. We currently have over 40 staff members across the region, with offices located in Boone, North Carolina; Charlottesville and Norton, Virginia, and Knoxville, Tennessee. 

Commitment to Equity

Appalachian Voices is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion both in our work and in our organizational structure. We seek applicants who share and exhibit these principles. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.

We understand people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational and volunteer experiences. We encourage candidates to review the position details and responsibilities listed. If you have the transferable skills necessary to fulfill many of the requirements of this role, we encourage you to apply. We may tailor the role to a talented or passionate candidate.

Position Details

The Communications Associate at Appalachian Voices plays an integral role on the Communications Team by providing assistance in developing, distributing, and maintaining content across the organization’s public-facing communications channels. The Communications Team collaborates with all of the organization’s program staff to develop and execute effective communications strategies. The team’s goal is to help win campaigns and grow movements to end harmful fossil fuel practices and further energy solutions that protect our land, air, water, and communities.

This position closely monitors and engages with the organization’s social media channels and assists the team in developing and posting social media content. The Communications Associate also posts and maintains website content and sets up email blasts, action alerts, and event pages using various web-based tools including Action Network and Wordpress. This position reports to the Director of Program Communications and works closely with all members of the Communications Team to provide critical support for program communications. 

Location

The Communications Associate may work remotely within the Central and Southern Appalachian region or out of the organization’s four physical offices in Boone, North Carolina, Charlottesville and Norton, Virginia, and Knoxville, Tennessee.  Preference may be given to candidates who are geographically close to communities the organization is organizing with. Travel for team and staff retreats is required, as is occasional travel to support photography, interviews, tabling or other outreach activities. 

Primary Roles & Responsibilities

Social Media:

Currently, Appalachian Voices maintains a presence on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn, and we may add new platforms, potentially including TikTok. The Communications Associate’s role with these platforms includes:

• Creating graphics and video for social media
• Drafting and scheduling social media posts
• Monitoring social media platforms and inboxes, as well as responding and interacting on those channels in collaboration with communications and program staff 
• Assisting with social media planning, content review and schedule oversight 
• Monitoring paid advertising and creating content for paid ads on the various platforms 
• Working with the Director of Digital Innovation to interpret quarterly and yearly data from social media platforms to identify any positive or negative trends, and work to devise effective adjustments to improve overall platform performance 

Web-based Content: 

• Upload and format content for our various websites (hosted on a mix of WordPress and Squarespace platforms)
• Assist program and communications staff with maintaining written and visual content for our primary website, AppVoices.org, to ensure information is up-to-date and consistent
• Post blogs and press releases to AppVoices.org
• Assist program and communications staff with updating written and visual content for various coalition websites managed by Appalachian Voices
• Develop and launch web pages for events and webinars, and maintain events landing pages as well as the organization's online calendar
• Periodically monitor the websites to flag content that is outdated or in need of revising

Advocacy Support:

• Set up email blasts and actions (petitions, letters to Congress, etc.) using our online advocacy platform Action Network
• Help edit email blast content and provide visual elements as needed
• Monitor action alert time frames and ensure posted content is up-to-date
• Assist in the setup of the organization's broadcast SMS text alerts

Team Support:

• Assist the Graphics and Digital Communications Coordinator with maintaining up-to-date visual resources, including filing images and associated permissions in our photo management tool
• Schedule important cross-team meetings, including biannual work-planning meetings with program teams
• Assist the Director of Program Communications with notes and task generation for the team's weekly call about upcoming communications needs
• Provide general communications support (graphics, video, editing, writing, etc.) to the team as needed

Primary Skills & Qualifications

• Social media savvy; comfortable using various platforms and keen to keep up with evolving trends and best practices.
• Strong writing and editing skills, especially for web and social media channels.
• Strong graphic design skills; experience with Adobe Photoshop and Canva preferable.
• Adept video-for-social skills.
• Excellent team player; willing and able to collaborate closely with multiple communications and program staff to ensure all communications represent the organization’s policy and advocacy positions.
• Nimble and adaptable; able to switch gears between different campaigns and projects throughout the day.
• Strong computer/digital skills; comfortable learning new tools and adapting to changing environments in existing tools.
• Keen attention to detail.
• An interest in learning about environmental and energy issues and how these topics affect the land, air, water, and people of Appalachia and the Southeast.