Company: Colorado State University - Colorado Natural Heritage Program

Title: Outreach and Communications Specialist

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Full job description: https://jobs.colostate.edu/postings/150912

Apply by date: 10/07/2024

Salary Range: $76,500 - $99,500

Position Summary:

Founded in 1870, Colorado State University is among the nation’s leading research universities and enrolls approximately 32,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Located an hour north of the Denver metro area, Fort Collins is a vibrant community of approximately 157,000 residents that offers the convenience of a small town with all the amenities of a large city. Fort Collins is situated on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains with views of 14,000-foot peaks, and offers access to numerous cultural, recreational, and outdoor opportunities.

The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) is Colorado’s primary biological conservation information center housed within the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. CNHP is a key player in Colorado’s conservation of open lands and maintains the only centralized conservation database in Colorado that includes plants, animals, and natural communities. The staff consists of approximately 40 highly experienced biologists and information managers with expertise in inventory, research, and monitoring of Colorado’s flora, fauna, plant communities, and conservation issues.

CNHP serves a wide variety of users including federal, state and local agencies, consultants, environmental groups, non-government organizations, private landowners, and the public. CNHP’s annual revenue is approximately 6 million dollars and is generated from contracts and agreements through CNHP’s partners and clients. CNHP generally works on over 50 conservation projects per year. To learn more about CNHP’s mission, vision, and values, visit http://www.cnhp.colostate.edu/.

The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) at Colorado State University (CSU) is seeking a Communications and Outreach Specialist. The position will provide critical leadership, direction, and expertise in developing an integrated and long-term communications strategy that furthers the objectives, plans, and vision for the Colorado Natural Heritage Program. The strategy will include general program messaging and targeted communications campaigns supporting grant-funded projects. Advancing the program’s mission through enhanced awareness of CNHP is a key priority for this position.

The position will oversee CNHP’s work in both communication and outreach. Communication activities will include developing mixed media content and design for CNHP’s website (video, images, and text); establishing and maintaining CNHP’s social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms; producing digital printed materials, such as factsheets, pamphlets, and brochures, etc.; generating press releases and engaging with the press; and being a liaison between CNHP and communications teams at various levels within Colorado State University.

Outreach activities will include planning outreach events in specific communities or for specific audiences; engagement with the land trust community; coordination with private landowners for biological inventories; participation in working groups focused on advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) in conservation science; engagement with current and potential donors and funders; and outreach to state lawmakers in partnership with official CSU lobbyists.

The position will be located on the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins, CO. The position can be either full-time in-person or part-time in-person/part-time remote. Fully remote work is not an option. The position must be based in Colorado and able to work from the CNHP offices at CSU approximately once a week throughout the year.

CNHP is interested in finding the best candidate for the Communications and Outreach Specialist position. We encourage you to apply, even if you don’t think you meet every one of our preferred qualifications – use your application to let us know what excites you about this role and what transferable skills or other qualities you would bring.

Required Qualifications:             

• Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of direct professional experience in communications; OR Master’s Degree and 5 years of professional experience.
• Experience designing and implementing mixed media outreach campaigns (e.g., printed material, web content, social media).
• Demonstrated organizational, time management, and problem-solving skills; ability to handle complex tasks with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Effective interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, including experience with multi-cultural communication and ability to cultivate successful collaboration with a diverse group of individuals.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Must have a valid driver’s license or the ability to obtain a driver’s license by the employment start date.
• The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. by proposed start date; CNHP will not provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Employee Benefits:

Colorado State University (CSU) is committed to providing employees with a strong and competitive benefits package that supports you, your health, and your family. Visit CSU’s Human Resources website for detailed benefit plan information for permanent full-time and part-time faculty and administrative professional employees in the following University benefit areas: https://hr.colostate.edu/hr-community-and-supervisors/benefits/benefits-eligibility/ & https://hr.colostate.edu/prospective-employees/our-perks/.

Colorado State University conducts background checks on all final candidates.

CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer.