Communications Assistant, Earth Quaker Action Team (Philadelphia)

[Matthew Armstead]

Communications Assistant
Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) – www.eqat.org
Philadelphia, PA
20 hours/week (on average) at $15/hour
This position is open until filled with a potential start date in October 2015

Earth Quaker Action Team is a grassroots, nonviolent action group including Quakers and people of diverse beliefs, who join with millions of people around the world fighting for a just and sustainable economy.

Believing that rooftop solar power can both mitigate climate change and produce good jobs, in our current campaign - Power Local Green Jobs - we are challenging energy corporations to do just that by making a major shift to locally generated solar rooftop power for electricity. In this first phase, we are demanding that PECO, the local electricity provider, commit to supporting the local economy by purchasing energy from rooftop solar in high-unemployment areas of Philadelphia. This will provide much-needed jobs and income to neighborhoods across the region, particularly communities of color that have faced decades of disinvestment and racial barriers to employment.

Position Summary

The Communications Assistant will support the organization in telling the story of the campaign, while developing a solid infrastructure for communication. EQAT is an action organization that is mostly operated by volunteers. The Communications Assistant will create external communications content alongside volunteers. Additionally, this person will provide back-end support for internal communications, helping the organization build a strong campaign. The Communications Assistant must be passionate about the mission and vision of EQAT. This job requires someone to multitask, be detail oriented, be curious about direct action, and have experience or an interest in learning how to sustain a small non-profit. Communication skills, flexibility, and experience with self-supervision are important. This position reports to the Coordinator.

Duties

• Assist in the creation and implementation of communications strategies alongside the Communications/Media Team
• Manage EQAT’s NationBuilder database. Adding new people to the database, correcting contact information, and removing duplicate information
  
• Gather materials and send out the EQAT e-newsletter
• Develop content for EQAT’s website and provide regular maintenance to keep it up-to-date
• Coordinate regular updates for EQAT’s Facebook page & Twitter feed presence
• Promptly respond to the organization’s mail
• Respond to donation issues, including follow-up with lapsed monthly donors
• Support the fundraising committee through coordinating thank-you notes and the Annual Report
• Others tasks as assigned

Qualifications 

The ideal candidate for this position will. . .

• have access to a computer and the internet
• have experience with Microsoft Word and Excel
• be a self-starter: able to balance varied projects and working independently
• have experience with creating content in a team environment via phone, email, and in person
• be able to attend regular staff meetings in Philadelphia
• possess solid writing skills
• be highly organized and detail-oriented
• have media relations experience
• be able to effectively use Facebook and Twitter
• have digital data management skills with services like NationBuilder, Google Drive, and Dropbox
• preferably have experience with graphic design (Photoshop) and web-site management (NationBuilder or other Content Management Systems)
• Familiarity with the Religious Society of Friends and Quaker Culture is a plus

To Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and at least two references to Matthew Armstead at matthe...@gmail.com with "Communications Assistant Position" in the subject line.

EQAT is an equal opportunity employer. Women, people of color, LGBTQ candidates, persons with disabilities, persons with diverse faith traditions and beliefs, persons with past contact with the criminal justice system are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted until the position has been filled.