Communications Manager (Public Affairs

WHO WE ARE

Our climate goals can only be met by rapidly reducing emissions and removing the carbon that already exists in our atmosphere. The Carbon Removal Alliance is a coalition made up of 25 of the industry’s most promising companies working to remove carbon. Led by long-time carbon removal thinkers with close ties in Washington, the Alliance translates the realities of building carbon removal projects into federal programs that help the field scale. Unlike typical trade associations, we’re a nonprofit driven by our principles of high-quality and permanent removals. Alliance members are responsible for virtually all of the carbon removed from the atmosphere and represent an emerging class of companies who can help the US meet its climate goals. We’re building an industry worthy of public and private sector investment — one that’s categorically good for the climate, economy, and people.

The Carbon Removal Alliance is a new organization founded in early 2023. We’re a remote-first organization, with four full-time employees based in Brooklyn, NY where we maintain an office.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Overview

Carbon Removal Alliance is seeking a Communications Manager who can build out our public affairs program and write and edit content, establishing our positioning among our membership, the media, policymakers, and the carbon removal ecosystem. This will be the first full-time communications hire for the Carbon Removal Alliance, joining a team of dedicated consultants and firms that currently support the organization. The communications program at CRA should serve as a bridge between innovators and policymakers, translating complex topics and uplifting carbon removal approaches that align with our principles. This candidate will have an opportunity to tell stories about real-world deployments of carbon removal across the US and help build political will for carbon removal policy in Washington, D.C. This candidate will be a member of the founding team at CRA, with opportunities to build the CRA’s processes and culture in a new and fast-paced organization.

This candidate should be comfortable writing and editing content that include op-eds, reports, fact sheets, and blogs. As a writer, this candidate is clear and succinct. As an editor, this candidate isn’t afraid to rework a piece or zero in on grammar. This candidate is a skilled project manager who can manage multiple work streams, organize teammates around a campaign, and build authentic partnerships. This role will report to the Chief of Staff.

Major Roles & Responsibilities

• Establish and institutionalize comms team infrastructure and norms.
• Write and edit blog posts, social posts, fact sheets, and policy reports, maintaining a consistent brand voice and messaging across mediums.
• Develop communications campaigns on a national and regional basis, including strategy, messaging, tactics, KPIs, and workback timelines.
• Help build our media relations program, working with our agency partner and deepening our relationships with journalists to shape and land stories that highlight carbon removal innovation and policy.
• Research, identify, and build relationships with regional stakeholders and local media landscapes.
• Serve as a bridge between our membership and our team, including:
  • Building relationships with our member’s communications teams,
  • Becoming fluent in both CDR technologies and policies,
  • Identifying opportunities to spotlight member work through communications.
• Contribute to the development of our organizational culture and norms in partnership with fellow teammates.

Compensation, Benefits & Our Philosophy

The Carbon Removal Alliance continually seeks to enrich its staff and team culture. In particular, we’re dedicated to broadening opportunities for individuals from demographic groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences and in environmental advocacy. We’re also committed to building an inclusive workplace culture where talented people of widely different backgrounds can thrive. We’ve adopted this commitment because we believe the inclusion of culturally diverse perspectives will improve our work and produce better societal and environmental outcomes for all, including historically disenfranchised communities.

• The salary range for this position is $105,000 to $125,000.
• Carbon Removal Alliance benefits include:
  • Flexible remote work culture, including 36-hour workweeks (we close at 1 pm every Friday) and dedicated no-meeting time each week
  • Four weeks of PTO, two weeks of sick leave, three floating holidays/personal days, and organization-wide closures for one week during August and one week at the end of the year (Dec 24-Jan 2)
  • Full coverage of medical and dental insurance premiums for you (base level plan)
  • Employer contributions to employee retirement plans (401k)
  • A quarterly health and wellness stipend
  • A generous tech stipend

WHO YOU ARE

Our ideal Communications Manager possesses the following qualities:

• You excel on a small, nimble team, and you’re excited to build our culture with us. You’re eager to do things differently and experiment. You desire to help a startup nonprofit define its role and maximize its impact with creativity and grit. You also know how to roll with the punches, have a quick bounce-back time after a setback, and get energy from building the plane as you fly it.
• You’re a translator and writer, who can take complex topics and transform them into accessible and compelling materials or succinct verbal explanations.
• You appreciate the big picture, but you sweat the details. You manage projects fluidly, prioritize, and track timelines, data, and information in an organized and systematic fashion. You don’t drop balls, miss deadlines, or forget to respond to someone’s inquiry.
• You bring tact and diplomacy to build trusting relationships and advance the best ideas.
• You know the difference between voice and tone, can take a critical lens to visual materials, and understand the importance of brand for new organizations.
• You’re high impact, low-ego, and kind to yourself and others.

This role requires:

• 5+ years of prior experience in a communications role, developing and implementing campaigns and creating content.
• Outstanding writing and editing skills, with brand/technical writing examples and knowledge of grammar, style, tone, and voice.
• Skilled in managing multiple work streams simultaneously with detail, accuracy, and follow-through.
• Media relations experience, including evidence of building mutually-beneficial relationships with journalists and a track record of shaping narratives through media.
• An ability to communicate verbally in a clear, persuasive, and accessible manner.

It’s a bonus if you have:

• Prior communications experience in science, climate, environment, policy, or emerging technologies.

TO APPLY

To apply, please submit this form. You’ll be asked to provide:

• Your resume.
• Two writing samples that demonstrate strong structure, voice, and tone. Each should be no more than 3 pages (abridged pieces are welcome).
• Answers to the following questions:
  • What draws you to the Carbon Removal Alliance?
  • Looking at the responsibilities listed in the job description, what parts are you most excited to take on? Which responsibilities are you looking forward to growing into?

We are looking to extend an offer by the end of May 2024. Carbon Removal Alliance is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria.