Jobs

Press Coordinator

About Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)

EMPath is a Boston-based nonprofit that dramatically improves the lives of people living in poverty. Our mission is to transform people’s lives by helping them move out of poverty and provide other institutions with the tools to systematically do the same. We do so by providing direct services in the Greater Boston area, including supporting life-changing economic mobility coaching model, called Mobility Mentoring®; convening a global learning network of organizations and agencies; and conducting research and advocacy for what we know works in disrupting poverty.

Position Title: Press Coordinator

Hours: EMPath moved to a four-day work week on July 1, 2023. Hours will be Monday-Thursday, 36-hour week. Position is hybrid, including 2 days in person in our Boston office in the Seaport area.

Salary: $50,000-$55,000 annually.

Starting salaries typically fall in the lower half of the salary range; however, they are ultimately determined by the scope of the position, the candidate’s relevant experience, and internal equity.

Supervisor: Senior Director of Communications

General Summary of Duties

The Press Coordinator will be responsible for driving the success of EMPath’s press strategy, with support from the Senior Director of Communications, in order to generate national and local media coverage for the organization. We’re looking for a PR superstar who has a track record of building relationships with reporters and securing meaningful press for organizations both locally and nationally.

While the majority of the role will be dedicated to driving and implementing our press strategy, a smaller part of the role will support other communications activities for the organization, such as designing collateral materials, writing blog posts, and making simple updates to our website.

Essential Duties of Press Coordinator

• Lead on developing year-long press workplans, identifying proactive and reactive press pitch ideas and communications priorities for upcoming months.
• Manage day-to-day and long-lead press relations for EMPath, including conducting proactive and reactive outreach to national and local press, building relationships with reporters who cover our key issues, conducting media monitoring to keep a close eye on the news conversation, strategizing how to break into the news conversation — all towards a goal of securing strategic news coverage that elevates the organization and our issues.
• Lead on drafting and placing EMPath op-eds and letters-to-the-editor in national and local press.
• Lead on drafting and finalizing media materials including but not limited to press releases, statements, media advisories, and talking points.
• Lead on prepping EMPath spokespeople for interviews.
• Assist with managing our story-sharing initiative, including working closely with EMPath program participants to lift up their stories in the press and other communications in an ethical, consent-informed, and respectful way.
• Support other EMPath communications, including:
  1. Draft blog posts, including conducting interviews and research to write original pieces
  2. Make needed updates on our public website to effectively communicate EMPath’s work and latest news
  3. Create designed collateral that is clear, concise, and follows EMPath’s branding guidelines
  4. Support efforts to create cohesive brand and messaging across organization
• Contribute to organization-wide communications strategy and calendar.
• Work with Institutional Advancement (IA) team to put on fundraising events and play a support role for other IA department needs that arise.
• Note: While there isn’t currently an opportunity to supervise junior level staff or interns the hope is for the Press Coordinator to directly supervise a staffer at some point.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required.
• A minimum of three years of experience in marketing and communications, journalism, or related experience. Nonprofit experience a big plus.
• Track record of securing story placements for organizations that map back to strategic communications goals; track record of building key relationships with reporters; deep consumer of the news; passionate about elevating issues and organization in the news media.
• Exceptional writing skills, good at identifying stories and telling them in a compelling way.
• Basic experience with Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign; able to update or create simple files. A good eye for clean and compelling design. Experience with branding guidelines is a plus.
• Can effectively establish priorities and juggle multiple and competing demands.
• A collaborative team player who can form good working relationships with a diverse array of colleagues.
• Solutions-oriented: when confronted by obstacles, can independently strategize ways to move forward in order to achieve goals.
• An entrepreneurial outlook: does not wait to be asked to do something; can identify ways to move work forward and works independently to get things done.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS

Requires prolonged sitting, some bending, stooping and stretching. Requires eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, photocopier, telephone, calculator and other office equipment. Work is performed in an office environment.

If you are hired, we will require you to prove that you have received the COVID-19 vaccine or have a valid religious or medical reason not to be vaccinated.

All offers of employment at EMPath are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check.

Learn more here

Job posted: 2023-08-29