Beyond Petrochemicals - Communications Director

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution is seeking a Communications Director to build and direct a communications program that strategically amplifies the stories of communities impacted by toxic pollution from petrochemicals, reduces demand for plastics, and drives narratives that lead to wins for local activists and advocates. 

Beyond Petrochemicals will transform the US industrial sector, ensuring more local victories in the transition to a clean economy, supporting laws that protect communities from harm, and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are fueling the climate crisis.

The ideal candidate will be a natural storyteller who is able to turn policy and technical processes into clear communications strategies with the right frame, message, targeted audiences, tactics, and platforms to create educational and compelling campaigns. 

This is an incredible opportunity to make a significant contribution in the climate change fight and stop the build out of the petrochemical industry.

ABOUT BEYOND PETROCHEMICALS

Beyond Petrochemicals is a fiscally sponsored project of  the Resources Legacy Fund (RLF), launched in September 2022 by Bloomberg Philanthropies after seeing unprecedented growth in the petrochemical industry, which contributes to climate change and its detrimental impact on the health of the communities. 

Drawing on the success of Bloomberg’s Beyond Coal and Beyond Carbon campaigns, Beyond Petrochemicals is turbocharging existing efforts led by frontline communities to block the expansion of more than 120 proposed petrochemical projects concentrated in three target geographies – Louisiana, Texas, and the Ohio River Valley. Beyond Petrochemicals is also working to establish stricter rules for existing petrochemical plants to safeguard the health of American communities. 

The campaign will identify opportunities for grassroots activation, strategic communications, capacity-building, research, and policy advocacy to drive US petrochemical production into permanent decline.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Communications Director will develop and lead Beyond Petrochemicals’ communications work in creative and nimble ways, centering people and equity, and utilizing a wide range of tools including earned media generation, social media, and digital advertising. The Communications Director will serve as spokesperson for the national campaign and work closely with advocates on the ground to expand their communications capacities. This person will thrive in a fast-paced, campaign-like environment and employ their experience in both strategy and a wide variety of tactics across multiple geographic regions to elevate the Beyond Petrochemicals campaign.
 

The Communications Director reports to the Campaign Director of Beyond Petrochemicals. The Communications Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of the campaign’s communications priorities, including the following:

• Working with partners and grantees to craft a compelling narrative to counter the petrochemical industry, expose its harms to public health, and showcase the economic and health benefits of a clean energy transition; 
• Building a multi-state communication strategy by supporting partners’ needs across a broad range of tactics and geographies, evaluate gaps in services, and facilitate connections and learnings across the movement; 
• Managing a complex program with multiple stakeholders to meet the moment for the Campaign’s rapid response, earned media, and social media engagement; 
• Drafting and refining campaign messaging materials, fact sheets, reports, and/or other publications; 
• Telling the story of Beyond Petrochemicals’ success through its digital media platforms, newsletters, and other communication channels;
• Building and managing a team of staff and consultants to support message research and the production of press events, social media content, video, and other efforts necessary to support the Campaign’s work; and  
• Representing Beyond Petrochemicals in discussions with grantees, consultants, opinion leaders in convenings, conferences and media presentations. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Note: These qualifications are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you have 75% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply. Experience can include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work that helped you to build the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for this position. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

Strong candidates will offer:
 

• A minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in communications, public relations, journalism,  or a related field. 
• Experience coordinating large scale communications projects and campaigns, designing national media plans, and implementing creative and innovative communications – preferably in the environmental justice, philanthropic, or climate change space.
• Experience generating earned media coverage, including pitching stories and preparing outreach and education materials (e.g., reports, digital content, video production) to news media outlets. 
• Expertise in storytelling and creating powerful narratives.

• Ability to synthesize complex information into compelling, clear products with an understanding of tone, style, and audience.
• Ability to respond rapidly and appropriately to changing priorities, objectives, and situations; self-starter with a sense of initiative and good judgment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to ensure full-circle communications with program staff and thorough dissemination of important tasks, projects, and meetings. 
• Ability to resolve conflicts professionally.
• Ability to travel as needed, at minimum quarterly. 
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

LOCATION

Flexible

ABOUT RESOURCES LEGACY FUND

Beyond Petrochemicals is a fiscally sponsored project of Resources Legacy Fund (RLF). RLF builds alliances that advance bold solutions to secure a just and resilient world for people and nature. RLF partners with philanthropy, community groups, government, science, and business to promote smart policies and ensure equitable public funding for the environment, climate change resilience, and healthy communities. Across the American West and internationally, RLF manages complex, multi-year grantmaking programs and fiscally sponsors projects that accelerate change on environmental and equity issues.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION:  We are committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination, where all team members feel valued, respected, and included. We know that our work is enriched by the varied voices and perspectives of every staff and board member, so we are committed to making an earnest effort to recruit, welcome, train, develop, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. We believe that a diverse and inclusive culture expands our creative capacity to do our work and achieve greater outcomes for people and the natural world. Learn more about RLF’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our website. 

BENEFITS

RLF offers an alternate Fridays off work schedule (employees work 40 hours one week, 32 hours the next week) and a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k plan with a 5% match, and generous paid time off. RLF also offers a technology allowance, student loan repayment assistance, the Calm app, mental health benefits and approximately 17 paid holidays per year.