We’re Hiring!

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  • by sodergren

    • JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

    PROGRAM MANAGER,  FRIENDS OF ALASKA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES  


    CLOSING DATE: JULY 6, 2020

    Please send a cover letter, references and a resume to Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges at info@alaskarefugefriends.org


    POSITION SUMMARY:

    The Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges (Friends) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that supports the stewardship of Alaska’s national wildlife refuges through education, volunteer projects, and advocacy. We work closely with the 16 national wildlife refuges in various capacities. We are seeking a part-time employee; however, there are two months in the spring where the workload will require a nearly full time effort.

    The primary responsibility is the coordination, management and promotion of the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival (https://kachemakshorebird.org/). Held annually in early May, this 5-day event is the largest wildlife festival in Alaska, offering over 100 events.  The festival is co-hosted by Friends and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and is supported by a committee of several organizations representing the Kachemak Bay community. This position requires skills and experience in program development, event administration, communications, fundraising, drafting service contracts, and financial/budget management. It is anticipated that this portion of the job will require around 80% of the total hours offered.

    Additional job responsibilities will include support of the Friends Board of Directors in carrying out our programs in conformance with achieving our mission. Tasks are centered on communicating our message through various social media platforms, newsletters, blogs, and press releases; data management of our membership; and seeking funding for additional program development.

    The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills, organizational and communication skills; will manage time independently; and will have experience working collaboratively with multiple partners. This position offers growth potential, as our goal is to develop this into a full-time position to support our programs. There are professional training opportunities. There is flexibility in scheduling based on personal needs. 


    POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

    • Experience with event planning or similar position 
    • Knowledge of standard accounting practices and experience with budget management
    • Proficiency with standard desktop applications for word processing, data and financial management, and cloud-based file-sharing applications 
    • Ability to develop written content for public dissemination 
    • Ability to create engaging website and social media postings on a regular basis
    • Skills to develop and implement public outreach efforts
    • Ability to prioritize efforts and manage time independently to accomplish a variety of tasks
    • Ability to work with persons from many other organizations, agencies, and groups in a professional manner to project a favorable image of Friends
    • Interest in wildlife conservation and state-wide conservation needs and concerns

    ADDITIONAL DESIRABLE SKILLS:

    • Experience with accounting software
    • Website creation and maintenance knowledge
    • Fundraising
    • Writing contracts
    • Knowledge of the Homer area, community, and businesses
    • Familiarity with National Wildlife Refuges

    COMPENSATION:

    This position is budgeted at approximately 1,150 hours per calendar year at an hourly rate of $20-$24/hour, based on experience. The workload is part time with the exception of April and May due to the increased workload demand for the Shorebird Festival.  There is some flexibility for scheduled time off, depending on the distribution of the remaining hours around the Shorebird Festival.



    JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

    Shorebird Festival Responsibilities:

    Administration

    • Calculate and manage festival budget and ensure that it is followed
    • Book talent, including keynote speakers, musicians, and artists, and arrange for their agreed- upon travel, speaking fees, food stipend, and lodging
    • Negotiate agreements for ticket sales
    • Coordinate and monitor event timelines and ensure deadlines are met
    • Recruit volunteers and/or hire staff to manage aspects of the event
    • Coordinate event logistics, including registration and attendee tracking, presentation and materials support, and pre- and post-event evaluations
    • Co-Chair Shorebird Festival Committee along with the Fish and Wildlife Service lead, leading monthly (or as needed) planning meetings
    • Meet periodically with the Festival Executive Committee

    Communications and Publicity

    • Manage online and in-person registration
    • Write social media, email, and mail communications following Friends branding guidelines 
    • Oversee editing and production of official festival program
    • Maintain and update festival website 
    • Maintain and send updates to festival participant mailing list 
    • Maintain and ensure timely posting of festival signage
    • Oversee editing and designing of promotional materials
    • Initiate, coordinate, and/or participate in all efforts to publicize events
    • Represent the Festival at various outreach events locally and nationally

    Fundraising

    • Develop and oversee fundraising events and merchandise
    • Coordinate raffles, auctions, and other fundraising strategies
    • Secure and invoice Festival sponsors

    Organization and Coordination

    • Coordinate with Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge to create the Festival schedule
    • Solicit area businesses to offer tours during the festival weekend to be sold through Festival registration (the Festival seeks to offer new events each year)

    Negotiate and secure event space, relying on partnerships when possible

    • Work with Refuge Visitor Center Manager and Alaska Geographic Manager to display Festival merchandise

    Friends Organization Responsibilities:

    Communications and Digital Media

    • Attend monthly Friends Board of Directors meetings
    • Develop and update digital media strategy 
    • Maintain and manage social media accounts (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube) 
    • Support the mission of the Friends organization through development of online and offline content
    • Work closely with Friends Board, Friends members, volunteers, and

    USFWS to collect, manage, and curate communications content

    • Oversee Friends website, blog, and monthly emails/newsletter

    Grant writing and administration

    • Apply for and manage grants and maintain accurate archive of grant application materials
    • Research appropriate grant opportunities

    For additional information please visit the following websites:


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