Job description

About MREA

MREA’s mission is to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable living through education and demonstration.

As proponents of a just energy transition, the MREA values justice, equity, diversity, inclusivity, and belonging. We work to ensure our organization reflects the diverse communities we serve, because we believe that we need meaningful participation from people with a wide variety of perspectives and experiences to achieve our mission.

Position Details
Title: Communications Manager
Classification: Full Time – Exempt (Salaried)
Reports To: Engagement Director
Based: Option of: Remote or Hybrid | Office Locations: Deerfield, WI or Custer, WI
Approximate Start Date: April or May 2023

Pay & Benefits
Salary: Range per Year: $41,600 to $49,920 (Salary commensurate with experience)

• Paid vacation (40 hours to start)
• Paid Holidays (72 hours)
• Paid health & wellness time off (40 hours)
• Professional development support
• Flexible work environment
• Work from home scheduling
• Casual dress code
• Free registration to MREA trainings
• Free electric vehicle charging at Custer, WI office.

To Apply
To apply, please send:

• Cover letter detailing your qualifications (PDF)
• Resume including education and experience (PDF)
• Contact information for three professional references (PDF)
• Link to online portfolio and/or example(s) of a digital media project(s)

All correspondence must be electronic and sent to Amiee Wetmore at apply[a]midwestrenew.org.

Deadline
Applications will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. Central Time on Monday, March 27, 2023.

Position Summary
The Communications Manager is responsible for the organization and management of MREA Event publications, advertising, electronic newsletters, email blasts, website content, annual report, and promotional materials, including graphic design. This position leads the Communication Working Group and collaborates with appropriate staff to update website content, social media pages, and develop & execute marketing plans for MREA programs. To guide this work, the Communications Manager will work with the MREA Action Team to create and manage a 3-year communication plan to guide the content, style, budget, and delivery of MREA promotion and paid advertising.

Responsibilities
1. Marketing and Communication

• Lead Communication Working Group
• Work with Engagement Working Group, Communications Coordinator, Solar Program Coordinator, MREA leadership, and necessary staff to develop an organizational communications plan that defines priority audiences, messaging, mechanisms, and style to define communications strategies as part of our 3-year strategic planning process.
• Represent MREA at events, including exhibiting, presentations, and meetings as needed.
• Field MREA media inquiries (interview requests, article requests, etc.) and work with applicable staff to execute as needed.
• Copyedit MREA articles and promotional content

Websites

• Lead process for updating and maintaining content for MREA website (midwestrenew.org)
• Work with Communication Coordinator and other MREA staff to monitor, optimize, and maintain website SEO and Google Ad Words
• Work with necessary staff to develop, implement, and manage Web Content Accessibility Standards across websites: Midwestrenew.org; TheEnergyFair.org; GrowSolar.org; RiseUpMidwest.org; SolarEnergy.jobs

Social Media

• Coordinate with Communications Coordinator to maintain MREA social media accounts including but not limited to content generation, scheduling, paid advertising, and analytics.

Email Marketing

• Work with applicable staff to engage audiences via email marketing.
• Manage monthly MREA Newsletter including writing/gathering necessary articles, design, edit, and managing mailing lists.

Print Materials

• Maintain MREA information materials while adhering to MREA brand style guide.
• Develop print and digital promotional materials to support MREA initiatives as needed. This includes but is not limited to postcards, posters, logos, artwork, etc.
• Work with staff to produce annual publications (digital & print) including but not necessarily limited to: Energy Fair Pre-Fair Guide, Energy Fair Program Guide, and Annual Report
• Requesting printing quotes
• Work with staff to solicit paid advertisements to help support publication printing and production.

Responsibilities by MREA Program Area
Energy Fair and Other Events

• Participate in The Energy Fair Working Group
• Work with Engagement Director & staff to develop Energy Fair marketing plan as needed.
• Pre-Fair Guide & Program Guide: Work with events staff to solicit ad sales, collect content, create content, design, solicit print quote, distribution, online posting, mailing lists, budget.
• Ad design as requested by ad purchasers.
• Annual artwork development and creation
• Posters and post cards: design, create mailing list, solicit quotes.
• Coordinate with Event Manager to develop and review monthly Fair newsletter (Jan – June) and promotional mailings.
• Assist in updates to Energy Fair website and other event sites as needed (TheEnergyFair.org)
• Manage social media promotion including live promotion.
• Create and distribute media kit with promotional materials for: attendees, exhibitors, presenters, etc.

Rise Up Midwest

• Provide input and edit educational content for print, podcast, and video projects.
• Promotion of resources and action items via social media and email marketing as needed.
• Support website editing as needed (RiseUpMidwest.org)

Engagement

• Support the Engagement Working Group for annual membership drive, year-end giving campaign, and additional campaigns throughout the year.
• Design printed promotional pieces as needed: membership brochure, business engagement and promotional flier, Benefit Dinner menus, etc.
• Coordinate with Engagement and Membership staff to design email marketing, renewal notices, etc.
• Update slider on midwestrenew.org with campaign or membership promotions
• Support Fund Dev promotion through social media efforts
• Support website editing as needed (midwestrenew.org)

Training Programs & Grow Solar Programs

• Coordinate with program teams as necessary to serve as communication staff back up.

2. Administration

• Participate in staff meetings, working groups, and planning sessions as needed.
• Support monthly and quarterly grant reporting when applicable.
• Help to maintain our database with data entry as needed.
• Collect printing and/or design quotes for projects as needed.
• Update and order staff business cards

3. Board Relations

• Attend Board of Directors meetings, prepare reports, and present information as needed.
• Participate on other board-level committees as needed.
• Participate in strategic planning process.

4. Human Resources

• Participate in staff self-evaluations, meetings, workdays, and professional development days as appropriate.
• Work with volunteers and/or interns as needed.
• Participate in hiring process for team members as needed.

Qualifications for Success
A successful candidate will be:

• Results-oriented and self-directed, with a passion for the MREA’s mission
• Organized and focused with proven ability to prioritize and complete activities with deadlines.
• Experienced in managing a project budget.
• An excellent written and verbal communicator who can promote the MREA’s mission to the public and market stakeholders.
• A capable graphic designer with a demonstrated proficiency in—or aptitude to learn—Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and/or other Creative Cloud applications.
• Adept at working in groups and have experience building partnerships with diverse audiences.
• Accustomed to working with a variety of software, demonstrating proficiency in word processing (i.e., MS Word and/or Google Docs), data management (i.e., Excel and/or Google Sheets), presentation software (PowerPoint and/or Google Presentations).
• Accustomed to working with a variety of social media platforms, demonstrating proficiency in YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn with experience executing paid social media campaigns.
• Able to flex communication style to multiple cultural environments.

Preference may be given to candidates who have:

• Related work experience, a bachelors, or other advanced degree in a related field such as: Communication, Digital Media, Marketing, Education, Renewable Energy Policy, Sustainability
• Experience in or knowledge of the solar industry, particularly with the Midwest states’ solar markets
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following: communication, digital media, marketing, campaign development and/or implementation, program management
• Familiarity with blogging tools and/or website editing such as WordPress
• Experience with implementing and analyzing social media campaigns.
• Experience developing podcast episodes—and formatting them for YouTube.

Interested in Other MREA Opportunities?

If this job isn’t right for you but you’d love to learn about future MREA openings, please let us know at apply@midwestrenew.organd you’ll be added to our MREA Vacancy Notification List.

MREA is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment in a manner that violates the law and our stated principles. MREA is committed to employing qualified people regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, parental status, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, family medical history, ancestry, protected veteran status, socioeconomic status, or any other class protected by federal, state, or local laws.

It is the responsibility of everyone employed at MREA to give this non-discrimination policy full support through leadership and personal example. In addition, it is the duty of every MREA employee to help create a job environment that is conducive to effective equal employment opportunity. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, benefits, and training.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $41,600.00 - $49,920.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay

COVID-19 considerations:
The majority of staff are working from home. This position is eligible for work from home, work out of either our Deerfield, WI or Custer, WI office, or hybrid work.

Work Location: Remote

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