Community Outreach Associate- Regions 8 & 10- Priority Deadline Feb 14th

(Must be located in AK, CO, ID, MT, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, or WY)

Background: The Environmental Protection Network (EPN) is a 501c3 non-profit organization with over a $4 million annual budget. EPN has a small staff across the country, a number of contractors, and more than 600 EPA alumni volunteers focused on building and defending the capacity of environmental agencies and the communities they serve to address the most urgent health and environmental crises. EPN works to:

• Ensure that EPA advances policies, budgets, and institutional changes to address climate and environmental injustices, as well as other pressing public health needs 
• Provide pro bono capacity-building technical assistance and training to environmental justice communities, NGOs, and under-resourced state/local/tribal government agencies 
• Train and mentor EPA staff and managers and recruit individuals from underrepresented populations to work at EPA 
• Educate Congress and serve as a critical resource for facts, objective analysis, and scientific rigor for reporters and NGOs 

Almost 3 years ago, EPN launched its pro bono capacity-building technical assistance program to fight climate change and environmental injustices across the country. Since then, EPN has connected over 200 experts from within its volunteer network—scientists, lawyers, economists, and others—to over 1,500 requests from disadvantaged communities; non-profit organizations; and under-resourced state, local, and tribal government agencies. EPN provides pro bono assistance on community-identified needs, including reviewing permits, teaching protocols for gathering water and ambient air samples, advising on critical next steps to achieve proper contamination remediation at Superfund sites, and more. EPN has helped communities access over $700 million in federal grants.

About The Position:

Reporting to the Senior Associate, Community Outreach-Region 6, the Community Outreach Associate-Region 8 & 10 will partner across the 13-person Technical Assistance Community Outreach Team. They will leverage their strong organizational skills, and relationship-building skills, combined with environmental justice and/or social justice expertise, to meet the evolving needs of a growing environmental justice nonprofit. 

The person who takes on this position must be located within one of the following states: AK, CO, ID, MT, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, or WY. Day-to-day work is remote, as EPN does not have an office. In addition, there are some in-person meetings and travel. We are looking for this position to start immediately.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH ASSOCIATE RESPONSIBILITIES: 

The Community Outreach Associates will be tasked with creating additional and deeper connections with communities in specified areas of the country, and seeking out individuals and partnerships with local organizations to provide community-identified areas of assistance. This work will include the following:

• Collaborating and coordinating with the Regions 8 & 10 Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs)
• Assisting entities in identifying and applying to grants, including the Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program
• Tracking work in EPN’s database and various Google spreadsheets 
• Tracking next steps for EPN staff, volunteers, and key partner organizations 
• Connecting additional frontline communities, non-profits, and under-resourced government agencies (including tribes) with our volunteers for community-driven projects, including problem-solving meetings, research and reporting, and comprehensive actionable emails 
• Connecting communities with additional technical, grant, legal, and scientific resources such as decision-makers within government, advocacy, and academia; federal and foundation grants; and pro bono legal support 
• Scheduling meetings for communities and potential experts and organizations 
• Forming truly collaborative partnerships between community leaders and government agencies to ensure that communities’ voices are represented in infrastructure investments 
• Growing individual and local partnerships to provide more holistic community support 
• Producing webinars, trainings, templates (including grant templates), and other capacity-building tools so that additional communities can benefit from our work 
• Traveling throughout the local EPA regions, and sometimes beyond 
• Broadly sharing findings formally and informally 

COMPETENCIES

1. Building Relationships: The community outreach associate will be responsible for building strong, trust-based relationships with frontline communities, non-profits, under-resourced government agencies and tribal organizations to understand their needs and co-create solutions. Cultivating partnerships with the TCTACs, government agencies, experts, and volunteers fosters collaboration and ensures communities have access to the resources and support they need. By growing local networks and maintaining open communication, this role strengthens connections that drive impactful, community-centered outcomes.
2. Making Decisions & Demonstrating Judgement: The community outreach associate will be making decisions and demonstrating judgment by prioritizing community needs, ensuring resources are allocated effectively, and balancing immediate tasks with long-term goals. Thoughtful judgment is applied to match volunteers and experts to projects; facilitate collaborative partnerships; and connect communities with the most impactful technical, legal, and financial resources. Decisions are guided by community-driven priorities, organizational objectives, and a commitment to equity—ensuring meaningful and sustainable outcomes.
3. Managing Execution: To manage these responsibilities effectively, the community outreach associate will establish streamlined systems for tracking tasks; coordinating with TCTACs; and connecting communities with resources, volunteers, and experts for tailored community-driven support. Building strong collaborative partnerships with local leaders, government agencies, and organizations while producing capacity-building tools like webinars and templates will empower additional communities.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

• At least 1-3 years of relevant work experience 
• Highly productive in remote working environments 
• Self-starter with problem-solving skills
• Interest or experience in environmental justice, US environmental and health policy, and/or the work of EPA
• Experience with or knowledge of social justice and equity issues 
• Strong writing and communication skills 

• Experience with Canva or with other presentation-making tools
• Detail-oriented and unafraid to ask questions 
• Ability to work independently, work on many different projects, and switch effectively from one task to another 
• Experience working in collaborations or with multiple partners 
• Strong work ethic 
• Familiarity with Google Docs and Spreadsheets 
• Bilingual abilities in English/Spanish are a plus

PAY:

• An annual salary of $65,000 based in D.C. We will adjust the salary up or down based on locality. 

BENEFITS

Environmental Protection Network is a fully remote virtual environment. We think about our compensation as a package of total rewards that starts with a competitive salary. 

Work-Life Balance:

• Employees are encouraged to balance a 40-hour work week with a flexible work schedule and core hours of 11 AM-4 PM ET. 
• 11 paid Federal Holidays and other paid days when the office is closed (including the work day before or after July 4, the day after Thanksgiving, and the work days between December 25th and January 1).
• Organization-wide no-meeting days on all major holidays that fall outside of the federal calendar (our staff can submit these to our calendar based on religious or cultural holidays).
• 3 weeks (120 hours) of paid time off (inclusive of sick, personal days, and vacation).

Financial Security:

• Competitive market-based salary. 
• Annual tenure bonus (determined annually where funds are available)
• Performance-based bonuses where applicable.
• 401K Retirement Plan, 4% company match. 

Wellness Benefits:

• 80% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, 50% employer-paid family.

• 100% employer-paid life (50K), opportunity to purchase additional life coverage is available for employee and spouse. 
• 100% employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance. 
• Access to employee-paid FSA and HSA.
• Up to 6 weeks of paid leave upon the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Career Development:

• Up to $500/year for professional development-related expenses. 
• Ongoing access to internal professional development training. 

Additional Benefits:

• $150 monthly reimbursement for a cell phone plan and home internet. 
• Up to $2,000/year for the purchase of phones, computers, headsets, software, or other equipment used consistently to carry out staff responsibilities.
• Applicable travel expenses will be reimbursed, including travel time outside of your local area.

Environmental injustices disproportionately impact the most marginalized people in society, including people of color, people from working-class backgrounds, women, and LGBTQIA+ people. Because we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.