Priority Deadline September 29th.

Background: The Environmental Protection Network (EPN) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization with over a $5 million annual budget. EPN has a small staff across the country, a number of contractors, and more than 700 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 
• Provide pro bono support to civil servants. 
• Educate Congress and serve as a critical resource for facts, objective analysis, and scientific rigor for reporters and NGOs. 

• Work will be predominantly remote, as EPN does not have an office. There will be some in-person meetings in other locations in the United States. You will work closely with other staff, including the EPN Senior Director for Policy and Public Affairs. We are looking for this position to start immediately.
   

About the Position:

The Communications Manager will report to the Senior Director of Policy & Public Affairs while collaborating closely with EPN’s Senior Advisor and Save EPA consultant. This role leads the development and execution of EPN’s communications strategy, aligning messaging with organizational priorities and managing a small team to drive impact. The position oversees social media/shared media strategies, crafts compelling content, and coordinates press efforts to elevate the work of civil servants and environmental protection. It also supports campaign planning, tracks key performance metrics, and ensures effective collaboration across internal teams and external partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Strategy & Implementation

• Develop vision, priorities, and goals for the press and communications work in coordination with the Senior Director of Policy & Public Affairs 
• Lead and adaptively manage the press and communications team in collaboration with all of the other teams, including policy, public affairs, technical assistance, safeguarding, and partner coordination.
• Track and monitor key metrics for communications and press workflows.

Team Management

• Directly manage 1-2 full-time staff members 
• Execute on all org-wide people manager responsibilities (reviews, training, weekly meetings, leave approval, etc.)

Media Relations

• Identify key media targets and secure opportunities for national and regional press coverage.
• Actively pitch stories to media outlets, building narratives that resonate with audiences.
• Maintain and strengthen existing relationships with reporters while establishing connections with new media contacts.
• Monitor media coverage to assess the effectiveness of communications strategies.
• Provide regular reports and analyses to the Senior Director of Policy & Public Affairs to inform future efforts.

Press Materials and Messaging

• Draft and distribute press releases, media advisories, op-eds, Substack posts, social media guidance, and talking points.
• Create compelling press kits and assist in drafting quotes for spokespeople.
• Develop specific media and volunteer materials for relevant geographies and in general communications to highlight how EPA impacts communities and the work of civil servants in protecting public health and the environment.

Event Management

• Organize and coordinate press events, including speaker selection and logistics.
• Moderate media interactions and discussions, ensuring alignment with organizational messaging.

Strategic Planning and Campaign Development

• Develop and implement a comprehensive media and communications plan for the Save EPA campaign, and potentially other campaigns as needed.
• Identify target audiences and design tactics to effectively engage them.
• Create a calendar of events and opportunities to amplify key messages.

Special Projects and Campaigns

• Collaborate with EPN’s Senior Advisor, Senior Director of Policy & Public Affairs, Save EPA consultant, and other team members to align communications strategies.
• Guide EPN partners on communication priorities and best practices.
• Coordinate communications agenda planning for the Save EPA campaign table to ensure alignment with EPN and partner goals.
• Find innovative ways to highlight personal stories that resonate with communities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of 5 years or relevant experience 
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant work experience communicating with and pitching to media outlets/reporters
• Commitment to the Environmental Protection Network’s mission and values
• Experience creating and operationalizing priorities, goals, and metrics 
• Strong skills in strategic planning and implementation, including tracking metrics and managing multi-year initiatives
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines, priorities, and stakeholders in a fast-paced and evolving environment
• Experience with direct people management 
• Experience with project management and specifically managing work across multiple complex stakeholder groups 
• Highly productive in remote working environments 
• Bachelor’s or Master's degree or equivalent related work experience required. 
• Strong writing skills
• Marketing and development experience, including experience writing pitches and proposals
• Detail-oriented and unafraid to ask questions
• Strong written and verbal communication skills 
• Proficiency with Google Docs 
• Experience with CRM database management

CORE COMPETENCIES:

1. Communicating Effectively: The person in this role must demonstrate exceptional strategic communication skills, shaping and delivering clear, compelling messages that advance organizational priorities across a range of platforms and audiences. They should bring sophisticated writing and speaking abilities to develop high-impact materials, represent the organization in public forums, and amplify its mission with authority and nuance. Equally important are strong listening and relationship-building skills to foster trust, navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, and lead communications efforts that resonate and drive action.
2. Planning: The person in this role will develop and implement strategic communications and media plans that align with long-term organizational and campaign goals. It requires anticipating key opportunities, coordinating across teams and partners, and creating detailed calendars, content, and outreach strategies to ensure consistent and impactful messaging. Effective planning also includes setting measurable priorities and goals, tracking progress, and adapting tactics based on performance data and media trends.
3. Managing Execution/Team Management: The person in this role must drive the successful implementation of communications strategies while ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals. It involves guiding and supporting a small team to meet key deliverables, tracking progress, and adapting workflows as needed to stay on course. The role requires balancing day-to-day execution with long-term outcomes, fostering accountability, and maintaining high-quality output across all communications efforts.
4. Building Relationships: The person in this role will be responsible for building and sustaining strong relationships essential to success. They must cultivate trust with journalists, partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure coordinated, credible, and strategic messaging. Leveraging these relationships, they will advance campaign goals, amplify the voices of civil servants, and align press efforts across EPN’s broader policy and public affairs work.
5. Making Decisions & Demonstrating Judgement: The person in this role requires sound, strategic decision-making in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, often balancing evolving media landscapes with organizational priorities. The individual must exercise strong judgment in press engagement, messaging, and campaign strategy to ensure alignment with EPN’s mission and values. By anticipating risks and opportunities, they will steer communications efforts that elevate civil service voices and enhance the impact of EPN’s policy and advocacy campaigns.

PAY:

• An annual salary of $85,400 based in D.C. We will adjust the salary up or down based on locality. 

BENEFITS

The 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 non-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 are 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, HSA, and commuter benefits. 
• 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 cell phone plan and home internet reimbursement. 
• 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.