Communications Specialist

The Natural Heritage Trust (NHT) is a New York State (NYS) public benefit corporation. Established in 1968, the NHT’s mission is to receive and administer gifts, grants and other funds to further public programs for parks, conservation and historic preservation purposes of the State of New York. The NHT is governed by a four-member Board of Directors comprised of the Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Chair of the State Council of Parks, the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Secretary of State.

The Department of State (DOS) is an NYS agency that plays a critical role in helping to reinvigorate the NYS economy and make its communities more livable. The Department’s divisions, committees and commissions provide a vast array of services. to serve as a vehicle to make New York State’s communities more resilient and progressive to improve the lives of its residents.

The Communications Specialist will join the Office of Planning, Development and Community Infrastructure (OPDCI) within the New York Department of State (DOS) and will be based in our Albany office with the opportunity to travel to our regional offices (Watertown, Syracuse, Buffalo, Binghamton, NYC, Long Island) as appropriate. The Communications Specialist will report to a Program Manager and will work closely with the OPDCI Climate Adaptation Team, and support management and senior staff, but will work on Communications build-out and needs officewide. The Communications Specialist will also have the opportunity to join OPDCI’s thriving Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIJA-B) working group that is focused on incorporating and promoting DEIJA-B principles into our work with NYS communities. The selected candidate for this position will be an employee of the NHT with work conducted under the supervision of DOS OPDCI.

The Communications Specialist will lead the development and implementation of officewide communications campaign strategies, materials, and initiatives that supports the integration of climate resiliency and adaptation, community and economic development, sustainability, and environmental and climate justice principles into our community-based planning and development program portfolio. The Communications Specialist will lead the development and implementation of communications strategies and storytelling materials that weave climate resiliency and adaptation and climate/environmental justice throughout our program portfolio while also leading the development of communications and outreach initiatives and materials to support DOS’s climate resiliency and adaptation work directly with NYS communities. Lastly, the Communications Specialist will develop communications materials, including speeches, trainings, briefings, videos, grant applications and RFPs, social media content, website updates, and presentations, officewide.

The Communications Specialist will support management and senior staff that develop and implement a variety of policies and programs supporting the integration of climate resiliency, community and economic development, sustainability, and environmental/climate justice into our community-based planning and development program portfolio (Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA), Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), NY Forward, the Coastal Management Program, South Shore Estuary Reserve (SSER) Program, Smart Growth, and Ocean and Great Lakes (OGL) Program which houses the climate change and resiliency unit and portions of the offshore wind team, and our Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) program).

Specific Duties include:

• Work closely with the climate adaptation team with the primary responsibility of developing and implementing outreach and communications strategies, materials, and initiatives that message community resilience through climate adaptation measures including strategic relocation.
• Develop and implement communication strategies and storytelling materials that weave climate resiliency and adaptation and climate/environmental justice throughout for OPDCI’s program portfolio.
• Develop communications materials, including speeches, trainings, briefings, videos, grant applications and RFPs, social media content, website updates, Canva, PowerPoint and other presentation platforms, and other forms of effective communication (visual, oral, written) for OPDCI’s program portfolio.
• Develop public-facing OPDCI program materials and announcements related to climate change impacts, adaptation, resiliency, and community and economic development.
• Translate complex, scientific material into lay, non-scientific terms for OPDCI’s program portfolio.
• Serve on OPDCI’s thriving Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIJA-B) working group that is focused on incorporating and promoting DEIJA-B principles into our work with NYS communities.
• Support staff contributions to relevant materials development through serving on the OPDCI Communications Team.

Required Qualifications:

A qualifying Bachelor’s Degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a qualifying Master’s Degree and 2 years of relevant experience. Qualifying degrees include Journalism, Communications, or a related field, such as policy/political Communications. A Master’s Degree in Graphic Design could also be qualifying depending on the prospective candidate’s skillset and experience.

Relevant Experience includes:

• Developing a variety of communications materials, including but not limited to: presentations; graphics, such as flyers/handouts and posters; social media posts; written materials, such as memos, briefings, website content, and speeches; and videos.
• Solely authoring and copyediting materials with complex information/context for a wide, general audience.
• Developing communications strategies, materials, and initiatives on a wide range of topics.
• Community engagement
• Writing grant applications and Request for Proposals

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience working with different communities, specifically disadvantaged and historically marginalized communities.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Suite, including Excel and PowerPoint, and virtual meeting tools, such as Zoom and Webex.
• Strong communication skills including but not limited to ability to: communicate technical findings and information into plain/easy to understand language; facilitate small and large groups and those with diverse representation; translate information and findings via memos, write-ups, presentations, visuals, and/or videos.
• Familiarity with, or willingness to learn, social/behavioral science concepts to inform development of effective communications and engagement strategies on such topics as risk management, climate change, adaptation planning, etc.
• Ability to effectively story tell through a variety of multimedia tools including but not limited to videos, interactive mapping, and documentation of oral histories.
• Demonstrated ability and experience working with people from diverse cultural, ethnic, educational and socio-economic/economic backgrounds.
• Familiarity and/or interest to learn using a trauma-informed approach.
• Experience with graphic design software, such as Canva and Adobe.
• Experience working with Indigenous peoples, groups, and communities.
• Working knowledge of climate change impacts, risks, and adaptation strategies for at-risk communities.
• Knowledge of environmental and climate justice concepts.

Desired Skills:

• Passion for climate resiliency and adaptation, community and economic development, sustainability, and/or environmental and climate justice
• High aptitude for working on a team
• Strong ability to effectively work independently and self-motivate

NHT is committed to building and encouraging an inclusive workplace that strives for respect and promotes and values diversity. We believe that organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective, or any other trait that makes an individual unique, are proven to be better organizations. Please consider joining the team as we work together to build a welcoming workplace where employees recognize their unique characteristics, skills, and experiences are respected, valued, and celebrated.

To support our employees, NHT provides a generous benefits package similar to what is offered to New York State employees. Our total compensation package includes, but is not limited to, leave benefits (14 paid holidays as well as paid vacation, sick, and personal leave); a comprehensive health insurance program including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision plans; and membership in the NYS Employees Retirement System. Additionally, employees may be eligible for partial remote work schedules.

Applicants must submit their resume through Indeed by COB, June 28, 2024.

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and a list of contact information for three professional references via Indeed.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $80,000.00 - $91,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person