About the Company:

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium has a nearly 70-year legacy as an independent, nonprofit, 501(c)3 global marine research and science education institution. Mote began in 1955 and flourished on the foundational pillars of “Passion, Partnership and Philanthropy” - the passion of a single researcher, Dr. Eugenie Clark, her partnership with the community and philanthropic support, first of the Vanderbilt family, later with the significant support and guidance of the William R. Mote family, and today through donations by thousands of individuals who believe in the mission of Mote.
Today, Mote has grown into eight campuses stretching from Tampa Bay to Key West, with a ninth new campus, the Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA), currently under construction. Mote has more than 25 diverse world-class research programs studying oceans locally and internationally, with an emphasis on positively impacting conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. The current Mote Aquarium in Sarasota showcases Mote Research and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 pm, 365 days a year. Learn more at mote.org.

Job Description:

This is a full-time position within the Community Relations & Communications department of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. The Communications Coordinator supports the department’s activities for Mote divisions and programs and the institutional goals of: 1) promoting Mote as a world-class marine research institution, 2) generating attendance for Mote Aquarium and Mote Education programs and events; and 3) supporting Mote’s fundraising efforts. This position supports and enhances the institution’s reputation, integrity and partnerships through strategic marketing and public relations efforts. This role is responsible for managing the image of the organization by developing strategies to increase its brand awareness.

The focus of this position is roughly 80% public relations and 20% marketing.

Responsibilities include:

Public relations:

• Work cross-departmentally to develop and maintain close internal relationships with all levels of staff in order to keep abreast of all aspects of the organization including new research studies, new and/or changing exhibits, education programs, events, fundraising campaigns, volunteer programs etc., with the goal of contributing to Mote’s public relations strategy.
• Responsible for supporting the Marketing and Public Relations Manager in day-to-day planning and execution of Mote’s public relations goals, including fielding daily media requests
• Responding to media requests in a timely manner
• Cultivating strong relationships with media outlets and journalists to ensure efficient communication and maximum coverage.
• Host press outlets and film crews on-site and in the field
• Execute public relations best practices
• Distill complex, scientific topics in easily digestible formats for general consumption
• Identify and propose internal stories to help promote general awareness of Mote’s more than 25 research programs, education initiatives, Aquarium events and promotions, and fundraising campaigns to the media and general public.
• Regularly attend networking events and represent Mote in a professional manner while highlighting Mote as an international marine research powerhouse and its Aquarium, which is the public outreach arms of its research.
• Create a strategic content calendar and plan content ahead of time.
• Monitor and interpret analytics to find data-driven improvement strategies for the performance of the department’s communications, including but not limited to monitoring media coverage and keeping a weekly log of all media coverage, and sharing the findings with management.

Promotional Plans:

• Working directly with the Marketing & Public Relations Manager on planning promotional plans for various Aquarium events or fundraising campaigns, and then spearheading the execution of these strategically thought-out plans, including social media, email marketing, event listings, and public relations.

Email marketing:

• Responsible for planning, executing, and optimizing email marketing campaigns, including Mote Insider, with the other Communications Coordinator on the team.

Social media:

• With a high focus on a team work mentality and an emphasis on fostering talent growth, 20% of this position includes opportunities to be cross-trained in other communications areas such as social media.
• This includes contributing content ideas, preparing stories, reels or posts, and answering direct messages/comments.

Major duties and responsibilities:

Works with Mote’s Community Relations & Communications (CRC) department and all other organizational departments to:

• Develop and maintain close internal relationships with all levels of staff in order to keep abreast of all aspects of the organization including new research studies, new and/or changing exhibits, education programs, events, volunteer programs etc., with the goal of contributing to Mote’s overall communications strategy.
• Work closely with the Marketing & Public Relations Manager to develop public relations strategy utilizing Mote’s social media channels.
• Identify and propose internal stories to help promote general awareness of Mote’s more than 25 research programs, education initiatives, Aquarium events and promotions, and fundraising campaigns to the media and general public.
• Regularly attend networking events and represent Mote in a professional manner while highlighting Mote as an international marine research powerhouse and public Aquarium which aims to transfer and translate Mote’s complex scientific research to the general public to help encourage more environmental stewardship.
• Maintain an up-to-date press list of journalists, influencers, and other members of the media.
• Conduct media tours for bloggers and magazine writers, and work closely with marketing partners such as Visit Sarasota.
• Monitor and interpret analytics to find data-driven improvement strategies for the performance of the department’s communications, including but not limited to monitoring media coverage and keeping a weekly log of all media coverage.
• Collaborates closely with marketing-focused CRC staff to plan and implement campaigns aimed at increasing brand awareness.
• Other duties as needed to support the other CRC staff.

Working Hours: Full-time position. Regular office hours, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., with the understanding that flexibility is required to provide events after hours and on weekends.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, journalism, marketing, or a relevant field.
• At least 1 year of experience working in the public relations or communications industry.
• Excellent knowledge of public relations best practices, brand management, and media strategies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to simplify complex topics for a general audience, especially as Mote is first and foremost a research institution
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to collaborate with personnel and members of the media
• Superb written skills and knowledge of press release style guides.
• Solid organizational skills and the ability to work well in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities and tasks simultaneously
• Creative and detail-oriented
• Ability to work with staff, volunteers, and interns at all levels
• Maintains a respectful attitude in the workplace
• Knowledgeable in social media best practices
• Ability to adjust between writing/editing methods for marketing and public relations, respectively
• Can successfully work independently, but can also excel as a team player
• Administrative skills such as proficiency with Microsoft Office, with the ability to adapt to the department’s preferred project management and other organizational systems

To Apply:

Interested applicants should apply on line by choosing “2023 Volunteer Coordinator” at https://mote.smapply.org/prog/job_applicants or mail a single package including cover letter, resume or c.v. and the contact information for three references to Mote Marine Laboratory, Attn: Human Resources, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34236 before 5pm November 10, 2023.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected category. Mote participates in E-Verify.