Description

At Waste Not, we’re creating sustainable food systems that help people and the planet flourish. We do this by eliminating food waste and hunger through innovative community partnerships. A great deal of time, money and resources go into growing and delivering nutritious food. Yet, each year, 40% of that food is thrown away. At the same time, nearly 1 million people in Arizona are struggling with food insecurity. We’re transforming this broken system by connecting tens of thousands of Arizonans with quality food that would have otherwise gone to waste. By reimagining what’s possible for food rescue, we’re making our community and our planet healthier. 

Job Title: Communications and Engagement Manager

Location: Hybrid, mostly remote with drop-down offices in Scottsdale or Mesa

Reports To: Executive Director of Waste Not, an affiliate of United Food Bank

FLSA Status:  Exempt/Full-time 

Requirements

SUMMARY:

The Communications and Engagement Manager is a key role at Waste Not and will report to the Executive Director. The person in this position will be responsible for a variety of outreach efforts, including content creation and planning, campaign development, special events, and community engagement. 

Primarily, this person will be responsible for external communications and marketing for the nonprofit as a whole through newsletters, social media, appeals (digital and direct mail), public relations, our annual report, website maintenance, and the monitoring of our general info inbox.

In addition to the above, this person will manage the planning, task delegation, and execution of our annual Empty Bowls event and other Empty Bowls pop-up fundraisers, with event support coming from other Waste Not employees. This person will be the lead for other external fundraisers, as needed.

Along with the Executive Director, he/she/they will also work with various businesses, coalitions, governments, community groups, etc., to help create innovative partnerships that drive the mission of Waste Not forward.

This is a community-based position that occasionally requires Valley-wide travel to collect impact stories and photos from our food donors and recipient agencies. This position is primarily remote, with touchdown offices in both Scottsdale and Mesa. Activities on occasion may require working in the evening or on weekends.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include, but are not limited to, the following. Other duties may be assigned by the Waste Not Director.

• Represent Waste Not in a professional manner reflective of our values
• Continuously promote Waste Not’s food rescue efforts via social media, email, and direct mail.
• With the Executive Director, create an annual marketing and communications plan.
• Create marketing material and collateral as needed
• Maintain brand standards in all external messaging and collateral
• Maintain good public relations with all contacts
• Seek opportunities to broaden awareness of Waste Not
• Take responsibility for managing workload. 

Qualifications:

• A minimum of three years of non-profit, community relations, communications, or relevant experience preferred
• A Bachelor’s degree in marketing or communications is desired but not required
• Working knowledge of platforms such as Google Drive, Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, Wix, Airtable or aptitude for learning various forms of technology
• Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and socio-economic levels
• A keen attention to detail and the ability to effectively proof work
• Ability to be professionally autonomous and also work within a team
• Valid Arizona Driver’s License 

Language Skills:

Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills:

Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions and percentages. 

Competencies: 

· Values Focused – emphasizes organizational values in their work activities and inspires co-workers to follow their lead.

· Oral Communication – speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, demonstrates group presentation skills, and conducts meetings. 

· Planning/Organizing – prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently, and develops realistic action plans. 

· Motivation - Sets and achieves challenging goals; Demonstrates persistence and overcomes obstacles; Measures self against standard of excellence; Takes calculated risks to accomplish goals.

· Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.

· Quantity - Meets productivity standards; Completes work in a timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.

· In instances of a federal, state, or locally declared emergency, Waste Not is typically considered an essential service and emergency responder; all of its employees may be called in to perform regular or emergent duties.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit use hands to lift and move items, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and reach with hands and arms.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor.