Contract Director – EJ

Position Summary

From advocacy and community building to stakeholder engagement, we harness the power of voice to listen, see trends and patterns, and drive both engagement and action.

Current/recent environmental justice clients include: the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, USDA Forest Service, NASA, The Kresge Foundation, Ford Foundation, Up for Growth, The Rockefeller Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and many other social impact organizations. 

Our work in the environmental justice space is growing, and we are seeking a freelance director to work in collaboration with members of the MG team across the company on a variety of client accounts.  

The director will specialize in a growing portfolio of work to develop, implement, and evaluate the impact of powerful social marketing, public will building, movement and coalition building efforts, and policy change initiatives.  

As such, we are searching for a curious, innovative, and collaborative director who is comfortable in a fast-paced, billable environment.  If you thrive when working on and balancing multiple projects, this may be the role for you.

We have a preference for this role to be located in our D.C. or Portland area markets. This contract position is for a limited duration of 6-12 months.

The pay rate for this contract/freelance role will be variable depending on the role and the specific project. Rates will be disclosed at the initial outreach stage.

General Responsibilities

Facilitation and stakeholder engagement:

• Design and (co-)facilitate client and community work sessions, multi-stakeholder meetings,  and informal discussion groups, e.g., to surface shared values and priorities.

Research and evaluation:

• Conduct marketing and communication program audits to assess issue framing and/or an organization’s capacity and impact through: executive interviews, facilitated group discussions and focus groups, marketing and strategy materials reviews, news audits to examine the extent to which the client’s message is being reflected in earned media coverage, and other research methods. 
• Conduct research on EJ policies and practices including literature reviews, best practice reviews, interviews, facilitated group discussions, etc., to identify insights that inform the policies and practices of a wide variety of institutions (e.g., grassroots EJ organizations; local, state, and federal agencies; environmental nonprofits; foundations).

Writing and storytelling:

• Summarize the outcomes and recommendations of EJ evaluations and planning processes in a variety of forms including summary memos, slide decks, internal reports, public-facing reports, etc.
• Write a wide range of communication and storytelling materials, including podcasts, talking points, video storyboards, speeches, op-eds and other thought pieces, research reports, and copy to infuse social media, digital platforms, and collateral. 

Communication strategy:

• Co-design, implement, and evaluate the full range of strategic communication strategies and tactics, including: public will building, social marketing, public and media relations, brand platform and creative development, issue framing and message development, brand and mission promotion, reputation and issues management, audience and grassroots engagement, etc.
• Plan and execute strategic communication and digital marketing efforts, providing clients with high-level counsel on gaining relevant and effective earned media and digital media coverage. 
• Advance intercultural communication, including helping our clients share power and work more authentically with communities and change-makers.

Campaign implementation:

• Co-develop and implement strategies, tools, stakeholder engagement efforts (grassroots and grasstops), and campaigns to build public and political will. 
• Assist with strategic communications campaign planning and program planning for clients, including setting goals and objectives, strategy, tactics, budget, measurement, and evaluation.

Account management:

• Provide account and budget management services to clients, including maintaining overall client relationships, providing oversight for project teams, ensuring completion of deliverables, and responsibly managing program budgets. 

Requirements

• At least seven years of experience working in strategic communication (any combination of storytelling, public will building and social marketing, media and public relations, issue framing and message development), community engagement, coalition building, public affairs and policy, etc. This requirement may also be met by experience that includes strategic communication and a combination of organizational development and intercultural communication/engagement.
• A commitment to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion—including a commitment to advancing antiracism and dismantling white supremacy—in the workplace, in our sector, and in our society. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills—including strong, persuasive writing and the ability to present complex ideas for varied audiences.
• Well-developed facilitation and engagement skills, including agenda and meeting design and the ability to facilitate virtual, in-person, and hybrid meetings. 
• Strong budget/account management experience, with experience managing accounts of at least $500,000.
• Agency or consulting experience (preferred).
• Bilingual or fluency in Spanish, or other language(s) (preferred). 
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Must be authorized to accept work in the United States.

Expectations

• Provide high-quality professional consulting services and expertise to clients.
• Be a team player and excel at team-oriented problem-solving.
• Demonstrate an excellent work ethic.
• Contribute positively to the MG culture and to the psychological safety of an intercultural environment.
• Support and embody the organization’s values, goals, and operating principles.
• Have an upbeat, creative, and professional demeanor.
• Bring curiosity and commitment to our work.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Metropolitan Group, we know that diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures strengthen our work and our workplace. We strive to create an intercultural workplace through greater recognition, understanding, and appreciation of a broad range of differences among individuals and groups within society, and to incorporate an intercultural perspective in our work. 

We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, genders, races, religions, ages, sexual orientations or gender identities, abilities, or other identities. We encourage all candidates to apply—even if you don’t believe you meet every requirement outlined above. If you have any questions, please reach out to JoinTheTeam@metgroup.com.

Application Information

Send a cover letter and your resume, and (optional) two writing samples (examples include and are not limited to: campaign strategy and result case studies, policy and advocacy briefs/materials, media releases, social media post(s), articles, website content, etc.) to JoinTheTeam@metgroup.com. Please include in your cover letter how you heard about this role. 

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. 

We anticipate a process of two to three sets of interviews for these contract/freelance opportunities.

Download the complete description here.