COEQWAL Science Communications Position: Equity, Climate, and Water in California

Science Communication Specialist 

Part-time contract position (20hrs/week)

Water is at the forefront of California’s climate change adaptation challenges. Climate change is exposing California’s water management system to new extremes, including multi-annual droughts and flooding events that are unprecedented in modern history. The loss of snowpack and reduction of supplies from the Colorado River are further stressing California’s water supplies. Many communities do not have reliable access to water and are increasingly vulnerable to shortages. Freshwater ecosystems, already in decline, are under increasing stress. The purpose of COEQWAL - a COllaboratory for EQuity in Water ALlocations - is to understand how our water system will respond to changes in operations, infrastructure, and regulations under an uncertain climate future. As part of the project, we are expanding the functionality of CalSim, a water management model, to address and communicate contemporary water challenges. We aim to create a co-learning environment in which communities can learn how California’s water system works and then evaluate how alternative future [water] scenarios may affect them.

Are you ready to amplify cutting-edge science to improve California’s Water Future? We have an exciting opportunity for a standout candidate to join the innovative and dynamic COEQWAL project team.

About the Role:

As the Science Communications Specialist, your mission will be to amplify the impact of our science. A key role is to support the COEQWAL project team in making complex scientific information accessible to a variety of audiences, including diverse water users, disadvantaged communities, policymakers, Tribal governments, and the public. The specialist serves as the communications liaison between the COEQWAL research teams, project participants, as well as public audiences. With a focus on engaging communities, you work directly with the community engagement team, collaborate with scientists, and coordinate communications and messaging across project teams. You will develop and implement communication strategies and communications for our team. You'll craft compelling narratives that explain scientific findings in ways that everyone can understand. You will curate and create web and article content, press releases and social media to reach priority audiences, ensuring key messages resonate across multiple platforms. 

Key duties:

[ ] Lead the development & implementation of COEQWAL’s Communications Plan across research teams with support from the project manager;

[ ] Coordinate the development of COEQWAL’s overall branding and visual identity (logo, banners, templates, by-lines, image database, etc);

[ ] Coordinate content for the project website with web designers and the wider project team;

[ ] Lead the development of COEQWAL’s communication channels, including social media, podcasts, fact sheets, videos, newsletter, infographics, and other types of educational content, tailored toward specific user groups and languages;

[ ] Help organize and market/advertise COEQWAL’s community engagement workshops;

[ ] Draft press releases on new scientific findings, with the support of COEQWAL’s executive committee;

[ ] Contribute to COEQWAL’s efforts to monitor the performance of all communications products to inform communications and dissemination strategies;

[ ] Coordinate Spanish translations for communication materials.

Required skills, knowledge and experience:

[ ] Postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience in communications, journalism, media studies or any other relevant field;

[ ] At least 5 years of experience in an external communications role;

[ ] Qualification and/or experience in science communication;

[ ] Experience with actively engaging diverse communities through various means, workshops, webinars, in-person, outreach events, tabling, online presence in different languages or engagement from those communities. 

[ ] Experience communicating scientific information in ways that are approachable and inclusive of groups that have historically been underrepresented in STEM.

[ ] Experience of successfully delivering communications strategies and publication plans targeting different audiences through different communications channels;

[ ] Ability to engage both with researchers and lay audiences;

[ ] Knowledge and experience of creating different types of content, including social media posts, articles, infographics, and video/audio content;

[ ] Native or near native level English writing skills, with the ability to convey information in a compelling and concise way and to re-package complex or technical content in an accessible format;

[ ] Demonstrable experience of working well in multi-disciplined/cross-functional teams;

[ ] Excellent computer, IT skills, Microsoft Office applications, knowledge of design programs such as Miro, Adobe Creative Suite and/or Canva

[ ] Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

[ ] Knowledge of or willingness to learn about issues impacting native, and people of color when it comes to water allocation and rights;

[ ] Cultural sensitivity, and experience in conveying complex information;

[ ] Experience of working in a research environment, including with multiple stakeholders;

[ ] Interest in, and knowledge of, environmental and water issues, especially related to water allocation and climate change in a Californian context;

[ ] Experience with content management systems (e.g. WordPress) and web analytics;

[ ] Knowledge of and fluency in additional languages  (Particularly desirable languages: Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Vietnamese, Hmong, Filipino/Tagalog, Hindi, Korean, Farsi, and Arabic) .

If you are interested in this position, please send your letter of interest, resume and portfolio to Wietske Medema Applications are open until the position is filled.