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Public Relations Associate

To apply: Email your resume and cover letter to Kelsey Hinton at kelsey.hinton@communitywatercenter.org 

Location: CWC currently has offices in Sacramento, Visalia and Watsonville, CA. CWC believes our mission can be effectively advanced while being flexible in our approach to work style and location. Candidates for this position must be able to work in-person at the Sacramento, Visalia or Watsonville office at least two days per week and more than two days a week if needed based on job responsibilities.

Community Water Center acts as a catalyst for community-driven water solutions through organizing, education, and advocacy. We seek to build and enhance leadership capacity and local community power around water issues, create regional movements for water justice in California, and enable every community to have access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water.

At CWC, we believe that safe, clean, and affordable water is a human right, not a privilege. Our organizing and advocacy work, community collaborations, and organizational culture all reflect a concern for equity, mutual respect, appreciation for diversity, and environmental and social justice. We are looking for candidates who share our values, who bring a willingness to contribute to our mission and to the growth of a new organization, and who are open to developing their skills.

Position Description
The Public Relations Associate is primarily responsible for coordinating media relations and cultivating strategic and empowering experiences for staff and community partners when participating in interviews and press events. 

The Public Relations Associate is a regular, full-time position based out of our Sacramento, Visalia or Watsonville office and will report to the Communications Director. All employees at CWC are “at will.” This position will work closely with CWC’s Policy Director and the Executive Director, as well as other CWC staff, community members, ally organizations and agencies, and various interns.

Ideal Candidate 
The ideal candidate will possess excitement for connecting CWC strategically with the media, cultivating community storytellers, and shaping the narrative for water justice in California. They are equally energized by developing talking points on key topics in water, as they are managing creative and logistics for in-person press events. The candidate should be a strong writer in both English and Spanish. They have a strong passion for ensuring that historically marginalized voices and communities are visible, powerful and influencing policy decisions on drinking water issues. While expertise in California drinking water is not required, a willingness and passion to learn from staff and community experts is key.

Major Responsibilities 
  • Draft and distribute media materials including media advisories, press releases, op-eds and media kits.
  • Oversee and coordinate media opportunities including providing background to reporters, vetting media requests, and connecting and facilitating interviews with staff and community partners impacted by unsafe or unaffordable drinking water (in Spanish and English).
  • Draft specific and compelling talking points for different components of CWC’s work, both for interviews and public speaking engagements.
  • Establish and track key media engagement metrics for internal and external reporting.
  • Proactively cultivate relationships with key media outlets and reporters throughout California and nationally, both one-on-one and through digital engagement.
  • Plan and coordinate press events such as press conferences, environmental justice tours with media and other influencers and decision-makers like elected officials and funders.
  • Support the development of additional media spokespeople by providing media training and support to CWC staff and community partners.
  • Work with Communications and Data Associate to develop messaging and provide editing support for social media, website and email.
  • Staying current on water issues in California including political dynamics and opposition messaging.

General Duties
  • Foster an environment that promotes trust and cooperation amongst CWC staff, community members, ally organizations and all other stakeholders.
  • Actively participate in program strategy, staff meetings, and staff retreats.
  • Support the tracking and reporting of CWC’s activities for internal planning and evaluation, grants reports and contractual obligations. 
  • Provide general administrative and program support.
  • Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Note: Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. 

Required Qualifications
  • Strong English and Spanish writing skills
  • Proficient in English and Spanish oral and interpersonal communication
  • Strong passion for and commitment to social and environmental justice
  • Experience in public relations and/or media relations
  • Awareness of how differences in class, race, privilege and lived experience shape how individuals and institutions thin and act
  • Proven ability to work in a collaborative, fast-paced office environment and meet deadlines
  • Ability to accept and provide critical feedback – the ideal candidate would value mutual accountability across the organization 

Preferred Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public policy, or related field
  • 4+ years experience in journalism, public relations, media relations, public policy, or government affairs
  • Experience working in the Central Valley and/or Salinas Valley or familiarity with key environmental justice issues facing these regions

Starting date: OPEN UNTIL FILLED 

Salary: Starting at $70,000; based on experience and qualifications. 

Benefits: We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which includes: medical, dental and vision insurance; retirement program contributions, generous vacation, family and sick leave and holiday policies; hybrid (remote and in-person) work policy; professional development opportunities and more. (Benefits guidelines and eligibility vary based on tenure and employment status, among other factors.)

To ensure the health and safety of staff, community partners, and other stakeholders we interact with, CWC requires employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, unless a medical or religious accommodation is approved. As such, newly hired employees will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination. Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. 

Community Water Center is committed to providing equal opportunity to qualified job applicants and employees and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability (including pregnancy), mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, military service status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law. 

To learn more about the Community Water Center and our programs, visit our website at www.communitywatercenter.org