Communications & Media Specialist — Society for Freshwater Science
The Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) is seeking a Communications and Media Specialist to assume primary responsibility for managing internal Society-wide and external public communications through the Society’s media channels. These include the Society website and membership portal, email distribution lists, and social media accounts. This person will support and advance the Society’s objectives through initiatives designed to maintain and increase its membership, advertise its publications and programmatic activities, promote member engagement, and highlight member participation and accomplishments in freshwater science, policy, conservation, and management.
Duties of the Communications and Media Specialist are to:
- Create/update, edit, and feature relevant content on the externally facing Society website and internally focused membership portal
- Solicit content for, create, and distribute a monthly e-Newsletter as well as stand-alone email campaigns promoting Society activities, including elections for office, annual meeting advertising, membership renewal, and Society awards
- Amplify website and email content through the Society’s social media accounts and press releases
- Support planning and implementation of key Society programming and events at the SFS Annual Meeting
This specialist will work remotely, 8-10 hours per week on a regular schedule, with possible additional time budgeted for orientation and onboarding activities and for attending SFS Annual Meeting. The position is funded as a contractor and reviewed for renewal in June of each year for the following Society ‘year’ (roughly July 1 to June 30). The Specialist is supervised by the Executive Director and provides—at a minimum—an annual report of communications activity to the Board of Directors.
Much of the work of the Communications and Media Specialist is performed through their own initiative, independently, and with minimal supervision, following the Scope of Work (below) and the Society communications calendar of programmatic activities. Additional requests occur at the behest of and in collaboration with the Executive Director, Society Leadership Team (President and Vice President), Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Communications Committee, and Committee Chairs of the other Standing and Special Committees of the Society.
How to apply
Please send your resume and a cover letter briefly describing your experience (see more complete description of duties below), particularly in working as part of a dispersed team; your task management system/style; and your thoughts and perspectives on conducting innovative communications to engage the members and multiple stakeholders of a membership-based, international scientific association; to exec.director@freshwater-science.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting July 21, 2025 and continue until the position is filled.
View or download a PDF of the job description here
SFS is committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and works actively toward incorporating them to advance freshwater science. Applications from applicants from underrepresented groups are especially encouraged.
Detailed scope of work for SFS Communications and Media Specialist with specific duties and responsibilities
Website Domain Management (Currently Drupal)
- Assumes primary responsibility for the maintenance and management of the Society website and membership portal and serves as point of contact to all Society members, entities, and contractors, for all website-related inquiries and requests.
- In accordance with the website update calendar, performs regular updates of dynamic website content and rotating website content. Requests and coordinates, proactively and in a timely manner, needed content from the responsible Society entity (officer, committee, chapter or committee chair) or contractor (e.g., membership or conference management services provider). Maintains SFS jobs board and posts positions submitted by members and stakeholders.
- Creates and/or maintains/manages forms embedded in the website and membership portal for collecting nominations and applications for Society programs, awards, and benefits. Retrieves, assembles, files, and makes available to the responsible Society entity or contractor, all web form submissions.
- Monitors and provides oversight over the operation and performance of the Society's membership portal and annual meeting website maintained by the Society membership and conference management services provider and other external contractors.
Email Domain Management
- Maintains and manages freshwater-science.org email domain via Google Workplace.
- Creates domain email accounts for Society entities on request.
- Maintains an email domain registry of all email addresses assigned within this domain and facilitates and troubleshoots access.
Social Media Management
- Manages and maintains all Society social media accounts in coordination with Communications Committee.
Society Communications
- Assumes primary responsibility for the creation, maintenance, and implementation of the Society annual communications calendar.
- Leads planning for and executes annual membership recruitment and renewal campaign in collaboration with the Society Membership and Data Committee and membership management services provider.
- Leads planning for and executes communications plan for the annual Society awards program in collaboration with the Chairs of the Award of Excellence, Distinguished Service Award, Leadership Award, and Environmental Stewardship Award Selection and Hynes Award for New Investigators Selection Subcommittees of the Society Awards Committee and the Fellows of the Society for Freshwater Science Administrative Body Point of Contact.
- Leads planning for and executes communications plan for the annual Society endowment awards program in collaboration with the Chair(s) of the Society Board of Trustees of the Endowment
- Leads and executes communications plan for the Society annual meeting (call for special sessions, abstracts, and registration) in collaboration with the Chair(s) of the Society Annual Meeting Program Committee and the conference management services provider.
- Leads planning for and executes communications plan for annual Society elections in collaboration with the Chair of the Society Election and Place Committee.
- Creates and distributes monthly e-newsletter; and executes email campaigns to membership at the direction of the Society Executive Director, Leadership Team, Board of Directors, or Executive Committee; using the Society's MailChimp account. Coordinates campaign requests from other Society entities with the Executive Director.
- Provides support for and executes surveys for member feedback on Society initiatives created by Standing or Special Committees and authorized by the Board of Directors.
- Regularly and proactively engages with Society entities to gather relevant news items for dissemination and amplification through Society’s media channels.
- On behalf of the Society, issues press releases and serves as point of contact for all media inquiries.
Society Operations
- Maintains Society Communications folder/portfolio within the Society Virtual Workspace and provides access to Society entities and promotes as a collaborative workspace as appropriate.
- Archives obsolete/non-current Communications files in the Society Virtual Archive.
- Drafts and submits communications-related policies to the responsible Society entities for review, input, and approval.