The Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) (www.freshwater-science.org) seeks an enthusiastic and innovative person to serve as Media Officer. The position requires approximately 20 hours of work per month. The Media Officer is a paid part-time position with compensation dependent on experience.
General Responsibilities – The Media Officer assists the society in promoting Strategic Plan goals, especially as they relate to society initiatives designed to increase membership, promote education, advertise society publications and relevant society news, and highlight member participation in science and policy. The Media Officer works with many Board of Director members, SFS committee chairs, the Newsletter Editor, the Journal Editor, and the Classifieds Editor to feature their content on the SFS website, email communications, and social media accounts. The Media Officer works closely with the Public Information and Publicity (PIP) committee, which is a key creator of SFS website content (Monthly Splash newsletter, Making Waves podcast, Benthos News, brochures and posters, In the Drift Newsletter, and social media feeds such as Twitter and Facebook). In this position, the Media Officer will work with the PIP co-chairs to support PIP volunteers assisting with email and social media communications, including the management of the @freshwater-science.org email domain.
Specific Duties – The Media Officer will work closely with the society’s membership and meeting management provider (currently Utah State University Conference Services) to (1) update and organize website content upon request, (2) create and manage forms for collecting information and supporting applications to funding opportunities, (3) create surveys for member feedback on society initiatives, (4) work with SFS committee chairs to gather news items and communicate them through email and social media as deemed appropriate, (5) serve as point of contact for SFS media inquiries, (6) serve as point of contact for all web-related inquiries and requests, and (7) manage the content calendar developed by PIP. The Media Officer will work with the outgoing Web Editor, Utah State University Conference Services, and with the relevant SFS committees to develop a plan to improve and maintain the website to meet the needs of the Society. The Media Officer serves as the Chair of the Web Subcommittee on the Publications Committee.
Skills and qualifications – The Media Officer must have a high level of attention to detail and excellent editing skills. Experience with social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook is essential. Familiarity with modern website frameworks, basic working knowledge of HTML will be preferred. Familiarity with the Drupal content management system and with photo editing/compression/conversion software (e.g., Photoshop, GIMP, or online photo tools) would be useful but is not essential. Training and support will be provided by the outgoing Web Editor and PIP co-chairs.
To apply – Please send a letter of interest describing your qualifications and background, CV, and contact information to Michelle Baker, chair of the SFS Publications Committee (michelle.baker@usu.edu) by 15 June 2019.