What are the responsibilities and job description for the Development Communications Coordinator position at Voyageur Outward Bound School?
Description
POSITION SUMMARY & IMPACT
Join Us! We are growing! If you’re passionate about storytelling, creating impactful content, and advancing the transformative power of an Outward Bound experience, we’d love to hear from you.
The Development Communications Coordinator plays a vital role in supporting Voyageur Outward Bound School’s (VOBS) mission by creating and managing communications that enhance fundraising efforts and engage key audiences. These audiences include alumni networks, donors, parents, and volunteers. Their efforts promote programs and impacts that are relevant to each audience, with the goal of building a sense of community and momentum.
This is a newly created role designed to expand our development team’s capacity. The role focuses on developing content that inspires and informs, helping to grow the VOBS brand and expand its impact. The Development Communications Coordinator collaborates with the Director of Development to implement an annual communication plan and produce content that is aligned with and leverages national Outward Bound USA campaigns.
With expertise in graphic design, writing, social media, and multimedia curation, this new team member will be a passionate collaborator - eager to partner in bringing passion and creativity to storytelling, digital communications, and outreach efforts to showcase the power of Outward Bound.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Social Media
Requirements
KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES
Communication—strong written and verbal communication skills to engage diverse audiences.
Collaboration – work cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders to share or provide information.
Storytelling—create compelling and relevant content that highlights VOBS’ impact.
Listening—actively gather and assess information, seek understanding.
Creativity— innovate for success in collaboration with a team and team goals; identify, scope, and propose new solutions with finite resources.
Resourcefulness —identify and elevate opportunities to solve problems and achieve goals.
Curiosity- lead with the aim to learn instead of know. Ask questions, appetite to learn mission and development communication priorities and needs
Entrepreneurial Spirit—tolerate ambiguity, seek opportunities, and learn by doing.
Resilience—take calculated risks, learn from failure and apply learning to solutions.
Skills
Time Management & Prioritization— prioritize tasks effectively to meet deadlines.
Project Management—scope, service and complete projects from start to finish on time.
Platform Management—maintain communications channels to meet organizational goals.
Administrative – familiarity with Google Suite, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite and social media platforms; experience with Salesfoce or similar CRM systems a plus.
Experience
This is a part- time, hourly, non-exempt position with compensation range $26-$33.21/hr.
VOBS offers a403(b) retirement plan with 2% match. Paid sick time (accrued at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked). Access to pro-deals (the opportunity to purchase outdoor gear at discounted rates). Access to an Employee Assistance Program.
POSITION SUMMARY & IMPACT
Join Us! We are growing! If you’re passionate about storytelling, creating impactful content, and advancing the transformative power of an Outward Bound experience, we’d love to hear from you.
The Development Communications Coordinator plays a vital role in supporting Voyageur Outward Bound School’s (VOBS) mission by creating and managing communications that enhance fundraising efforts and engage key audiences. These audiences include alumni networks, donors, parents, and volunteers. Their efforts promote programs and impacts that are relevant to each audience, with the goal of building a sense of community and momentum.
This is a newly created role designed to expand our development team’s capacity. The role focuses on developing content that inspires and informs, helping to grow the VOBS brand and expand its impact. The Development Communications Coordinator collaborates with the Director of Development to implement an annual communication plan and produce content that is aligned with and leverages national Outward Bound USA campaigns.
With expertise in graphic design, writing, social media, and multimedia curation, this new team member will be a passionate collaborator - eager to partner in bringing passion and creativity to storytelling, digital communications, and outreach efforts to showcase the power of Outward Bound.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Social Media
- Collaborate on the annual development communication plan, including annual themes and weekly social media.
- Support development goals and initiatives by generating and scheduling engaging content (posts, images, videos) for Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn that supports annual fundraising priorities, themes, and messaging.
- Leverage a social media schedule that aligns with national campaigns and promotions.
- Responsible for increasing social media engagement.
- Monitor and analyze performance metrics.
- Serve as triage for social media comments and messages.
- Collaborate with the development team to generate content and work with program staff to produce stories, images, and videos, including on-location content capture.
- Manage social media budget for maximum impact around paid content and promotions.
- Write and design content for communications, appeals, correspondence, social media, website, and, when requested, marketing collateral.
- In alignment with the development annual plan, develop development email campaign proposals and execute production.
- Design development collateral and suite, including new resources and assets, in alignment with OBUSA brand guidelines.
- Support quarterly touchpoints for development portfolios, major donors, and alumni networks.
- Lead printing and digital printing projects.
- Assist with development webpage content, including copy, images and videos within the national platform design and template.
- Manage VOBS development collateral assets (photos, video, participant reflections).
- Coordinate collateral capture projects (photography, video, interviews) as directed by the Director of Development.
- Support creation of assets, appeals, proposals, presentations, and correspondence.
- Assist with development special events materials and production.
- Design, produce, execute event communications and materials.
- Assist with regional outreach events and relationship building in support of VOBS mission.
- Support development of a philanthropic culture within the organization.
- Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, partners, and other organizations.
- Adhere to local operating procedures, safety policies and emergency procedures as outlined in the field staff manual.
Requirements
KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES
Communication—strong written and verbal communication skills to engage diverse audiences.
Collaboration – work cross-functionally with internal and external stakeholders to share or provide information.
Storytelling—create compelling and relevant content that highlights VOBS’ impact.
Listening—actively gather and assess information, seek understanding.
Creativity— innovate for success in collaboration with a team and team goals; identify, scope, and propose new solutions with finite resources.
Resourcefulness —identify and elevate opportunities to solve problems and achieve goals.
Curiosity- lead with the aim to learn instead of know. Ask questions, appetite to learn mission and development communication priorities and needs
Entrepreneurial Spirit—tolerate ambiguity, seek opportunities, and learn by doing.
Resilience—take calculated risks, learn from failure and apply learning to solutions.
Skills
Time Management & Prioritization— prioritize tasks effectively to meet deadlines.
Project Management—scope, service and complete projects from start to finish on time.
Platform Management—maintain communications channels to meet organizational goals.
Administrative – familiarity with Google Suite, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite and social media platforms; experience with Salesfoce or similar CRM systems a plus.
Experience
- 2 years of experience in communications, marketing, social media, or graphic design production.
- Proven success in delivering collaborative projects and managing multiple priorities.
- Hybrid, part-time role (24 hours/week); requires at least one day per week in-person at the St. Paul, MN office.
- Work is performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment.
- Occasional participation in outdoor events and travel to community locations.
- Limited weekends or evenings may be required for special events.
- Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Events may have excessive noise and /or require working in close proximity to others.
- Ability to stand, sit, kneel, operate a computer, telephone and keyboard for prolonged periods of time.
- Must occasionally be able to lift or carry 15 pounds.
- Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication.
- Ability to communicate and exchange ideas with others accurately and concisely.
- Sufficient visual acuity to operate a computer, assess and design content and evaluate content for accuracy, effectiveness and impact.
- Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.
This is a part- time, hourly, non-exempt position with compensation range $26-$33.21/hr.
VOBS offers a403(b) retirement plan with 2% match. Paid sick time (accrued at the rate of 1 hour for every 30 hours worked). Access to pro-deals (the opportunity to purchase outdoor gear at discounted rates). Access to an Employee Assistance Program.
Salary : $26 - $33