Summary
Root Capital seeks a motivated and versatile Communications Associate. Working closely with staff from the Communications & Marketing teams, this position will be responsible for supporting Root Capital’s content development and distribution, coordinating Root Capital’s web and digital asset management system, assisting with social media and maintaining external vendor relationships. This is a part-time position, at 20-23 hours per week. Schedule to be determined according to new hire’s availability.
Mission and History of Root Capital
Root Capital’s mission is to grow rural prosperity by investing in small and growing agricultural businesses that build sustainable livelihoods in Africa and Latin America. Root Capital is a nonprofit social investment fund that grows rural prosperity in poor, environmentally vulnerable places in Africa and Latin America by lending capital, delivering financial training and strengthening market connections for small and growing agricultural businesses. Root Capital clients include associations and private businesses that help create sustainable livelihoods by aggregating the products of hundreds, and often, thousands of farmers. Since our launch in 1999, we have provided more than $500 million in credit to over 420 small and growing agricultural businesses. Root Capital envision a thriving financial market serving agricultural businesses that generate long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability for small-scale farmers and their communities around the world. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital currently has associated offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Kenya.
Responsibilities
1. Content Development, Distribution and Support
- Provide ongoing content development, fact-checking and editorial support for articles, Root Capital’s monthly newsletter, reports and blogs.
- Assist in the distribution of email campaigns and monthly newsletters by creating and managing email lists and updating email templates.
- Support Root Capital’s social media strategy. Work with the Communications team to monitor social streams and maintain social media.
- Administer the content management system for the Root Capital website (and other associated websites) including posting and updating jobs, staff biographies, client profiles, performance reports and other content.
2. Research, Metrics and Knowledge Management Systems
- Administer and update our knowledge management processes and systems including the communications intranet, our web-based digital asset management tool and other departmental infrastructure.
- Maintain Communications intranet portal to maximize collaboration with Root Capital field offices by making communications and marketing products easily accessible to all teams.
- Administer Root Capital’s internal digital asset management tool containing all images used in communications and marketing products, blogs and web content for external stakeholders.
- Ensure timely upload and proper tagging of photos in the asset management tool and conduct searches for specific images as needed.
- Work with Communications team members to evaluate upcoming media opportunities (e.g., conduct background research on a publication, website or journalist).
- Manage updates to editorial calendar, media database, quotes database and coordinate the production of internal metrics reporting.
3. Marketing Collateral and Partner Relations
- Manage the marketing collateral and merchandise inventory, reprinting and reordering materials as necessary.
- Ensure that Root Capital regional teams are apprised of all new communications and marketing materials.
- Work with peers and partners (e.g., foundations, institutions, corporations, peer organizations, etc.) to ensure Root Capital’s brand is properly represented on third-party websites and profiles.
- Manage relationship with external vendors (Webdam).
4. Travel and Event Planning and Administrative Support
- Assist with logistical coordination, administrative support, scheduling and planning for communications events and trips to rural areas of Latin America and Africa.
- Transcribe audio and video interviews as needed.
- Expense reporting and travel planning support for SVP of Communications and Marketing.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, English or International Affairs, or similar field.
- Minimum 2 years of related professional experience.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including an interest in writing and a demonstrated command of grammar, punctuation and style.
- Demonstrated understanding of online communications, email marketing and social media as tools for constituency engagement, brand awareness and lead generation.
- Comfortable learning and becoming an expert on digital knowledge management and lead tracking systems.
- Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to think creatively, take initiative, and work independently, while enjoying collaboration and knowing when to seek support.
- Demonstrated awareness of international development and familiarity with the fields of social enterprise, sustainable agriculture, impact investing and finance.
- A team player with a sense of humor and proactive can-do attitude.
- Advanced Spanish conversational and writing skills a plus.
- Passion for Root Capital’s commitment to worldwide poverty alleviation and environmental conservation.
- Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.
Salary
Commensurate with experience.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Applications including a resume and cover letter describing your interest, qualifications, language abilities, salary requirements, and how you learned of the position should be sent to: jobs+commsassociate@rootcapital.org Please type “Comms Associate” followed by your name (Last, First) as the subject line of your email (e.g. “Comms Associate – Miller, John”). Finalist candidates will be required to provide at least three work-related references.
Root Capital is an equal opportunity employer.