Development and Communications Coordinator 

WSA’s long term vision is to support and engage every community in Anne Arundel County. We are committed to broadening our base through authentic community engagement, leadership training and watershed protection guided by local residents, especially in underrepresented communities and neighborhoods.

This position works closely with the WSA Executive Director and Board of Directors to manage the execution of the WSA Development and Communications Plan, including management of donor base, communication coordination and brand awareness for the organization.  The Coordinator will report directly to the WSA Executive Director, and will work primarily in the WSA office located at the Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center (975 Indian Landing Road, Millersville, MD).

Because this position includes both development and communications responsibilities, we recognize that highly qualified candidates may not have proficiencies in all areas listed below. Our organization supports professional development and invests in long term employee growth. The most critical skills for this position are outstanding verbal and written communications, excellent interpersonal skills to effectively interact with Board, Staff and donors, attention to detail and problem solving.

COMMUNICATIONS (60% of this position)

Communications Plan Management and Refinement: The WSA communications plan utilizes e-newsletters, social media posts, press releases, website and various hard copy promotional materials to promote its mission and engage constituents. The Coordinator will work with the Executive Director to examine the current plan, establish communications goals and revise the plan to meet those goals. A key goal will be to increase and build on publicity to increase the visibility of the organization.The Coordinator will work with WSA staff to support communication strategies and practices. 

Digital Marketing: Increase brand awareness using digital marketing strategies such as e-newsletters, social media and website.  

Visual Documentation of WSA Events and Programs: The Coordinator will manage video and photo documentation of WSA events and programs for use in promotional materials, website and e-communications. 

Content Creation: The coordinator will create content to be shared in emails, social media, website, and print materials that supports the mission of WSA and shares progress and achievements. This includes graphics and posts created using Canva.

DEVELOPMENT (40% of this position)

Adaptively Manage the Development Plan: The Watershed Stewards Academy’s development plan includes strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit and thank individual and corporate donors to WSA. The Coordinator will work collaboratively with the Executive Director and Board Development Chair to adaptively manage this plan, ensuring execution and attainment of goals and clear communication with staff and Board Members. 

Development Tracking and Board Development Committee Support: The Coordinator will provide logistic support to the Board Development Committee and monitor progress toward goals. This support may include analysis of giving histories, executing mailings such as the annual appeal, conference sponsorship package, event invitations, and administrative support.       

Donor Relations: The Coordinator will maintain and secure new relationships with donors to WSA and enhance connections between donors and the organization.   

Event Support: The Coordinator will work in collaboration with the Board and Staff to coordinate fundraising events and activities from planning to execution and advance WSA’s initiatives and brand awareness.  

Foundation Support: The Coordinator will increase the number of foundations from  whom WSA receives support and develop opportunities for new fundraising milestones. Grant writing and reporting responsibilities may be shared with WSA staff, but will be managed by the Coordinator.   

Database and Administrative Support: The Coordinator will manage the fundraising goals within the e-Tapestry database and be responsible for analyzing fundraising milestones, and tracking and reporting development goals. 

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s Degree in applicable field of education from a regionally accredited college or university.  Business Administration, Communications or a related field preferred.  
  • Two (2) years of experience working in the field of philanthropy, nonprofit management, fundraising/development, marketing, communications, grant writing or related fields.  

Skills

  • Excellent interpersonal skills to effectively interact with Board, Staff and donors.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to build greater public awareness around the vision and mission of the Watershed Stewards Academy to a diverse audience, including organizations, community groups and more. 
  • Demonstrated proficiency with digital marketing (i.e., Canva, Constant Contact) and core social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) in a workplace setting.  
  • Knowledge of and experience with donor management and fundraising software (i.e., eTapestry) or similar programs.  
  • Demonstrated proficiency with business technology applications (video/web conferencing, G-Suite, Microsoft Office Suite – word, Excel, and Power Point.)   
  • High attention to detail with excellent organizational, analytical and interpersonal and planning skills. 
  • Ability to work independently, under pressure to tight deadlines.

Salary and Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary range; details may be found here. This position is Unit V, Grade C, with starting salary based on a candidate’s years of experience as determined by Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Benefits include generous annual leave, paid holidays, and sick leave, along with excellent health and retirement packages, valued at approximately $25,000 a year. Terms of employment including explanation of leave and more information on benefits may be found here.

Work Schedule

The work schedule is flexible to include 40 hours per week. Evening and some weekend work required, but schedule flexibility is possible for regular daytime hours. This position is exempt from overtime pay.

 Work Location

The Development and Communications Coordinator works primarily at the WSA offices located at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center (975 Indian Landing Road, Millersville, MD 21108). The Coordinator is an employee of Anne Arundel County Public Schools but is funded through the WSA non-profit Board of Directors.

The Coordinator  must have the ability to travel to and from sites using their own vehicle and navigate steep and uneven terrain. Mileage reimbursement is included. A background check and fingerprinting is required prior to employment. 

Application and Timeline

Application Deadline:   April 18th, 2022

Applications must be submitted through AACPS here. 

Please note that the title of the job description posted in the AACPS portal is titled Specialist: Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) Development.  This position description was created to provide a more thorough description of the position and organization.  

Highly qualified candidates should also send a duplicate resume directly to Suzanne Etgen, WSA Executive Director, setgen@aacps.org.  Please note, sending a resume via email will not replace the official AACPS application. Questions may be directed to Suzanne Etgen at 443-871-0700 or setgen@aacps.org.