Communications Coordinator, Policy & Analysis

~ Collaborative Labeling and Appliance Standards Program's (CLASP) mission is to improve the energy and environmental performance of the appliances & equipment we use every day, accelerating our transition to a more sustainable world. ~

We serve as the leading international voice and resource for appliance energy efficiency policies and market acceleration initiatives worldwide. From advancing the off-grid solar technologies that bring power to energy-impoverished people, to cutting the catastrophic climate impacts of air conditioning, CLASP programs increase uptake of affordable, low-impact, high-quality appliances. Learn more about our programs.

We’re mission-driven, impacts-focused, and committed to a culture of diversity, transparency, and collaboration. See our Culture & Team Pages to learn more about our organization.

Position Overview

Communications Coordinator, Policy & Analysis

CLASP is seeking a smart and creative professional to support the communications efforts of our Policy & Analysis programs, reporting to the Chief of Communications, and collaborating across an international team.

One of CLASP’s primary mandates is to minimize the contribution of appliances, lighting, and equipment to catastrophic climate change through energy efficiency. The successful candidate will know that smart, robust analysis is an essential component of those efforts, and have a passion for delivering information persuasively, to the right people at the right time.

The successful candidate is a talented writer and communicator who wants to take their experience to the next level in a dynamic and diverse international organization. The candidate will have demonstrated experience and success writing, developing, and revising content for an energy, policy, sustainability, environmental and/or international development context. Experience across a variety of formats and media is preferred, e.g. grant writing, academic and/or technical writing or editing, writing for the web / social media, traditional media, newsletters, presentation development, etc.

In addition to developing and improving content for our P&A team, the candidate will work across teams to contribute to the development of communications processes, systems, and infrastructure, e.g. helping us maintain and quality assure list-serves, databases, internal knowledge management efforts, etc.

CLASP’s Policy & Analysis program has grown over the past two years! 

As of December 2018, the program was working across 60 countries, with support from a diverse group of donors. We are supporting ambitious policies and partnerships to promote energy-efficient lighting, sustainable space cooling technologies, and have helped develop some of the world’s first policies for cleaner cookstoves, among other efforts.

Note: CLASP is a fast-paced, international, and highly-collegial work environment. The successful candidate is reliable, quality oriented, and can adapt to evolving priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Compelling & Impactful Stories: We know that one of the best and most cost-effective ways to save the world from catastrophic climate change is through energy efficiency and related policies for appliances, equipment, and lighting. We need others to know this, too. The candidate will draft and support programmatic and communications team members to turn technical information into compelling and impactful stories, that are just as factually sound as they are persuasive. Such stories may come in the form of articles, op-ed type pieces from the CLASP blog, case studies about effective policy measures, etc, and for a variety of audiences, including the CLASP Board, donors, international agencies, philanthropy, members of industry, policymakers, and partner organizations.
• Communication to Policymakers: CLASP’s P&A team supports policymakers all around the world to develop and implement appliance energy efficiency policies that are beneficial to consumers and businesses, and help avoid catastrophic climate change. The candidate will contribute to all manner of communications to policymakers – memos, presentations, 2-pagers, short reports, etc – through writing, editing, graphic design (with and through consultants as needed), and other communications support.
• Improving & Copy-editing Research: CLASP produces a significant body of market, technical, and policy research. The successful candidate will support our team in polishing and fine tuning those research outputs, including improving executive summaries and copyediting studies. They will also coordinate and draft related outreach materials, e.g. newsletters, blogs, and presentations.
• Donor Communication & Coordination: This position will provide essential coordination support for several fundraising, reporting, and donor management efforts, and contribute to those efforts by polishing, copyediting, and/or producing draft products. They will help CLASP manage a major donor reporting calendar and pipeline, and track progress in the CRM.
• Website, Newsletter & Outreach Content: This position will draft and revise / edit content for CLASP’s website and external outreach channels, especially our websites and newsletters.
• Visual Communications & Multimedia: Work with the P&A and communications team, as well as our consultants, to improve, develop, and share the visual identity of the brand, e.g. through graphs, charts, icons, infographics, videos, and other types of visual information and multimedia.
• Keep Us Aligned & Organized: Take, organize and share notes for both internal and external meetings; coordinate and set up editorial reviews and other communications workflows.
• Desk Research: Contribute to and improve communications by conducting desk research for important statistics and context.
• List-serve Management: The candidate will support the Policy & Analysis team in ensuring that new contacts are funneled into the appropriate list-serves, so that CLASP communication and dissemination channel are robust.
• Knowledge Management: The candidate will track, share, organize, and save key accomplishments, and then facilitate efficient, effective communication by helping the senior leadership, communications, operations, and programs teams to locate that information when developing content. The candidate will work with others across the CLASP team to develop and implement a meta-data tagging system so that information is easy to find.
• Digital Media Coordination & Engagement: CLASP manages 5 unique web platforms and related social media accounts. The candidate will develop content for two of these, and coordinate with others on the communications to avoid duplication and leverage key messages.
• Communicating & Supporting Online Tools: CLASP owns and manages several online tools, such our Policy Database and Publication Library. The candidate will quality assure inputs to these tools, ensuring that content is symmetrical, understandable, and tagged correctly on the CLASP CMS and elsewhere, so that they are findable.
• M&E: Coordinate and contribute to periodic measurement and evaluation of CLASP’s communications activities.
• Sector Communications & Communications Campaigns: As the leading international voice and resource for appliance energy efficiency policy, CLASP wants to do a better job of sharing international policy and other developments to improve sector awareness. Additionally, we contribute to and will launch several regional or global communications campaigns in the coming years to improve issue awareness among decision makers. The candidate will support our efforts by fine-tuning content, coordinating stakeholders both internally and internally, conducting desk research, and sharing relevant information both internally and externally.  
• Vendor Coordination & Communication: The candidate will coordinate and share key information with graphic designers, video developers, copy editors, digital media and website managers, photo editors, and other consultants as needed.

Qualifications

The Ideal Candidate:

• 1-3 years’ experience in a communications and/or fundraising coordination role
• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Detail and quality oriented; a combination of creative and analytical skills
• Excellent written communications
• Experience supporting communications systems, such as listserves, CRMs, and CMSs
• Basic knowledge of website management software
• Demonstrated professionalism when engaging a variety of stakeholders
• Experience coordinating or contributing to funding proposals and/or written reporting to donors ideal
• International experience preferred; experience working in developing country environments ideal; ability to travel in both developed and developing countries; bilingual or multilingual a plus
• Experience in international development, engineering, policy, the environment, energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy management, sustainability, or analogous sectors
• Self-assured and adaptable; ability to connect with people in a diverse, international work environment
• Strong work ethic, ability to take initiative; a drive to learn and grow on the job
• Strong time management and organizational skills with ability to support multiple tasks and projects at a time under deadline
• Ability to maintain composure, flexibility, and a sense of humor under tight deadlines
• Intellectual agility and a commitment to professional development
• Experience interfacing with web developers, graphic designers, and communications professionals
• Familiarity with Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Word; experience with HTML and CSS, a plus

Compensation and Location

Salary is commensurate with experience. In addition to salary, CLASP offers competitive benefits, including health insurance, unlimited leave, holidays, retirement plan, and a collegial office environment that supports wellness and flexible telecommuting options after a certain period of employment.

This position is full-time and based in the organization's Washington, D.C. office. Occasional travel (domestic and international), as well as evening or weekend hours, may be required.

To Apply

• CEA Recruiting is assisting CLASP in their recruitment efforts.
• To be considered for a position, interested candidates must click "Apply on Company Website" below to submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and salary requirements through CEA’s job portal.
• The writing sample should demonstrate how you can turn technical information into engaging copy and be no more than two pages.
• Please direct all applications and inquiries to CEA Recruiting.
• These positions will remain open until filled.

CLASP is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status.

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies. For more information, visit our website.