Magazine PAPER Project Manager

Co-op America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive change.  Our unique approach involves working with consumers, investors and businesses.  Our workplace reflects our goal of creating a more cooperative, environmentally sound economy.  We have a participatory decision-making process, which aims to build consensus within the departments and teams.

Co-op America's Magazine PAPER Program works to protect forests by transforming the magazine industry's paper use and consumption practices. We do this by harnessing the purchasing power of magazine publishers in order to create market demand for paper that has high recycled content and low environmental impact.

Position Overview

The Project Manager's role will work to support all magazine industry outreach, specifically including the communication with and coordination of our Magazine Leaders Network and industry stakeholders which includes the monthly production of our electronic Magazine PAPER Newsletter.

The Magazine Leaders Network is a group of publishers who have all made a commitment to printing on environmentally and socially responsible papers and who are interested in making the entire industry more sustainable. The Manager will also be assisting magazine publishers with recycled paper queries, website organizing and updating as needed, and general support for the director.

Reforming the magazine industry takes a great deal of strategic planning, organizing, and persistence. Working on the Magazine PAPER Program develops staff's ability in those areas while also increasing their knowledge about issues such as paper, forests, and the other environmental organizations working in these areas.

The Project Manager will be supervised by the PAPER Program's Director, located in Denver.  The Project Manager will need to spend several weeks each year in Denver.  In addition, the Project Manager will travel with the Director to several conferences and other events throughout the year.

Responsibilities:

Magazine Leaders Network (approximately 35% of job)

• Develop, with PAPER Director, strategies and implementation plans for expanding magazine publisher participation in the Magazine Leaders Network and supporting the work of the Network. 
• Increase the programmatic support from magazine publishers and their participation within the Magazine Leaders Network.
• Write, edit, and email distribution of the monthly update, the Magazine PAPER Newsletter
• Compile information about the magazine's paper specifications and maintain that information in the database
• Communicate regularly with and facilitating communication between publishers via phone, email, and listserv
• Improve Network services, including increasing membership, understanding participation patterns, and investigating better services to the Network.
• Communicate with Next Steps Marketing on promotion of and assistance to our Leaders Network including the bookstore promotion, Webinars, and free individual consultations.
• Work with the PAPER Director and the Network membership to identify the best ways we can help; strategize about ways that they can catalyze change within the industry; and survey/poll members about membership fees, advertising on the newsletter, and other such strategies.

Publisher Assistance (approximately 35% of job)

• Outreach to magazine executives via phone, email, and event attendance to provide guidance and encouragement to develop leading environmentally and socially responsible practices and policies.
• Fulfilling information and material requests from publishers and the public.
• Supporting the Director's efforts with outreach to other magazine industry stakeholders such as printers, advertisers, paper suppliers, and designers.
  • Contacting targeted publishers to encourage them to make the switch
  • Answering publisher questions regarding environmentally and socially responsible papers and walking them through the options
  • Following up with publishers to make sure they are taking steps to adopt responsible paper use.
• Support on organizing the Advertiser Seminar
• When appropriate, helping build institutional support within the magazine industry by working with allies and project supporters on articles, news releases, and web sites.
• Helping prepare and plan for program related receptions and/or fund-raising events, including recruitment/invitations, food and beverages, reception at the event, materials preparation, and gifts.

Research & Writing (approximately 20% of job)

• Maintain and increase knowledge of magazine, paper, and environmental issues.
• Investigate industry and environmental issues relevant to environmentally responsible paper use.
• Incorporate research into reports, papers, fact sheets, web sites, newsletters, and industry trade journals.

Additional Tasks (approximately 10% of job)

• Maintain, update, and strategize improvements to the PAPER Program website content and functionality.
• Update WoodWise content for Co-op America's web site - information for consumers on how to make consumer choices to reduce wood consumption and forest destruction.
• Work with Co-op America staff to integrate the PAPER Project into Co-op America's publications, web content, and other programmatic work.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

1. Experience in working with professional associations, businesses, and/or institutional purchasers
2. Experience with and knowledge of the magazine and/or paper industries is preferred
3. Experience with and knowledge of environmental issues, forestry, or sustainable business and economics issues.
4. Project management - ability to create and follow project plans, budgets and timelines with supervisor guidance.
5. A relevant Bachelors degree is required.  Masters degree is preferred
6. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
7. Strong computer skills, including specific competence with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, ACCESS, and email list management software.  Comfort with web layout and editing. Web page editing (HTML coding), publishing tools (Contribute), image editing tools (Photoshop), and previous page layout experience a plus.
8. Strong verbal and written communications skills.
9. Strong people skills, ability to get people to work together, team player.
10.  Flexibility and ability to deal with schedule changes in tasks.
11. Ability to take initiative and work on projects with light supervision.
12.  Ability to work to deadlines and remain focused and calm.
13. Willingness to get help and ask questions when confronting complex technical or procedural issues.
14. Poise and professionalism when dealing with allies, the public, and publishers
15. Commitment to adhering to set standards, styles, and conventions in general writing as well as in web page and email formatting, web graphics production, and reporting.
16. Willingness and ability to travel up to 10 times/year) and ability to be on the road for up to 2 to 3 weeks during one of these trips.

Hours:  Full Time, 4-day work week

Compensation: $33,000-40,000; benefits include: health, dental, vision, disability and life insurance; 401(k) retirement plan

To Apply:

Please email a cover letter and resume.

Co-op America is an equal opportunity employer