Position Opening

Critical Exposure (CE) needs a full-time Communications Coordinator to share CE’s mission and impact through digital platforms, printed collateral, and events/exhibits and provide fundraising administrative support. The Communications Coordinator will also work in partnership with CE youth and program staff to collect and share youth  photos and stories, which serve as the basis for CE communications. The goal of this position is to develop relationships with CE’s stakeholders, including youth, funders, partner organizations, and vendors.

CE is looking for someone with a combination of 2-3 years’ experience in communications; outreach and marketing; and project coordination. The prospective hire enjoys wrangling chaos, skillfully juggles multiple priorities, insists on the need for systems, and keeps calm while making it happen.

About Critical Exposure

CE is a local DC nonprofit organization that trains DC youth of color ages 14-21 to harness the power of photography and their own voices to fight for education equity and social justice. Youth use photography as a tool to document the issues directly impacting their lives and to strengthen their campaigns. Through our programs and partnerships, we are developing a new generation of youth leaders who possess:

• the ability to analyze social issues
• the tools to express themselves
• the creativity to imagine new solutions to old problems
• the belief that youth have the right and ability to fight for those solutions
• the skills to hold communities and public officials accountable

Since 2004, CE has trained more than 2,600 DC youth of color to be agents of change. Youth have used their photography and narratives to fight for restorative justice programs, a new school library, and solutions to the school-to-prison-pipeline. In order for long-term, structural change to take place, we believe those impacted most directly by an issue must be the ones leading the fight for solutions. For that reason, CE creates the space for young people to advocate for themselves. We do not provide social services or advocate on behalf of youth.

Work Experience and Qualities of a Successful Candidate

• Belief in the power of photography and the arts to serve as effective organizing tools
• Ability to prioritize and meet multiple deadlines efficiently and excellently
• Ability to be self-directed and thrive in a highly collaborative team environment
• Intersectional commitment to undoing internalized, interpersonal, and institutionalized oppression
• Demonstrated self-awareness, reflections, and desire to contribute talents and develop new strengths
• Ability to create and or/adapt processes to strengthen the way teams and the organization operates
• Creative spirit and artful eye with the ability to make exhibits/events interactive, fresh, and dynamic
• Love for infusing laughter, creativity, and play into social justice work and life

Responsibilities

The Communications Coordinator will:

• Coordinate communications and logistics for CE’s two major annual events
• Manage all logistics and communication for 6-8 traveling and permanent exhibits annually, such as curation, printing and framing, and event layout/flow
• Assist with fundraising communications, including year-end appeal, giving days, managing ticket sales and online giving pages, and donor acknowledgments
• Use donor database (EveryAction) to process gifts, generate acknowledgments, track relevant information, build contact lists, and produce reports for internal strategy and external communications
• Strengthen and maintain CE story bank for communications/marketing content
• Maintain an active, compelling, and consistent digital presence, specifically social media and website
• Manage online photo and video archives
• Draft, edit, and distribute monthly e-newsletter
• Develop, maintain, and coordinate relationships with partner vendors, primarily printers and marketing/design firms
• Engage local businesses and retailers in promoting CE through exhibits or other opportunities
• Engage youth in organizational communications and strategy
• Support youth campaign working group(s) with communications, skills, and strategy techniques

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Comfortable and effective engaging a diverse population of stakeholders including youth, partner organizations, funders, vendors, and the D.C. community
• Commitment to social justice and to developing the strategic communications capacity of people directly impacted by injustice
• Experience and/or basic training in photography and videography
• Professional experience with social media, web design, and email communication tools
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including editing experience and ability to authentically convey youth/CE voice.
• Experience with CRM systems and data management
• Physical ability to transport and set up exhibits (some lifting required)
• Ability to capitalize on CE’s tremendous raw materials: photos and writing from youth
• Ability to enhance storytelling with visual images, data, and direct quotes
• Availability to work some evenings and weekends in support of CE programs and events.
• Possess valid Driver’s License

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience working with small non-profit organizations
• Graphic design skills and experience creating physical and digital collateral
• Experience in social media analytics to determine best messaging, timing, outlets, etc.

Compensation and Benefits

The starting salary for this position is $40,000, and compensation is commensurate with experience. We offer a generous and flexible benefit package including health care, retirement, paid time off, cell phone reimbursement, and travel stipends. We are committed to leadership development and prioritize continuing education opportunities for all staff.

To Apply

Candidates should send (1) resume, (2) cover letter, and (3) writing sample to [email protected] with “Communications Coordinator application” in the subject line. Please apply by Friday, October 18th, our application deadline. People of color and DC natives are strongly encouraged to apply. Critical Exposure is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.