Online Manager Experience and Design

Title: Online Manager, Experience and Design
Reports to: Director of Marketing
Department: Marketing & Communications
Terms: Full time, salaried, exempt

The Opportunity

Earthwatch Institute is an international non-profit organization that engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education in order to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.

Our international Marketing & Communications department produces a wide variety of publications and marketing collateral (both print and electronic) in support of our participant recruitment, membership, development and programmatic initiatives. Poised to implement an exciting and focused 10 year vision, every member of the Marketing & Communications team will be instrumental in telling (and showing) the Earthwatch story to the world.

Building on its rich 35-year history, Earthwatch has unlimited potential to affect change at this important time in our world’s history. As such, we’re looking for inspired and strong people to lead the effort and be “champions for change.” Working in tandem with the Online Manger (Content), the newly-created Online Manager (Experience and Design) role will be an important one, as Earthwatch’s historical marketing emphasis on print and direct mail is rapidly shifting online.

The ideal candidate will combine creative design and web experience skills with a keen understanding of how to leverage social media, video, blogging, and other Web 2.0 strategies to engage the world in Earthwatch’s mission. On the design side, looking for a fearless creative, passionate about the power of clean, engaging design to bring all kinds of people into the Earthwatch community. Ability to develop user interface design and navigation strategies to create a rich user experience is also key.

The Keys to Success

• Creative Design—An artistic designer with a stellar eye—comfortable creating, modifying and implementing clean designs to tell the Earthwatch story in an innovative way. Ability to design and produced optimized, Web-ready graphics.
• Technical—Capable of handling all basic steps in Web design process, from using design software to create mockups and html prototypes for new features to cross-browser testing and troubleshooting site presentation. Comfortable creating or working from functional requirements to create conceptual diagrams, wireframes, mockups, etc.
• Web 2.0—The organizational website (Earthwatch.org) is only one piece of the Web-based strategy. Looking for someone who understands the latest trends in what works and what doesn’t and how it all works together to improve metrics like SEO, brand awareness, etc.
• Strategy—A thorough understanding of the strategic goals of the organization, ensuring all design efforts support those strategic goals; prioritizes efforts effectively
• Brand Identity—A keen sense of brand and its role (and potential) in all methods of communication, both internal and external
• Professional Team Player—An enthusiastic and positive presence, comfortable collaborating with an international team of marketing managers and strategists, content specialists, developers, and others to create the best work possible; looking for a talent who gets it, not a prima donna. Eager to engage key stakeholders in the creative review and presentation process to ensure buy-in and excitement.
• Flexible—A flexible personal style, able to balance creative brainstorming with playing an effective leadership role; able to think critically and identify, evaluate, execute, and re-evaluate priorities

The Role

• Conceptualize, create and present interactive designs and concepts to streamline and improve the international Web experience, including the regional US, UK, and Australian versions of Earthwatch.org, social media sites (YouTube channel, Facebook, MySpace, Eons), and more.
• Work with the Director of Marketing and other key stakeholders (Marketing Strategists and Managers, other Directors, etc) to formalize goals and implement plans for realizing those goals
• With the Online Manager, Content and International IT team (Web Manager and Developer), oversee the production process—from start to finish—to get the work done and ensure all projects are finished on-time, on-budget, and according to spec.
• Establish and maintain close connections with international programmatic, development, and marketing staff in order to stay abreast of changes and developments. The importance of listening and collaboration are critical.
• In support of the responsibilities listed above, eagerly learn about the organization (who does what, what the various priorities are, who the key stakeholders are and what they need, etc). As part of this education, develop a comprehensive understanding of the many projects and initiatives undertaken by Earthwatch to understand how the Web can take the organization to the next level.
• Provide support for grant-specific deliverables, as needed

The Skills

What’s Required:

• Expert knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Fireworks, Contribute a plus), Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver
• Skills in PowerPoint and Adobe InDesign also a big plus
• HTML hand-coding
• Cross-browser compatible, accessible CSS design
• An understanding of ASP database-driven websites is required

What’s Desired:

• JavaScript, ASP.NET, C#
• Database
• Other motion graphic design a plus
• Video

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years of directly related Web design experience preferred, ideally with some experience at an in-house creative/marketing or agency environment. However, proof of high-level interactive design talent and a drive to find innovative ways to tell the Earthwatch story are important.
Salary-50K to 55K

Please submit cover letter, resume, and links to samples from your online portfolio to hr@earthwatch.org; please include the job title in your Subject Line; fax 978-897-0935; mail HR, Earthwatch Institute, P.O. Box 75, Maynard, MA 01754-0075. Candidates will not be considered without samples.