Engagement Director 

Update: Preferred application window has closed. Depending upon outcomes from our hiring process, applications received after December 15 may or may not receive a response.

Position Available with Environmental Nonprofit on Whidbey Island, Washington

Position title: Engagement Director

Reports to: Executive Director

Compensation: $75,000-85,000/full time depending on experience, plus technology stipend, wellness stipend, 15 days paid vacation per year, paid sick leave, 11 paid holidays, and a one week paid office closure in December.

Employment status: Permanent, full time, exempt (part time negotiable for the right candidate)

Location: Hybrid, with an office in Coupeville and with Island County residency strongly preferred.

Position summary

The Engagement Director will join a small team during an exciting phase of growth for a 35 year-old environmental nonprofit. The right person for this job will enjoy the challenge and opportunity of defining this new role as we move out of our founders’ era and into becoming a fully staffed organization. You will be joining as the second of two full-time employees. The team also includes three contractors, including two founders moving toward retirement, and seven board members. 

The person in this role will mobilize the public, increase membership in WEAN, increase the engagement of members in environmental advocacy and civic action, and tell WEAN’s story to Island County community members and the larger public. 

In this role, you will take a lead role in WEAN’s external communications, member relations, and public engagement work. This work may include, for example:

• Producing online newsletters, blog posts, press releases, and social media content
• Writing and posting website content
• Improving and relaunching a membership program
• Designing and hosting events for members, volunteers, and the public
• Developing environmental and civics education opportunities
• Designing and implementing program(s) to increase public participation in civic processes
• Supporting grassroots and online fundraising efforts
• Generating positive exposure of WEAN and our campaigns and programs
• Liaising with media and the public
• Organizing community actions
• Reporting on WEAN’s activities and members’ experiences

Required experience and attributes

• Values alignment with our mission to protect wild spaces and promote healthy ecosystems
• Interest in being a collaborative member of a small, nimble team
• Self direction and capacity to innovate and perform independently
• Interpersonal and technical skills sufficient to succeed in this role with a minimum of training
• Demonstrated success at organizing communities into action
• Excellent communications skills, including written and spoken English language fluency
• Residence within or willingness to relocate to Island County
• A commitment to justice in all its forms, including anti-racism and social justice
• Familiarity with or capacity to learn use of programs and tools including but not limited to Constant Contact or the equivalent, Google Workplace, Duda or Wordpress, Slack, Adobe Design Suite, and similar
  
  

Preferred experience and attributes

• Experience in a small nonprofit, start-up, or entrepreneurial endeavor
• Environmental science expertise
• Law and policy expertise
• Grassroots organizing experience 
• Graphic design and page layout experience
• Journalism, science writing, or legal writing background
• Relational capital, with networks in Island County or Olympia
• Marketing or public relations experience
• A bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent professional experience

In recognition that pathways to professional success look different for many people and that career trajectories are often shaped by class, race, background, and identity, we explicitly invite applications from candidates with non-traditional resumes and life experiences, candidates balancing work and family commitments, and candidates with arrest and conviction records.

WEAN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

About Whidbey Environmental Action Network

WEAN had its beginnings in 1985 when a group of people came together in what became a successful campaign to curb roadside herbicide spraying. In 1989, the nonprofit was formed under the name Whidbey Environmental Action Network. After nearly four decades of environmental protection, the founders moved into consulting roles in early 2023 and the board of directors hired an Executive Director to lead our next chapter of growth and impact.

Whidbey Environmental action serves its mission to protect wild spaces and promote healthy ecosystems in and beyond Island County through four areas of activity.

• Environmental Education: We provide resources and experiences that connect our neighbors to nature and support their understanding of environmental science and ecological processes.
• Engagement & Advocacy: We provide tools to support people to advocate for the environment, to engage in civic processes, and to take collective responsibility for the wellbeing of our island homes.
• Preservation & Restoration: We work to prevent damage to ecosystems when possible and restore them when necessary, with attention to species diversity, natural systems, and habitat health.
• Policy Advocacy & Litigation: We advocate to improve and enforce local ordinances and public policy. When necessary, we use legal means to enforce laws that protect the environment.
  
  

Application instructions

• Position open until filled. Applications received by December 15, 2023 will receive priority consideration. 
• Upon clicking the application form button below, you’ll be asked to answer a few short questions. These will need to be completed in one sitting and shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
• You will be asked to upload a resume and cover letter in PDF format. Please have these documents ready before you begin the application process. 
• If we can offer an accommodation to make this application process more accessible for you, please let us know. 
• Questions or comments? Please email ed@whidbeyenvironment.org.