Digital Communications Specialist

Do you want to make a real difference in people's lives? Work for an inspiring non-profit leader in social services!

At Rise, we believe that everyone deserves opportunities to live a life filled with purpose and pride. In our employment, housing, and life-enrichment services, we support people to set and achieve their personal goals. That shared commitment is the foundation of a workplace that embraces a culture of learning and growth by offering extensive training, competitive salaries, and a fun work environment. Visit our website at www.rise.org to learn more about our work.

Position Summary

Responsible for creating digital content and coordinating digital communications for Rise. Collaborate on the schedule and plan for social media posts and videos, website updates, email blasts to enhance Rise's brand recognition both as a social services provider and as mission-focused employer. This role will also be responsible for reporting on key performance indicators for digital content channels.

Key Expectations

• Standards of Excellence Commitment: All Rise employees are expected to commit to, sign and follow-through on Rise's Standards of Excellence. Refer to "Standards of Excellence Commitment" document. In the Employee Handbook.
• Person-Centered Practices: Learn and consistently perform person-centered practices: Identify those things that are important to people who receive support; implement strategies to assure they are present in day-to-day life. Identify areas where change can happen without permission. Act on those areas.
• Communication: All Rise employees are expected to communicate effectively with other staff, external stakeholders, and people we serve in a respectful and timely manner. This includes but is not limited to reading and responding to email in a timely manner, answering and responding to phone calls and voicemails, foster open communication; listening to others; preparing professional written communications as needed.
• Safety: Ensure adherence to safety policies and procedures and safe work practices. Ensure employees are equipped with the information, instruction, training, and supervision that they need to work safely. Identify, assess, and control hazards at assigned work location. Take reasonable care to ensure your own, co-workers and persons served safety and health. Comply with state motor vehicle laws and regulations. Act as a role model by demonstrating safe work behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Create digital content including shooting and editing photos and video and craft brand-aligned messaging to communicate with various audiences across Rise's platforms. Regularly travel to Rise program locations to capture this content.
• Manage Rise's social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok to ensure audience engagement, increase brand awareness, support Rise's hiring goals, and develop new and improve existing relationships with external stakeholders.
• Research and make recommendations for the expansion of Rise's social media presence to other platforms if needed.
• Manage and maintain Rise's website, rise.org, to ensure that all content is current, accurate, and that the site is well utilized by Rise's audiences. This includes regular reporting on site analytics, coordination with external vendors and continued attention to search engine optimization (SEO).
• Supports organizational communications content calendar creation.
• Prepare email newsletters and stories in Constant Contact platform and distribute based on Rise's digital marketing strategies and work in collaboration with other members of the Advancement and Human Resources teams on email marketing content.
• Update and maintain Rise information for Google My Business, United Way 2-1-1, Glassdoor, Idealist, and other external sites used by our audiences to learn about Rise, make referrals, and explore career opportunities.
• Manage Rise's Google Ads Grant account and collaborate across departments to create other paid digital advertising content.
• Collaborate with the Human Resources team to ensure that digital content reflects Rise's value and benefits as an employer and provide input on hiring messaging. Craft and publish paid job ads on social media at the direction of the Human Resources team.
• Support Rise's special events, job fairs, and fundraising activities by creating relevant online content according to the plans created by other team members and support the photography and videography needs of those events.
• Track and report on relevant key performance indicators for all content platforms on a monthly basis.
• Support the creation of communications plans that ensure consistency across all digital communications channels in alignment with Rise's annual strategic priorities.
• Stay current on best practices on the use of social media by nonprofit organizations and maintain up-to-date technical knowledge on social media algorithms.

Key Competencies

• Attention to detail: Ensures information is complete and accurate; achieves thoroughness and precision when accomplishing tasks and understands the importance of maintaining the integrity of data and organizational records.
• People-first mindset: Commits to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external stakeholders and acts with them in mind. Is warm, approachable, and cooperative; looks for common ground and solves problems for the good of all. Builds constructive and effective relationships.
• Integrity and trust: Is widely trusted; is seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Written communications: Can write clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles; can get messages across that instigate appropriate actions.
• Self-management: Learns quickly when facing new problems and enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks. Can use time effectively and efficiently; prioritize tasks and act accordingly; and adeptly handle several tasks at once. Analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement and considers feedback from all sources.
• Creativity: Generates many new and unique ideas; makes connections among previously unrelated notions; is unafraid to use unorthodox methods; is seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
• Drive for results: Manages performance of self and team, establishes realistic plans, meets, and exceeds goals. Pursues everything with energy, drive, and a need to finish; manages setbacks and roadblocks effectively to continue progress. Steadfastly pushes self and others for results. Designs feedback loops into work.
• Decision quality and problem solving: Uses analysis, wisdom, experience, and logical methods to make good decisions in a timely manner and solve difficult problems with effective solutions; appropriately incorporates multiple inputs to establish shared ownership and effective action. Able to make decisions when on a deadline and under pressure, thinks well on his or her feet.

Required Education, Experience, and other Qualifications

• BA degree in communications, marketing, journalism, or any other related field and/or equivalent professional experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including demonstrated success at creating web-based content. Candidates invited to interview will be asked to submit samples of their work.
• At least 1 year of experience creating digital content including graphic design and video editing. Could include experience gained through internships and volunteerism.
• A willingness to learn new things and ability to adapt within a quickly changing environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with team members, people served, families, business partners, and volunteers.
• A passion for non-profit work generally and human services specifically.
• Flexible schedule, ability to work occasional evening or weekend meetings and events.
• Willingness and reliable transportation to travel to all Rise office locations throughout Twin Cities, Greater Minnesota, and Western Wisconsin, sometimes on short notice.
• Creative, goal-oriented, independent, and detail-oriented.
• Technical skills including
• Microsoft software - Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive
• the Adobe Creative Suite - including Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and After Effects.
• Email marketing tools (Constant Contact preferred) and social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others).
• Website management tools and content management systems including WordPress, Google Analytics, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and Google Ads.
• Canva and other similar tools.
• Basic photography and videography skills.
• Compliance with Rule 11 and MVR background check required

Hours of Work

• Hours of work are typically daytime, Monday through Friday
• Occasional evening or weekend meetings and events (4-6 times per year)

Travel

• In order to capture photo and video content, the team member will be expected to travel between Rise offices, business partner locations and community locations, throughout the week, primarily in the Twin Cities metro with occasional trips to Greater Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

Work Environment

• This job uses a hybrid work model. Most of the computer work can be done from home or another location of the team member's choosing. The Advancement Team is currently required to be in the office on Wednesdays each week and for other meetings on occasion.
• Team meetings and activities take place over Microsoft Teams or in the Rise Administrative offices in Fridley. This is a typical office environment. The team member may work in the office rather than at home by choice as well.
• Environments outside of Rise where work takes place vary significantly including retail locations, manufacturing facilities, offices, community gathering spaces and outdoor locations.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

• Able to type quickly and sit at a computer for up to eight hours a day.
• Able to use basic photo and video equipment, primarily a digital camera and a smart phone. Shooting photography/video may occasionally involve kneeling, crouching, or standing on a stool.

Benefits

Wage: $22.72 - $26.71 depending on qualifications

• Medical insurance - single employee coverage less than $90/month
• Dental insurance less than $17/month
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) with a 100% vested employer match
• Rise sponsored Basic Life & AD &D insurance
• Voluntary Life, Short Term, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Tuition reimbursement and Rise sponsored trainings (i.e., CPR, First Aide, and more) to help you be successful in your role
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off (PTO) starts at 16 days during your first year, plus 2 floating holidays and serious health condition PTO
• Employee resource groups (i.e., DEI, LGBTQ+, recognition and more).
• A fun team environment that supports your professional development and opportunities for career advancement.
• Rise is a PSLF-eligible employer. Your qualified student loan balance may be forgiven after 120 covered payments

How to Apply: Visit our career page at www.rise.org/jobs to apply to this and other positions, Include a resume and cover letter. Email us at hiring@rise.org if any questions.

Are you looking to work with a diverse team of professionals? Do you want to work in a fun environment while supporting others to live a life of possibilities? Then join Rise, Inc.!

Rise values being a person-centered organization. This impacts how we carry out services for the people we support and our organizational culture. We encourage people's unique individual differences and celebrate the ways our team members contribute to our community. We believe in a workplace informed by differing viewpoints and perspectives created from a diverse team and welcome people of all races, genders, ages, nationalities, religions, sexual orientations, and backgrounds to apply. Our goal is that those we serve, and our team members always feel valued and respected.

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