Campaign Outreach Director (Remote Contract Position)

The Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) is a non-profit organization and a world leader in educating policymakers and the public about the health risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This position reports to the Managing Director and is a contract position. 

Job Description: Campaign Outreach Director for IRT’s Protect Nature Now Program

The campaign understands that with the new inexpensive and easy to perform gene-editing technology (and other GMO 2.0 techniques), the earth’s ecosystem can be overrun by the widespread introduction of gene altered organisms. Not only are the techniques prone to unpredicted side effects, the corruption of the gene pool that results from environmental release is permanent. With the possibility of hundreds of thousands, or even millions of new GMOs being released over the next decades, we are talking about the possibility of an irreversible replacement of nature.

This campaign, therefore, is an urgent high priority. Most people we talk with rate it as a higher threat than climate change. And yet very few know about it.  That is why the person who takes on this position must be a real superhero, with lots of superpowers in the area of outreach and communication.

This position recruits participation of leaders and organizations globally to IRT’s Protect Nature Now campaign and works with these partners to secure a future that is not genetically engineered. The campaign will include outreach to many different types of organizations and to consumers, scientists, and politicians. Coalition partners will participate in educating their members and, in some cases, collaborating on a portfolio of solutions. 

This position oversees all aspects of campaign outreach and ongoing relationships, as well as fundraising. This position reports directly to the Managing Director, who is the project manager, and the Executive Director as needed.

Examples of key responsibilities are as follows:

Campaign Roles

• Assist in identifying key leaders and organizations for outreach

• Recruit, cultivate and engage these leaders and organizations through outreach and relationship building

• Once engaged and on board, coordinate and assist the coalitions as needed implementing our theory of change toward a global movement bringing about our campaign objectives

• Facilitate operations of organizational programs which include supporting grassroots efforts and educational campaigns

• Identify and utilize contractors as necessary

• Develop and implement outreach planning

• Recruit and manage a team of volunteers for each campaign, collaborating and sharing volunteers with partner organizations when possible.

• Identify and leverage press opportunities

• Other duties as assigned

Administrative

• Attain and monitor qualified contractors for outsourced campaign work

• Attend all organizational meetings (virtual attendance)

• ​Co-create and execute campaign plans and budgets

• Submit invoices for approval and payment on a monthly basis

Development

• Work with Managing Director, and Executive Director to assure coordination in fundraising

• Work with Executive Director to identify and cultivate relationships with high-capacity stakeholders (individuals, foundations, and corporations)

• Collaborate with Directors to incorporate campaign fundraising into broader campaign plan and budget

• Provide logistics support as needed

Communications

• Participate in the creation of campaign messaging

• Facilitate campaign material creation

• Organize campaign briefings and reports for internal and external parties

• ​Manage campaign consultants, organizers, volunteers, and vendors as necessary

• ​Help IRT and partners to frame issues using testing and other research to guide advocacy communications

• Represent the campaign at events

• Identify and manage earned media and social media opportunities

• Collaborate with the Executive Director, Managing Director and Social Media Team to integrate social media and press relations strategy into a broader outreach strategy

Additional Information

• Some travel may be required during campaigns 

• Occasional weekend availability will be necessary for campaign activities, as well as the flexibility to manage multiple time zone contacts

• Opportunity to interact with leaders in many fields

About Working with IRT

We’re a virtual nonprofit so this is a remote position, which helps with work-life balance when you don’t have to add a commute to your day.

The Managing Director has weekly one-on-one meetings with each employee/contractor. The Managing Director is in contact almost daily or at minimum several times per week.  We use Zoom a lot. The weekly meetings are predominantly guided by the employee according to their assigned and associated work. These meetings help to increase information flow, problem-solve, and plan. Note that we try to avoid overdoing meetings. This way, actual work can get done. You'll be given a performance profile with listed deliverables that are expected of you by specific dates. This will help guide your work.

We also hold a weekly “staff meeting” with the Executive Director with all hands on deck which then flows into a meeting with our social media team. 

Those who have been successful within our staff have been highly motivated, intelligent, organized, and able to properly prioritize tasks. Successful employees have also prioritized outsourcing and automation whenever possible. Our employees and contractors work exceptionally well with each other. This includes collaboration, sharing information, and providing a supportive environment. We do whatever we can to make you successful in your role and will expect the same from you.

• Must be driven by making an enormously positive influence in the world 

• Must be committed to the organization’s goal of protecting the world from GMOs, associated chemicals and the newer threat of gene-edited organisms

• Must have direct experience and demonstrated ability working on a campaign oriented initiative, especially with coalition building and maintenance

• Must be highly familiar with best-practice tools and operations for education campaigns and campaign initiatives

• Ability to identify and work with key stakeholders

• Technical knowledge related to GMOs, pesticides and gene editing as well as a full understanding of the “clean food” landscape is strongly preferred

• Ability to solve problems, prioritize, and execute a global and complex campaign

• No specific educational background is required. Just be able to demonstrate that you can do the job

• Strong communication skills: email, verbal, writing, social. People should LOVE connecting with you

• Must be comfortable actively participating in the fundraising process. You do not need to have a background in fundraising, but you must be willing to take direction from and implement strategies as designed by the Directors

• Must live in one of the lower 48 US states

To be considered, please send BOTH resume and cover letter outlining your unique qualifications and fit for this position (include contract rate requirements) to info@responsibletechnology.org with the subject line reading: “Application”.