Position Type:

Full Time, salaried. FLSA status: exempt. Some evenings and weekend hours are required. Outdoor market work required, paid bi-weekly for 26 weeks.

Salary range:

$55,000-$62,000, commensurate with experience, paid bi-weekly for 26 weeks.

Benefits:

12 paid holidays and 18 paid days off. Health and dental insurance (Market Umbrella funds 75% for staff and qualifying dependents); vision (staff and qualifying dependents), life, AD&D and short-term disability insurance (Market Umbrella funds 100%). 401K retirement plan (up to 4% Market Umbrella annual match). FSA (125 plan) and HSA: eligible in the following month after a 1 month waiting period.

Organizational Overview:

Market Umbrella is a 28-year-old community non-profit that operates the Crescent City Farmers Markets, provides community education related to nutrition and healthy eating, and offers a robust array of food access programs. Our work supports Louisiana foodways and culture, serves as a small business incubator and supporter of the local economy, and provides food access programs to help all New Orleanians and beyond have greater access to fresh, local foods. The Crescent City Farmers Market operates three weekly farmers markets in the New Orleans area, hosting over 80 local small farmers, fishers, and food producers, and more than 100,000 shoppers annually. In addition, Market Umbrella offers a weekly home delivery produce box. We offer a variety of SNAP education and nutrition education programs, and several food access programs including Market Mommas Club and Market Match. We’ve expanded our efforts to support producer and farmers markets across the state through launching a statewide Market Match program called Greaux the Good.

We envision:

A thriving, equitable, and sustainable food system that supports all community members, including those, who bring local, nutritious food to market.

Our Mission:

To cultivate the power of farmers markets to drive economic and community health in the region.

General Position Description:

The Communications Specialist is a new position in a growing non-profit, and will play a pivotal role in developing and implementing effective communication strategies to enhance the organization's internal and external communications with an emphasis on messaging strategic/DEAI plan objectives. This individual will collaborate across departments made up of a 16-person staff to ensure consistent and impactful messaging through different channels to diverse stakeholders including customers, programmatic partners, programmatic participants, funders, and other community members. The Communications Specialist will be responsible for sharing the compelling story of the work of Market Umbrella and will play a key role in increasing programmatic awareness and therefore fresh food access. The Communications Specialist reports to the Senior Director of Operations.

Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

90% Provide Communications support for the organization

External

• Produce weekly newsletter, social media posts, and email blasts: create content and coordinate the contributions of other staffers for all platforms
• Public relations: liaising with media and fostering relationships with advocates and key persons, creating and issuing press releases and mass/blast emails as needed
• Design: perform or coordinate design development of promotional materials such as social media content (imagery and caption), posters, flyers, merchandise, etc. using Canva or similar design software or external graphic designers
• Digital and social media management: update, maintain, and monitor the organization's website, and online publications, including all program accounts. Update, maintain, and monitor social media pages and tools.

Internal Communications

• Proofreading, copy editing, and designing organizational documents including but not limited to letterhead, business cards, PowerPoint templates, and agenda templates
• Internal communications including coordinating across departments, timely internal responses
• Supporting with board of directors communications
• Responsible for the design of written and multimedia documents such as training materials, annual reports, end of year appeals, curricula, and other pieces created for public consumption
• Organize and maintain the organization’s photo library

Strategy

• Working with senior team to coordinate departmental goals and budgets to strategically spend on paid advertising
• Ensuring the organization meets communications/audience growth goals encompassed in grant and strategic plan deliverables
• Developing and executing comprehensive communication plans that align with the organization's mission, vision, strategic and DEAI objectives
• Create and implement annual organizational marketing plan
• Provide monthly reporting on digital analytics of website and social media engagement, page-views, and other relevant insights and trends; incorporate data into digital components of communications key performance indicators

10% Other duties as assigned

An ideal candidate will:

Have a bachelor’s or more advanced degree in communications, public relations or related field

Have at least three to five years of relevant work experience in communications/marketing

Have excellent, demonstrated written and verbal communication and presentation skills

Be able to show demonstrated efficacy in a professional communications role

Have a sophisticated racial and social justice analysis, and be comfortable engaging in DEAI conversation/communications

Have experience developing a comprehensive marketing strategy

Have experience using asset-based and inclusive language in internal and external communications

Be a self-starter, with the ability to work independently and closely with a collaborative team with a strong sense of personal accountability

Be organized and effective at prioritizing, task switching, and meeting deadlines for multiple projects while maintaining excellent quality of work

Be in proficient with most of the following: Zoom, Survey Platforms (Forms, Survey Monkey, Qualtrics), Google Suite and Analytics, HTML, In-Design, Adobe Suite, SquareSpace, Constant Contact, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Canva

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination required

Preferred skills/qualifications:

Proficiency/enthusiasm for smartphone photography and editing

Spanish and/or Vietnamese language proficiency

Experience in leading an organizational rebrand effort

Website design

Have working familiarity with health literacy, nutrition education, community building, and non-stigmatizing language

Familiarity with Louisiana media market and good relationships with media/reporters for outreach and pitching

Ability to convert technical information into “plain language”

---

Market Umbrella is committed to having a staff that represents the community we serve. We encourage applicants who can help us build a truly inclusive culture to apply. Market Umbrella provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or veteran status.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and at least three relevant portfolio pieces to employment@marketumbrella.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.