Eastern Pennsylvania State Director

Salary: $1,250/month
Location:  Remote; must reside in Philadelphia County

The contact position reports to the director of state affairs.

DELIVERABLES

1. Build animal welfare capacity in Pennsylvania

• Lobby on priority items at the state and local level, as directed by leadership.
• Play defense on legislative initiatives that attempt to set the state back on animal welfare.
• Work with the leadership and digital communications team and help to build a list of supporters, with regular outbound communications to the state’s universe of supporters.
• Monitor state agencies and their respective activities and help develop executive agency reform goals. Become familiar with workings of other agencies such as the state Game Commission, Department of Agriculture, and animal care and control agencies.

2. Empower local animal advocates and supporters

• Develop a state council that allows you to harness advocates’ energy and extend your reach into more communities. Work with them to find tasks and activities that appropriately utilize their time and energy.
• Coach and develop local volunteers and support them in their goals to effectively advocate for animals.
• Broaden the coalition to build local and state coalitions, including religious organizations, law enforcement, domestic violence organizations, and others whose values and work intersect with animal welfare. Develop contacts at the University of Vermont and connect with the Animal Law Program there.
• Establish relationships with other animal protection groups, including shelters, rescues, sanctuaries, and wildlife rehabilitation centers. Activate them to the extent practicable on our legislative and other programmatic campaigns.
• Recommend candidates to open positions on various state agency boards and commissions.

3. Be a cultural change agent and leader

• Set a high-water mark for Philadelphia and Pennsylvania regarding animal welfare, creating an expectation of success in the region and state.
• Organize lobby days and annual days of awareness around various animal issues, in conjunction with other PA animal protection groups and AWA/Center leadership

4. Communications

In collaboration with the director of state affairs and the communications team, develop and send regular communications to email subscribers, including general updates and targeted content for specific audiences.

Social Media Management

• Help manage and maintain Facebook and Instagram pages, in collaboration with leadership
• Create, schedule, and post engaging content that aligns with organizational goals and resonates with the audience
• Monitor and respond to comments and messages in a timely and professional manner
• Analyze social media metrics with the communications team to inform strategy and improve performance

Legislative Communications

• Collaborate with the Director of State Affairs to develop and send communications to legislators using specialized software
• Ensure timely and accurate delivery of legislative updates, calls to action, and other pertinent information
• Track and report on legislative communications, including legislators’ positions on various bills/issues

General Communications Support

• Assist in creating and distributing newsletters, press releases, fact sheets, and other communication materials, as needed
• Coordinate with other team members to ensure consistent messaging across all platforms
• Stay updated on communication trends and best practices to enhance outreach efforts

Website Management

• Update the Pennsylvania website at least monthly to ensure that current and relevant information is available to the public
• Coordinate with other team members to develop new content, including news updates, event announcements, and resource materials

OTHER DUTIES

• Attend weekly check-in meetings with supervisor and Pennsylvania partners, biweekly staff meetings, and other meetings as necessary
• Be prepared and on time for intramural and extramural meetings and events.
• Monitor the legislative calendar/journals
• Maintain and update various organizational databases, including but not limited to:
  • Legislative trackers to monitor and record pending policy, regulatory, and legal actions
  • A deliverable tracker will ensure the timely completion and accountability of project milestones
  • A communications calendar schedules and tracks outreach efforts and media engagements
  • Additional databases as deemed necessary by the supervisor to support organizational needs
• Assist with planning and implementation of Philadelphia initiatives. Tasks include research, attending legislator meetings, making phone calls, and writing letters
• Develop comprehensive plans outlining campaign objectives, strategies, and timelines
• Cultivate relationships with legislators and other stakeholders
• Regularly assess campaign progress, analyze data, and adjust strategies as needed
• Respond to AWA leadership emails and calls within one business day
• Remain flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances or challenges during campaign
• Be prepared and on time for meetings and events
• Share and support the groups’ mission and core values and adhere to their policies
• Other duties as needed

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Minimum five years’ experience in animal welfare policy, or a related field
2. Experience in a nonprofit advocacy organization, or with an agency that works with advocacy clients, strongly preferred
3. Bachelor’s degree required
4. Ability to travel frequently in and around Philadelphia, and as needed to various destinations within the state
5. Ability to achieve results with minimal supervision
6. Ability to successfully manage key internal and external stakeholders and relationships.
7. Ability to prioritize and multitask efficiently
8. Excellent verbal and written communication skills to engage stakeholders, team members, and the public
9. Ability to plan, execute, and oversee campaign from inception to completion
10. Understanding of animal issues in Philadelphia and PA
11. Ability to develop and implement strategies to effectively advocate for animal welfare
12. Ability to collaborate with various organizations, volunteers, and communities to achieve campaign goals
13. Ability to identify challenges and develop innovative solutions
14. Utilize marketing strategies to raise awareness and engage the public in campaign initiatives
15. Self-motivated
16. Familiarity with general project management principles and methodologies
17. Able to prioritize tasks to deliver the required outputs to the agreed timelines
18. Able to work with people with varying needs, personalities, and technical abilities
19. Ability to present yourself in a friendly, professional, and non-partisan manner
20. Ability to work independently, follow instructions, and meet deadlines

TIME COMMITMENT
10-15 hours per week. While some of the work is flexible, the contractor must be available for daytime in-person meetings with local Philadelphia stakeholders as needed and virtual meetings with AWA employees.

LOCATION
Much of the work can be done remotely, but applicants must reside within the county limits of Philadelphia. Applicants must possess reliable transportation and acknowledge that local travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

HOW TO APPLY
Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to: [email protected].

 ABOUT US
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) whose mission is to help animals by promoting laws and regulations at federal, state and local levels that forbid cruelty to all animals. The group also works to enforce existing anti-cruelty and wildlife protection laws. Animal Wellness Action believes helping animals helps us all. X: @AWAction_News