Communications Coordinator

Job Title:                        Communications Coordinator, Full Time

Department:                 Marketing & Communications

Reports To:                  Communications Manager

Schedule:                      Monday-Friday with some evenings and weekends required

Position Summary

Fernbank is seeking a creative, organized and enthusiastic Communications Coordinator. The applicant should have some early-career experience in communications, such as internship(s) and/or professional experience, that includes writing (storytelling, promotional copy, social media, public relations, website, emails), production (video, photography, social content) and strategy (audience building, ticket sales, branding, positioning, content planning, SEO/SEM). 

The Communications Coordinator position includes several opportunities to contribute to and/or lead a variety of projects—potentially including but not limited to—creating video content from concept to completion, assisting media/managing publicity inquiries, contracting with/directing social media influencers, planning/managing several Discovery Day promotional events (approximately 3x/year), reporting/analytics, and more. This position must maintain brand voice and follow brand standards in all forms of communications. A working knowledge of AP Style is a plus.

As a member of the marketing and communications department, this individual must possess a keen understanding of, and support for, teamwork and integrated strategies that support branding, performance marketing, audience building, and supporting attendance, membership, internal communications, fundraising and more. The ideal candidate must be a strong writer/communicator, creative storyteller, organized project manager, motivated self-starter and strong content creator.

This role has the opportunity to learn and grow, so if candidates have a strong foundation relevant to the position but do not have experience in all areas outlined in this job description, we encourage them to still apply. 

Please outline your experience, drawing connections to this position, and share more about yourself by submitting a cover letter. Additional materials that we will need to see for consideration are 1-2 writing samples, a social media post sample and 1-2 video reel samples.

NOTE: This job posting will close on May 30, 2025. All candidates interested in applying should do so by or before June 1, 2025 to be considered. 

Primary Responsibilities

• Creates content, including email newsletters, social media writing/video, blog posts, collaborations and some press materials. 
• Plans, shoots and edits reels and videos with a focus on both social media and long-form content.
• Assists the Communications Manager in preparing and disseminating press materials, including but not limited to, editing press releases, researching journalists, and meeting with press alongside the Communications Manager. 
• Strategically identifies and manages social media influencer relationships, including budgeting, negotiation, content strategy, and more. 
• Updates editorial calendars across multiple media platforms with current programming and pertinent information. 
• Collaborates with the marketing and communications team and other departments to plan and execute a series of family-friendly, science-driven Discovery Day events, from concept through completion, designed to drive attendance and sales.
• Advances staff communications, including staff newsletter, program fact sheets and more. 
• Creates reports, analyzes performance, and provides input on approaches to optimize strategies.
• Monitors social media comments and messages, serving as a customer service representative as needed. 
• Works closely with other departments to collect/distribute information, understand programs, lend communications support, to ultimately build collaboration across teams.
• This list of responsibilities is not exhaustive. Candidates should anticipate that they will be responsible for other assignments and responsibilities as needed to meet business needs.

Essential Skills and Attributes

• Excellent grammar, AP Style and writing skills
• Asana (or other project management software)
• Shooting and editing video (both with a traditional camera and smartphone)
• Experience with email communication platform (Mailchimp is a plus)
• Exceptional written, verbal and interpersonal skills 
• Highly organized, flexible, creative and able to manage multiple projects concurrently. 
• Must have a strong attention to detail, sound judgement and be able to assist with administrative tasks.
• Comfortable working as part of a team as well as being a self-starter
• Interest in museums, natural history topics, nonprofits, education and/or attractions a plus 
• Microsoft Office 365 (including SharePoint, Word, Excel, OneDrive)

Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or relevant experience 
• Up to 2 years of intern, paid, professional or other experience in public relations, marketing, communications or a related field; non-profit experience a plus