The Environmental Protection Network (EPN) was founded in January 2017 and now has over 750 EPA alumni across the country volunteering their time to protect the integrity of EPA, human health, and the environment. We harness the expertise of former EPA career staff and confirmation-level appointees from Democratic and Republican administrations to provide the unique perspective of former regulators with decades of historical knowledge and subject matter expertise.
We are focused on building and defending the capacity of environmental agencies and the communities they serve to truly address the most urgent health and environmental crises.
- We work to ensure that EPA advances policies, budgets, and institutional changes to address environmental injustices and climate, as well as other pressing public health needs.
- We provide capacity-building technical assistance and training to frontline communities; non-profit organizations; and under-resourced state, local, and tribal government agencies.
- We provide pro bono support to civil servants.
- We educate Congress and serve as a critical resource for facts, objective analysis, and scientific rigor for reporters and other strategic partners.
Priority Deadline: June 30th, 2026
Work will be predominantly remote, as EPN does not have an office. There will be some in-person meetings in other locations in the United States. You will work closely with other staff, including EPN's Senior Director for Public Affairs, Public Relations Associate, and our Policy team. We are looking for someone to start this position immediately.
About The Position
Reporting to the Senior Communications Advisor, the Senior Communications Associate will be a key driver of supporting our press material creation, driving social media campaigns and content creation, and providing support to the Senior Communications Advisor on special projects.
Responsibilities
Media Relations
- Work with the Senior Communications Advisor to identify key media targets and secure opportunities for national and regional press coverage.
- Support the Senior Communications Advisor in actively pitching stories to media outlets, building narratives that resonate with audiences.
- Support our Senior Communications Advisor in navigating relationships with reporters and establishing connections with new media contacts.
- Monitor media coverage to assess the effectiveness of communications strategies.
Press Materials and Messaging
- Support with the draft and distribute press releases, media advisories, op-eds, Substack posts, social media guidance, and talking points.
- Support with creating compelling press kits and assist in drafting quotes for spokespeople.
Social Media
- Help draft content and propose ideas for social media.
Event Management
- Organize and coordinate press events, including speaker selection and logistics.
- Moderate media interactions and discussions, ensuring alignment with organizational messaging.
Strategic Planning and Campaign Development
- Support with implementation of a comprehensive media and communications campaigns.
- Support a calendar of events and opportunities to amplify key messages.
Special Projects and Campaigns
- Tackle projects as assigned by the Senior Communications Advisor.
- Collaborate with EPN's Senior Communications Advisor, Senior Director of Public Affairs, Safer, Not Sicker consultants, and other team members to align communications strategies.
- Coordinate communications agenda planning for the Safer, Not Sicker campaign to ensure alignment with EPN and partner goals.
Qualifications
- At least 2-4 years of relevant work experience
- Highly productive in remote working environments
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Communications, English, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations or a related field, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating strong written communication skills, required.
- Marketing and development experience, including experience writing pitches and proposals
- Self-starter
- Interest in environmental justice, US environmental and health policy, and/or the work of EPA
- Experience with or knowledge of social justice and equity issues
- Strong writing skills
- Strong project management experience
- Detail-oriented and unafraid to ask questions
- Proficiency with Google Docs
- Experience with CRM database management
Core Competencies
- Building Relationships: Establishing and maintaining strong relationships is critical for success in this role.
- Making Decisions & Demonstrating Judgment: The Senior Communications Associate demonstrates sound judgment by prioritizing competing communications needs.
- Managing Execution: The Senior Communications Associate ensures effective execution by managing communications projects, coordinating timelines, tracking deliverables, and collaborating with internal and external partners.
- Planning: The Senior Communications Associate develops and maintains strong plans to effectively manage their core responsibilities and day-to-day workflow.
Pay
- An annual salary of $74,261 based in D.C. We will adjust the salary up or down based on locality. Note that this salary is also eligible for a cost-of-living adjust that goes into effect between calendar years.
Benefits
The Environmental Protection Network is a fully remote virtual environment. We think about our compensation as a package of total rewards that starts with a competitive salary.
Work-Life Balance
- Employees are encouraged to balance a 40-hour work week with a flexible work schedule and core hours of 11 AM-4 PM ET
- 11 paid Federal Holidays and other paid days when the office is closed
- 3 weeks (120 hours) of paid time off
- 5 days of annual disaster relief time off
- 5 days of annual bereavement
- 3 annual "EPN" days
Financial Security
- Competitive market-based salary.
- Annual tenure bonus.
- Performance-based bonuses where applicable.
- 401K Retirement Plan, 4% company match.
Wellness Benefits
- 90% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, 50% employer-paid family.
- 100% employer-paid life (50K).
- 100% employer-paid short and long-term disability insurance.
- Access to employee-paid FSA, HSA, and commuter benefits.
- Up to 6 weeks of paid leave upon the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Career Development
- Up to $500/year for professional development-related expenses.
- Ongoing access to internal professional development training.
Additional Benefits
- $150 monthly cell phone plan and home internet reimbursement.
- Up to $2,000/year for the purchase of phones, computers, headsets, software, or other equipment.
- Applicable travel expenses will be reimbursed.
Environmental injustices disproportionately impact the most marginalized people in society. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.