Communications Officer, U.S. Zero Emission Vehicles

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, now in its 15th year, connects 96 of the world’s greatest cities which have committed to tackling climate change. We bring mayors from around the world together to learn from each other in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating resilient, sustainable and low carbon cities. C40 cities represent more than 700 million urban citizens and their economies account for 25% of the global GDP. C40’s ‘Deadline 2020’ report sets out the critical role that the world’s major cities have to play in delivering the historic Paris Agreement to prevent catastrophic climate change. 

C40’s team of 200+ staff is headquartered in New York, with offices in London, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen, Beijing and Paris, and individual staff based across 25+ different locations, with the Office of the Chair based in Los Angeles.  

The strategic direction of the organization is determined by an elected Steering Committee of C40 mayors which is chaired by the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. Three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the C40 Board of Directors, which is responsible for operational oversight. A nine-person management team, led by Executive Director, Mark Watts, leads the day-to-day management of C40. C40’s three core strategic funders are Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and Realdania.

At C40, we are committed to creating an inclusive working environment, where diversity is valued and there is equality of opportunity. We therefore encourage a diverse pool of applicants and welcome applications from all sections of the community and would like to request you to complete the recruitment and diversity questionnaire, to help us monitor our recruitment and selection procedures. For how C40 handles your personal information, please review our Privacy Notice – Recruitment.

Department & Position Description

The C40 Communications & Events team is responsible for strategically positioning C40 as one of the world’s most impactful climate organizations by celebrating the ambitious, equitable action underway in C40 cities and establishing our mayors as global leaders and allies to the new climate movement. Through our global communications, campaigns and events, we aim to shift the narrative and inspire real progress on the greatest challenge humanity is facing today. C40 has also recently expanded communications efforts in the North America region (encompassing cities in the U.S. and Canada), and this role and the responsibilities outlined will align with the regional communications strategy and activities.

The Communications Officer, U.S. Zero Emission Vehicles will play a key role within the Communications & Events Team, and is responsible for helping deliver a comprehensive, market-shifting campaign around zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) in the United States. The campaign will be designed to build public support for policies in a select number of cities, making it easier for the mayors to commit to bold action, and send a clear message to regional and global car manufacturers about the future of mobility in cities.

Under the direction of C40’s Senior Communications Manager, North America and with a dotted line to C40’s Head of Media, the candidate will play a leading role in helping to increase the visibility of both C40 as an organization and our cities’ work globally. This position will work closely with the Transport and Urban Planning team to help lead the effective promotion of the C40 network’s ZEV and transportation activities and achievements, via traditional and digital media, with a special focus on promoting messages around equity and inclusion to help change perceptions of ZEVs. 

Responsibilities:

• Write creative and engaging content about such topics as cities leading on zero emission vehicles, sustainable transport and air quality, keeping a close eye on accuracy and legibility, in order to share across different platforms to different audiences. 
• Ensure that C40’s ZEV campaign is consistent with C40’s Communications & Events Strategy, and aligns with C40’s overall mission, voice and graphic identity.
• In collaboration with the Head of Media, coordinate media outreach efforts to top-tier regional, national and global outlets.
• Draft media materials, including press releases, advisories, and op-eds.
• Draft scripts and creative briefings for videos and other multimedia content for social media.
• Create toolkits for cities, partners and key stakeholders to communicate about events, announcements and campaigns.
• Using social media, help develop multimedia content and finding creative ways to engage residents in the selected cities and build increased public support for the cities’ and mayors’ policies.
• Cultivate relationships with colleagues across C40, as well external partners, who are engaging  with the campaign.
• Monitor community pages and participate in user discussions on digital platforms.
• Working with relevant partners and city staff, build on existing relationships and cultivate new ones to develop a network of supportive partners, allies and influencers.
• Participate with other C40 representatives and external partners in engaging directly with car manufacturers in the region and globally, to engage them  with the campaign.
• Support in researching and preparing key messages for responding to scrutiny and backlash from opposition.
• Help deliver key project outputs related to community engagement, including stakeholder mapping and engagement strategy, benefits analysis, polling, local campaigns, etc.
• Develop clear KPIs and provide regular reporting updates to C40 internal teams and the grant funder.
• Manage communications agency budget.
• Ad hoc administrative tasks as required.

Person Specification:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Journalism; Communications; Marketing; English; Creative Writing; or other relevant field 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Native-level proficiency in English; ability to speak other languages, specifically Spanish, a plus. 
• Experience working with communications agencies, to deliver impactful communications campaigns.
• Proven experience in the development and production of creative and engaging content.
• A deep understanding of social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, and willingness to learn how to deploy stories across various platforms; knowledge of and interest in the use of digital media by different audiences, particularly millennials and Gen Z.  
• Knowledge of social media and digital marketing tools such as Hootsuite and Mailchimp.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent IT skills -- capacity to learn how to use a content management system and digital platforms. 
• Passion for environmental and climate issues; knowledge of global climate action and the transportation sector an advantage. 
• Experience working with community-based organizations and city officials.
• Excellent multitasking, organizational and time-management skills, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working for a global organization across multiple time zones and cultures desirable.
• Basic knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign desirable. 
• Applicants must already have the right to work in the United States. The successful candidate will be required to travel.

Application Process:

Interested applicants should submit a curriculum vitae and cover letter. Closing date for receipt of applications is Tuesday 14th July 2020.

Location: Los Angeles is preferred, but open to other U.S. cities

Term: Fixed term contract to 31 October 2021

Salary: $49,116 USD per annum