The Missouri Prairie Foundation and its Grow Native! program seek an assertive self-starter who enjoys a fast-paced work environment and event coordination, and takes the initiative to carry out a wide variety of event and communication coordination tasks as part of a motivated, congenial team.
This full-time (or three-quarter) time position is modified from an existing position. For the detailed job announcement, including the list of job duties, qualifications, salary, benefits, and application information, see below.
Job Description: Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) and Grow Native! Events & Communication Coordinator
The mission of the Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) is to protect and restore prairie and other native grassland communities through land acquisition, management, education, and research; to promote the use of native plants through its Grow Native! program; and to support the control of invasive plants through its administration of the Missouri Invasive Plant Council. MPF carries out its mission by:
- acquiring and managing original prairies and restoring or reconstructing other properties to native grasslands
- organizing a variety of outreach and educational activities
- supporting prairie research, and
- supporting grassland wildlife-friendly land use policies and state, regional, and national conservation initiatives
To help MPF and its Grow Native! program carry out its mission, the organization seeks an assertive self-starter who enjoys a fast-paced work environment and event coordination, and takes the initiative to carry out a wide variety of event and communication coordination tasks as part of a motivated, congenial team.
Overview:
Full-time (40 hours a week) or three-quarter time (30 hours a week) salaried position, the duties of which involve coordinating and promoting educational activities, events, programming, and materials related to the mission of MPF and its Grow Native! program.
Events to coordinate include webinars and online master classes, in-person workshops, prairie hikes, native plant sales, volunteer work days, annual, one-day Grow Native! Professional Member Conference, MPF Annual Dinner, and many partner events including staffed booths at conferences, festivals, as well as partner trainings/meeting, and other events. This position provides staff support to the Grow Native! Committee and the MPF Outreach & Education Committee, including internal communications such as taking minutes at four virtual meetings a year for each committee, as well as occasional small group virtual meetings, and tracking progress of Grow Native! and outreach/education deliverables in the Grow Native! and MPF strategic plans. This position will also carry out external communications for events and other activities, including website updates and page creation, writing and sending news releases, contribute event information to the MPF/Grow Native twice-monthly enewsletter, develop graphics (using Canva) for use on MPF and Grow Native! social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and Pinterest), and manage MPF’s and Grow Native!’s social media channels.
Location, Supervision, Travel, Flextime, Advancement:
Work from a home office, ideally in Springfield or St. Louis, but other locations will be considered. This position will be directly supervised by MPF’s Executive Director, and work collaboratively with other MPF staff, contractors, board members, and volunteers. Some travel is involved, although MPF events in the Kansas City area will be supported by a part-time MPF staff member. MPF reimburses mileage and travel expenses. Position will involve work on some weekends and evenings. MPF staff members utilize flextime and are encouraged to expend “banked” hours. Opportunity to advance responsibilities, job title, and/or salary.
Annual Salary:
Full-time: $42,000 to $46,000, depending on experience, plus benefits listed below. MPF will provide computer, cell phone, and other items necessary to perform work.
Three-quarter time: $31,500 to $34,500, depending on experience, plus benefits listed below. MPF will provide computer, cell phone, and other items necessary to perform work.
Benefits for Full-Time or Three-Quarter Time Position:
$3,000 a year health care stipend (cash); maximum two weeks pay for jury duty; 10 paid holidays; paid vacation of 5 hours accrued per each of 24 pay periods (with vacation hours increasing with seniority); 64 hours of sick/personal time per year; and, after one year, eligibility to participate in MPF’s SIMPLE IRA with an MPF 3% match. Opportunity to attend a continuing education conference or training at least once annually.
Duties and Responsibilities
Duties include:
- Develop content for online programming, i.e. the MPF and Grow Native! webinar and master class series. This involves procuring and organizing presenter information and practice sessions, hosting, uploading of recorded programs, promoting programming, and maintaining online programming schedule.
- Organize in-person events including MPF’s Prairie BioBlitz, one-day Grow Native! professional member conference, hikes, tours, workshops, native plant sales, and other events. Manage in-person programming including planning and promotion via news releases, posting to MPF/Grow Native! websites, enewsletter, social media, and partners’ communication vehicles, such as Missourians for Monarchs website, Kansas City Gardeners Connect, Rural Missouri, Land Trust Alliance website, and others.
- Work in concert with other staff to manage portions of grownative.org, moprairie.org, and nationalprairieday.org. Management includes posting events and news releases, uploading new content, editing photos, and editing text.
- Organize and staff booths at some events such as MPF plant sales, Earth Day and other community events, etc., and secure volunteers to help at such events.
- Assist with fundraising and outreach events such as the MPF Annual Dinner as well as new member recruitment
- Help secure event sponsorships and silent auction items
- Monitor the outreach@moprairie.org and grownative@moprairie.org email accounts
- Use and respond to calls on the outreach phone assigned to this position
- Occasionally, travel in Missouri or elsewhere in the lower Midwest to meet with other staff and attend events
- Contribute event-related content for bi-weekly enewsletter and other communications
- Coordinate Grow Native! committee meeting set up; take minutes at Grow Native! committee and subgroup meetings and for MPF Outreach & Education committee meetings
- Track progress on Grow Native! and outreach/event/education deliverables in the Grow Native! and MPF strategic plans
- Design graphics for enewletter, social media, banners, table coverings, apparel, etc.
- Store limited volume of merchandise, outreach/display materials for use at events
- Track and coordinate delivery of display materials, brochures, etc. to staff, board members, and other volunteers for outreach events.
- Track expenditures on MPF-issued credit card, keep receipts, code them, and submit monthly, along with monthly mileage reimbursement log
- Track accomplishments via bi-weekly work reports
- Other duties as assigned
Notes: Staff will provide training on specific tasks such as content management on the website as well as orientation on event coordination, contacts, media contacts, news releases, and all other facets of this position. Co-workers will assist in a collaborative nature re: development of programming, conference, website content, educational materials, etc.
Minimum Qualifications
Degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or, related field; or, if degree is in a different field, equivalent on-the-job experience. Education, training, and/or work experience in the fields of biology, natural resource planning, and/or horticulture are pluses.
Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
Excellent writing, editing, speaking, organizational, time-management, and fact-finding skills are critical. Solid understanding of grammatical rules and attention to detail in writing, with a willingness to learn and to review and edit one’s own work, are essential. Must have excellent and self-reliant knowledge of Google documents/sheets, social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), Google email systems, and be proficient in Google storage protocols. Must be proficient in or willing to learn website software (WordPress and Divi), Canva, and other software as needed. Ability to take initiative, work autonomously, meet deadlines, and work within the organizational structure and culture of MPF are essential. Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to work effectively in small groups are very important. Must have ability and means to travel around the Missouri Prairie Foundation/Grow Native! region as the job requires. Must have the ability to lift objects in the normal course of completing job requirements. Knowledge and experience with nonprofit administration, project management, sales, public relations, conservation, botany, gardening, landscaping, and photography are pluses.
Core Competencies and Special Ability Requirements
Must have ability to:
– Accept all responsibilities of the job and assigned tasks.
– Accept change, new information, and carry out agreed-upon plans.
– Work independently with self-motivation and willingness to learn.
– Define a problem, analyze relevant information, and develop solutions and plans to solve the problem.
– Develop and sustain cooperative working relationships and possess willingness to communicate concerns.
– Demonstrate technical proficiency in areas of responsibility.
– Create and sustain an atmosphere in which timely, quality information flows between self and others, and express facts and ideas in a convincing manner whether one-on-one or within or before groups.
– Take a long-term view of the MPF’s direction and articulate a vision within daily work that integrates key program goals, priorities, values, and other factors.
– Demonstrate regular and predictable attendance and document work accomplishments.
– Must be bondable.
To apply for this position, please send resume, at least three references, and summary of education and work experience by June 6, 2024, to:
Carol Davit, Executive Director, at carol@moprairie.org
Questions welcomed. Questions may be directed to Carol at the email address above or by calling 573-356-7828.
About the Missouri Prairie Foundation:
The Missouri Prairie Foundation (MPF) is a 58-year-old land trust that owns and manages 35 properties around the state totaling more than 4,900 acres, including many original, unplowed prairies of exceptional prairie biota. These are rare and biologically diverse natural communities and natural treasures. MPF has a reputation for excellent prairie management. These properties are open to the public to enjoy for nature study, birding, and in some cases, limited hunting.
MPF organizes many events throughout the year to educate and inform about Missouri’s prairie legacy. MPF also runs the 24-year-old Grow Native! native plant marketing and education program and administers the Missouri Invasive Plant Council (MoIP).
Missouri Prairie Foundation Vision:
For the benefit of present and future generations, we envision original prairie protected forever, an abundance of prairie plantings, native plants in widespread use in developed landscapes, and systematic control of invasive plants.
Missouri Prairie Foundation Mission:
The mission of the Missouri Prairie Foundation is to protect and restore prairie and other native grassland communities through land acquisition, management, education, and research; to promote the use of native plants through its Grow Native! program; and to support the control of invasive plants through its administration of the Missouri Invasive Plant Council.
