EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE

Earthwatch connects people with scientists worldwide to conduct environmental research and empowers them with the knowledge they need to conserve the planet. Since our founding in 1971, Earthwatch has been taking action to address global change through a time-tested model of citizen science and community engagement. By pairing citizen science volunteers from all sectors of society with researchers around the world, Earthwatch teams have helped to safeguard critical habitats, conserve biodiversity, and promote the sustainable use of natural resources.

Earthwatch’s unique model inspires new ways to think, act, live, and relate to the natural world. Throughout our history, Earthwatch has played a pivotal role in the development of protected areas, national parks and refuges, and environmental policy. From supporting efforts to designate Sandy Point in the U.S Virgin Islands as a national wildlife refuge in 1984 to contributing a decade’s worth of data to inform Belize’s 2018 decision to establish the world’s first national ray sanctuary, Earthwatch participants and scientists have made significant contributions to conservation around the world. Earthwatch is a testimony to what people—scientists and non-scientists—can do when they come together in the name of field research and environmental conservation.


Research & Communications Analyst

NEWTON, MA
Hybrid or Remote: Remote*
Supervisor: Director of Annual Giving & Planned Giving


JOB DESCRIPTION

The Research & Communications Analyst is responsible for reviewing and analyzing Earthwatch’s science and communications archives to distill key findings, stories, impacts, and other substantive information that can be used to further Earthwatch’s goals to build brand awareness and to engage with new and existing audiences. The archives include magazine publications, press clippings, scientific research reports, field research briefings, videos, photos, audio files, and other media assets, as well as a variety of fundraising materials. The Analyst will also be responsible for reviewing our contact management and research databases to generate reports and relevant statistical data that help document Earthwatch’s impacts throughout its more than 50-year history. Finally, the Analyst will conduct a series of phone, video, and/or in-person interviews with past Earthwatch scientists, participants, and partners to record testimonials and collect qualitative impact data.

While proximity to Earthwatch’s office is not a requirement for this role, candidates who live within commuting distance to the office will have access to additional Earthwatch historical resources that have not yet been digitized.

The Research & Communications Analyst will work across nearly every department at Earthwatch, including Development, Research, Communications, Program Delivery, Sales, and Finance, to ensure they are able to collect and collate accurate and compelling information about the history of Earthwatch’s operations and impacts. They will then work with Earthwatch’s Director of Annual Giving and Planned Giving, Heather Wilcox, as well as the Directors of Research and Communications to develop a series of reports, publications, and multimedia materials to communicate the findings to both internal and external audiences. The specific types of multimedia materials will depend on the experience and skillset of the candidate, but might include videos, podcasts, social media campaign content, data visualizations, and more.

Duties and responsibilities include:

  • Review and analyze Earthwatch’s communications and science archives; distill key findings that can be used to communicate the organization’s impacts on individuals, environmental education, and scientific research;
  • Analyze Earthwatch’s contact management and scientific databases to generate relevant statistical data and reports, e.g., the total number of students, teachers, and scientists Earthwatch has supported over the past 50+ years, numbers of environmental policy impacts and key examples, etc.;
  • Identify current and former participants and partners, including scientists, students, teachers, members of the general public, and local community leaders, to collect testimonials and qualitative impact data;
  • Write stories, reports, and other content to communicate the results to the general public in a compelling way to feed into ongoing fundraising and marketing communications;
  • Create multimedia materials—from videos to social media campaign content to data visualizations—that can help to raise Earthwatch’s brand awareness and reach new audiences.

DESIRED SKILLS

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
  • Strong organizational and project management skills;
  • Interest in and/or understanding of environmental history, including the history of the climate crisis and its impacts on humans, habitats, and biodiversity;
  • Excellent research skills and ability to analyze complex concepts;
  • Ability to distill large datasets into key talking points, stories, and statistics geared for the general public;
  • Excellent problem-solving skills; comfortable tackling problems head-on with flexibility and efficiency;
  • Excellent social and interpersonal skills with ability to interact with diverse internal and external individuals;
  • Experience with data visualization & related software (e.g., Tableau) and/or willingness to learn;
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Access and/or willingness to learn.
 

*REMOTE WORK DETAILS

This is a remote-first organization but there is an office in Newtown, MA that is open and available to any employees.

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