COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH ASSISTANT

LibraryLinkNJ, the New Jersey Library Cooperative, is seeking a Communications and Outreach Assistant to work as part of the Cooperative’s Continuing Education (CE) Team on its communication and outreach initiatives. 

LibraryLinkNJ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Its members are multi-type libraries and library-related agencies located in the twenty-one counties of New Jersey. The Cooperative has over 1,300 voting representatives from over 2,500 public and private schools, public, academic, institutional, corporate, health sciences and special libraries and library-related agencies. A member-elected Executive Board meets regularly to oversee the programs and services of the organization. LibraryLinkNJ and its services are funded by the New Jersey State Library, which is responsible for the coordination, promotion and funding of the New Jersey Library Network.

The Communications and Outreach Assistant will help with the planning, development, and dissemination of a variety of communications to the members of LibraryLinkNJ, and will also work with existing staff on new and current outreach initiatives. The Communications and Outreach Assistant will work in close coordination with other team members under the supervision of the Programming and Outreach Manager. This individual must stay abreast with current and emerging trends to provide input to the coordination of member engagement and statewide communication. The position is at will, part-time (typically 18 hours per week) and is a fixed-term grant funded position (typically up to 24 months). This fixed term grant funded position does not guarantee or provide entitlement to a position upon its conclusion. 

Communications and Outreach Assistant Position Responsibilities 

Duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to: 

• Under the supervision of the Programming & Outreach Manager, identifies events, announcements, services, and other initiatives that require communication or marketing to the membership.
• Assists with the workflow surrounding communication to groups or individuals, including event reminder emails, follow-up messages to individuals, survey dissemination, and similar.
• Assists with scheduling and prioritizing announcements and other communications to avoid member communication overload, and works closely with all staff to ensure their projects are being shared at opportune times. 
• Uses Canva, Smore, and other design tools to assist with the creation and dissemination of the Cooperative’s member-wide communications, including weekly and monthly newsletters.
• Sources newsletter content from partners, members, or other outside organizations and creates content on behalf of LLNJ to share with others where necessary.
• Under the supervision of full-time staff, creates and schedules content for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn using the social media management software Buffer.
• Assists with the planning and implementation of in-person, virtual, and asynchronous member outreach efforts.

Related Duties: 

• Works actively to promote and provide strong customer service to the members of LibraryLinkNJ. 
• Works as part of CE team staff to ensure delivery of high-quality member services and programs.
• Assists with large-scale and all-hands events, both virtual and in-person. 
• Contributes to large-scale projects and initiatives, providing input and assisting with tasks as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience 

Education:

• A current student in (or recent graduate from) a Master of Library Science degree program from a library school accredited by the American Library Association;
• Or a current student in (or recent graduate from) a Marketing/Communications program with a familiarity with libraries.

Required Skills and Experience: 

• Excellent verbal and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Excellent written communication skills with particular emphasis on editing, proofreading, and crafting clear, concise communications for a large audience.
• Ability to make editorial choices and confidence in selecting topics to be highlighted, marketed, or shared via social media or organizational communications.
• Experience with current social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
• Proven strong customer-service and interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team. 
• Ability to initiate, organize, and work independently on projects.
• Effective time management strategies and ability to work on several projects concurrently. 
• Proficiency with technology, including Microsoft Office applications, Google Workspace, Zoom, and a variety of Web and social networking tools and mobile devices.

Desired Skills and Experience: 

• Experience working in or with different types of libraries and/or cultural institutions with all levels of staff.
• Demonstrated ability in creation of large-scale communication projects.
• Experience using basic design and marketing software, such as Canva.
• Experience drafting newsletters, e-blasts, and similar digital communications for a large audience, particularly with using newsletter software like Smore.
• Excellence in current and emerging library services and technologies; and ability to consult with others on these topics. 

Job Requirements: 

The position requires light to moderate physical effort, demanded when performing functions under typical office and computer-use conditions. 

Must be eligible for permanent employment in the United States with documentation for Form I-9 of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. 

The Communications and Outreach Assistant will be required to follow all of LibraryLinkNJ’s policies.

Work Schedule and Location: 

The work week is up to 18 hours, assigned in the best interest of the organization. Hours may vary. This part-time position requires a regular physical presence in the LibraryLinkNJ office at least one day per week for 7 hours with the opportunity to work remotely based on the needs of the organization and at the discretion of the Executive Director. This position may require travel to meetings and programs throughout the state.

Salary: $25.00 per hour

This non-exempt, part-time, grant-funded position for a fixed period of time is contingent on future grant funding and satisfactory job performance.

The Communications and Outreach Assistant is an “at-will” employee. Under “at-will” employment, the Communications and Outreach Assistant is free to resign at any time, for any reason, with or without cause or notice. Similarly, LibraryLinkNJ is free to conclude its employment of the Communications and Outreach Assistant at any time. The “at-will” employment status cannot be modified or amended except by written agreement signed by both the Communications and Outreach Assistant and a representative of LibraryLinkNJ. 

_Interested candidates can email a résumé and cover letter in PDF format to LibraryLinkNJ’s Executive Director, Ralph S. Bingham III at [email protected]. Please put “Communications and Outreach Assistant” in the subject line of the email. _

The position closes on Friday, October 25, 2024 at 4:00 PM EDT