Communication and Event Coordinator

The communication and event coordinator is responsible for maintaining First Light’s communications to its community and the public via newsletters, blog posts, and social media, as well as planning and coordinating First Light events in Maine throughout the year.

The communication and event coordinator would be responsible for collaborating with staff of First Light’s close partner, the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship (WCLS), to identify the Commission’s communication needs and integrate First Light and WCLS communication strategies.

This is a hybrid (in-person and virtual) position located in Maine. The Communication and Event Coordinator will collaborate with partners virtually on a daily basis, and will periodically travel throughout the state to prepare for and manage in-person events.

A small core staff team works together closely to accomplish different aspects of First Light’s work and to manage organizational operations. The Communication and Event Coordinator will be mentored by two core staff members.

This position offers an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to land justice in the northeast by supporting a network of partners working towards return.

About Our Work: First Light is a collaboration in Wabanaki Territory (what is now Maine) between hundreds of leaders, 65 land-focused organizations and five Wabanaki Tribal communities: Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians; Mi’kmaq Nation; Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township; Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik; and Penobscot Nation. Together, the First Light community works to re-learn history, recenter Indigenous voice, and return land, resources and power to Wabanaki Tribes. We take direction and guidance from the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship. We encourage you to learn more about our work at www.dawnlandreturn.org.

Salary: $48,000 (.75 FTE) This position is 75% (30 hours per week). The demands of event coordination mean that the time commitment may be higher in the run-up to events; any overtime will be balanced with time off following the event.The Communications and Event Coordinator will work with core staff to create a mutually agreed upon schedule and work plan.

Essential responsibilities and skills:

• Manage logistics for 4-6 events annually, coordinating food, lodging, transportation, logistics, and outreach to guests and participants
• Coordinate outreach and communications to the First Light community. This includes working with partners to create an annual publication about the work, quarterly newsletters, funders updates, and blog posts, and to maintain a modest social media presence that brings together content/voices from the community
• Update and maintain contact databases to ensure messages reach the intended audience
• Work with the Wabanaki Commission staff to identify communications needs and support joint communications strategies
• Meet regularly with core team to discuss ongoing and emergent communication needs and approaches
• Build solid relationships with various volunteers, working groups, and alumni who are the backbone of First Light
• Build solid relationships with core team members that enable graceful collaboration around communications,messaging, and events
• Proficiency in Google Workspace and Client Relationship Management software (we use Bloomerang)

Education and Experience:

• Education or experience in communications, media, event planning, project management, or related fields is required. Education or experience in Wabanaki or Tribal culture/studies, land justice, conservation, community development, education, or related fields is preferred.

Qualifications:

• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to communicate in writing, and ability to communicate effectively across cultural differences
• Energetic desire to develop relationships that help Tribal communities recover lands
• Passion for social justice and directly supporting collaborations working towards justice
• Cultural humility, and respect and experience in working with a variety of diverse partners and individuals
• Ability to manage the details of event coordination, including organized preparation and responding in the moment
• Strong organizational, planning, and multi-tasking skills with attention to detail and follow-up
• Interest in learning more about land justice, facilitation, and collaborative work
• Patience and persistence to accomplish projects while navigating delays and challenges with grace, particularly when working with diverse timelines
• Ability to transition between small logistical details and the big picture of creating welcoming and generative spaces and communicating compelling stories
• Experience with visual media and design
• Demonstrated capacity and willingness to learn new skills
• Maine residence with internet access and the ability to travel to locations throughout the state (mileage will be reimbursed)

How to Apply:

To apply for the Events and Communications Coordinator position, please send us your resume and a written response to these questions:

• What is the role of gatherings and storytelling in facilitating the return of land, resources, and access to Wabanaki people and communities?
• What aspects of your experience inform your approach to storytelling and community gathering?

Please take as much space as you need to respond to these questions— you may feel you need anywhere from a paragraph to a page to convey your response. We are interested in hearing your big-picture perspective as well as specific contributions that relate to this role.

To submit your application, please send your question responses and a 1-page resume to hiring@firstlightmaine.org by Friday, April 11, 2025.

Inclusivity Statement

Much of our work seeks to reshape the legacy of conservation. As part of that, we hope torecruit, mentor, and support employees in this work who bring different backgrounds, stories and experiences to this field. We encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

We offer accommodations for individual needs in our job application process. Please send a note to hiring@firstlightmaine.org to discuss how we can meet your needs to apply for this position.