CIRES/National Integrated Drought Information System, Digital Communications Coordinator

Job Summary

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) seek a full-time Digital Communications Coordinator to strategize and implement web-based communications through the U.S. Drought Portal (www.drought.gov) and other NIDIS communication channels. The successful candidate will have significant professional experience in crafting and implementing digital communication tools. This role will be the primary link between the NIDIS program office (based in Boulder, CO) and the web development team for the U.S. Drought Portal (based in Asheville, NC). The coordinator will partner with NIDIS’ off-site team of web developers and scientific experts to strategize, refine, and innovate to continue to develop a visually appealing, user-friendly, and content-rich website. The coordinator will also use skills in social media and web communications to contribute to NIDIS social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn) and NIDIS communications channels (e.g., Constant Contact emails, webinars) in coordination with the NIDIS Communications Team.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

CIRES is an internationally recognized leader in innovative environmental science and research and is located at the University of Colorado Boulder. At CIRES, more than 900 environmental science professionals work to understand the dynamic Earth system, including people’s relationship with the planet. CIRES has partnered with NOAA since 1967, and our areas of expertise include weather and climate, changes at Earth’s poles, air quality and atmospheric chemistry, water resources, solid Earth sciences, and more. Our vision is to be instrumental in ensuring a sustainable future environment by advancing scientific and societal understanding of the Earth system.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) was first authorized by Congress in 2006 (Public Law 109–430) and reauthorized in 2014 and 2019 to coordinate drought monitoring, forecasting, planning, and information at federal, tribal, state, and local levels across the country. NIDIS does this work through:

• Developing partnerships to ensure successful implementation of an integrated national drought monitoring and forecasting system at federal, state, and local levels.
• Collecting and integrating information on the key indicators of drought to make usable, reliable, and timely drought forecasts and assessments.
• Fostering and supporting a research environment that focuses on risk assessment, forecasting, and management.
• Providing accurate, timely, and integrated information on drought conditions and associated risks to facilitate proactive decision-making.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Drought.gov Content Coordination and Digital Strategy (60%)

• Coordinate web development, content planning, and execution for the U.S. Drought Portal (www.drought.gov) with the web development team, NIDIS co-workers, and partners, including facilitation of timely and appropriate review practices.
• Lead strategic annual and multi-year planning for the U.S. Drought Portal, providing recommendations to NIDIS leadership for future development based on programmatic priorities.
• Act as point of contact for NIDIS’s relationship with the web development team at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), working with the U.S. Drought Portal Manager and the NIDIS Communications Team to shape priorities that inform the team’s work each year.
• Create, prioritize, edit, and update written and visual material on drought.gov. Summarize technical information in easy-to-grasp formats.

NIDIS Digital Communications Support (25%)

• Support content development for NIDIS social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Youtube) and other NIDIS communications channels to engage current audiences and attract new ones.
• Contribute to the implementation of NIDIS’s communications strategy, in coordination with the NIDIS Communications Team.
• Ensure digital communications, including technical reports and other documents, are accessible and compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
• Research data format, content and visualization methods to develop communication materials.

Drought.gov Performance Monitoring and User Research (12%)

• Monitor web and social media traffic and other metrics to find opportunities to increase user engagement and prioritize the development of drought.gov.
• Advance ongoing user experience (UX) research and testing to create a strategy for the development and enhancement of the Drought Portal. Act as point of contact for NIDIS’s relationship with the National Environmental Mapping and Applications Center (NEMAC) at the University of North Carolina Asheville, providing guidance on priorities for user research and implementing lessons learned.
• Communicate with data users to both learn about their data needs and respond to their inquiries to the U.S. Drought Portal help desk email.

Perform other relevant duties as necessary to advance the NIDIS mission (3%)