"Temporary Communications Assistant"

Who We Are

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences CALS is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University’s second-largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: natural and human systems; food, energy, and environmental resources; and social, physical, and economic well-being.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the world's leading resource for conservation, research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. The Lab is a vibrant unit within Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), where six world-class, mission-driven centers are directed by full-time faculty and other renowned professionals. Lab staff teach undergraduate courses, advise graduate students, collect and disseminate world-famous digital resources on biodiversity, and engage with partner organizations and citizens around the world to conduct scientific research and conservation actions. Our management and staff are committed to the highest standards of ethics and excellence in all areas of our work, and our Board leadership includes successful entrepreneurs and managers from the business and non-profit sectors, conservation-minded citizens from the United States and beyond, and faculty from Cornell and other universities.

What You Will Do

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is seeking a Temporary Communications Assistant with outstanding written and verbal communications skills, background in video and multimedia, and expert knowledge of birds and behavior to foster public engagement and outreach through live media and the Bird Cams project at www.AllAboutBirds.org/Cams.

As part of the Live Media team in the Center for Advancement’s Marketing and Communications unit, the Temporary Communications Assistant works closely with the Bird Cams project leader to engage the public in learning more about birds and nature through the live Bird Cams and to connect audiences to the Cornell Lab’s mission and priorities, always using a professional, friendly manner with the highest standards for conveying accurate and helpful information. This position serves as the content manager for the Bird Cams enterprise, curating highlights from the live streams and providing multimedia and interpretive updates to relevant social media, the AllAboutBirds.org website, and the explore.org website. In addition, the Temporary Communications Assistant supports the growing efforts to produce live programming beyond Bird Cams, helping to schedule speakers, coordinate production needs, and assisting during live events.

The Temporary Communications Assistant is often the first point of contact for viewers and the live cam community, and provides expert customer service, handling questions and viewer feedback in a positive manner through email, telephone, postal mail, print publications, chat, websites, and social media. This role is essential in developing and disseminating answers to frequently asked questions through website posts, videos, and other channels, as well as interacting with the online communities that engage with us on the various platforms where we post content.

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

This is a full-time, temporary position at 100% FTE. This is a 6 month appointment with the possibility to extend up to one full year.

This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Employees typically perform this role remotely 2 days per week and on-site 3 days per week. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke, or terminate the hybrid work arrangement at any time.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.

What We Need

We are looking for someone with an excellent work ethic who is organized and passionate. Additionally, we need someone who has the following:

• Associate’s degree and 2-4 years relevant experience or equivalent combination.
• Excellent communication skills, including written, verbal, and interpersonal skills; friendly and courteous manner.
• Expert knowledge of the natural history and behavior of birds.
• Ability to write and speak professionally and accurately, using simple, friendly language accessible to all. Resourceful, independent thinker willing to seek information from experts and scientific literature.
• Excellent customer service, positive attitude, and ability to cultivate support for the Lab. Positive and helpful when responding to people with complaints.
• Prior experience developing and managing content for distribution on various social media platforms.
• Strong judgment about when to answer questions directly and when to seek answers from the Lab’s staff.
• Confidence in public speaking and in dealing with challenging and/or complex topics. Ability to discern the sensitivity of internal/external communications in a large public organization.
• Strong organizational skills. Ability to respond quickly and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Proficient in Word, Excel, video and image editing suite (e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Canva)
• Experience modeling values that support inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing.

If you possess these experiences and skills, this may be the role for you! There are a few other qualifications that we would view as incredibly helpful in this role, including:

• BA degree in Communications or Education with relevant experience or course work in biology, or BS degree in Biology with relevant experience in Public Relations, Communications, or Education.
• Prior experience as public information specialist or naturalist focused on bird-related topics highly desired.
• Prior work experience with a not-for-profit or PR organization is valuable.
• Proficiency with web content management and/or WordPress is an asset.
• Cultivation and remote administration of volunteers is highly useful.
• Experience assisting in the production of live online events.

Rewards and Benefits

Competitive compensation, generous time-off, and great benefits – More on Cornell Benefits

The compensation range for this position is 26.89 - 29.07 hourly.

How to Apply

You must submit both a resume/CV and a cover letter.

When applying through our system, please attach your application materials (resume/CV and cover letter). You can upload documents either by "dragging and dropping" them into the dropbox or by using the "upload" icon on the application page. For more detailed instructions on how to apply to a job at Cornell, visit How We Hire on the HR website. If you are an internal employee, please log in to Workday.

University Job Title: Temporary Communications Assistant

Job Family: Temporary Communications/Marketing

Level: No Grade - Hourly

Pay Rate Type: Hourly

Remote Option Availability: Hybrid