COMMUNICATIONS & EVENT COORDINATOR
Solar Austin is a mostly volunteer run organization, but we need part time help to get our work done and achieve our mission. The Solar Austin Communications and Event Coordinator will work under the supervision of the President or another member of the Board. The Communication and Event Coordinator will take on many of the routine duties required to host monthly happy hour events as well as other administrative and research duties, as assigned.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Attend monthly Solar Austin board meetings on the 1st Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 8:30pm
- Coordinate and Attend monthly happy hours on the 4th Tuesday of each month from 5 to 8pm (including setup). Coordination includes:
- Speaker Coordination: working with Board Members to identify happy hour speakers, contacting and confirming speakers at least 6 weeks in advance, putting together short biographies, photos and a brief descriptions of speaker and topic.
- Event Marketing (at least 1 month in advance): creating an Eventbrite invitation for each event, posting happy hour information to the Solar Austin website, sending an email blast to the Solar Austin supporter list, creating event pages on Facebook and MeetUp, and effectively promoting all events on Facebook, Twitter, MeetUp and any other useful platforms and calendars.
- Event Management: Bring all needed materials to and from event, get AV set up and staff the sign-in table. Show people where to sign in; collect donations; be welcoming and answer questions (or direct questions to a board member).
- Manage sign-in sheets and petitions by adding contacts to Solar Austin database.
- Communications: Write regular monthly blog posts on Solar Austin website. Share posts via the Solar Austin Facebook and Twitter accounts. Post daily updates to the Solar Austin Facebook and Twitter accounts.
- Assist with solar, utility, and other research as needed.
- Other administrative duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS:
Education: High school diploma or GED required; some college work preferred
Knowledge: How to utilize social media to engage the public; some knowledge about solar energy and/or policy
Work Experience: Some previous professional experience required; experience putting on events and using social media professionally strongly desired
Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills; well organized; good computer skills (experience with WordPress required; basic HTML beneficial, but not required); good social media skills (particularly Facebook and Twitter); graphic design and video skills valued, but not required
Capabilities: Self-motivated; organized; ability to work independently, desire to learn about and advance solar energy policies and programs
APPLY
To apply, email info@solaraustin.org with your resume, cover letter, writing sample and social media samples.
About Amanda Bybee: 
A nationally recognized speaker, research contributor, and book co-author of “Smart Cities: Applications, Technologies, Standards & Driving Factors”, Karl has lived in Austin since his teen years and is a longhorn graduate. Currently, he is the Manager of Electric Vehicles & Emerging Technologies at Austin Energy and is the Principal Investigator on several U.S. Department of Energy funded and award-winning projects advancing transportation electrification, renewables, energy storage, and “virtual power plant” technologies. He is the electrification lead for Austin’s Smart Mobility Roadmap that includes autonomous transportation and was a core member of the Mayor’s Smart City Challenge team. Previously he served as Austin Energy’s interim Chief Information Officer, a Managing Director at Hewlett-Packard Services, Director at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, and a Captain in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
Jim Walker was appointed Director of Sustainability for the University of Texas at Austin in April, 2009. He works closely with the President’s Sustainability Steering Committee on the UT Austin Sustainability Master Plan and is the university’s USGBC Liaison related to LEED and SITES on new capital projects. Jim has a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Jim currently serves on the boards of the Mueller Foundation, the USGBC Texas Chapter, and Earth Day Austin, and recently served on the City of Austin Joint Sustainability Committee. Jim is originally from Oregon and accidentally moved to Austin in 1992. He was introduced to sustainability by Pliny Fisk and Gail Vittori at the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems, and soon after by Lars Stanley, FAIA, LEED AP and Girard Kinney, AIA.