$60,000–$72,500 per year to start, plus generous benefits
Permanent, Full-Time
Washington, DC Based Preferred, Open to Remote
Expected Start: September 2025
The Animal Welfare Institute—a DC-based national advocacy organization dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people—seeks to hire a Media Coordinator who shares our vision of a world where treatment of animals is rooted in dignity and compassion.
About AWI
As a member of the AWI team, you will join more than 35 highly motivated staff and consultants working in our headquarters in Washington, DC, and remotely across the United States and Canada. For 74 years, we have advanced our mission through strategically crafted political and legal advocacy, educational programs, litigation, research, and engagement with policymakers, scientists, industry, educators, other NGOs, the media, and the public. We are a national nonprofit with international reach, dedicating more than 90 percent of our budget to programs and campaigns that protect animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. AWI is committed to equal opportunity and strives toward cultivating a culture where all employees can bring their best selves to work.
Why this position matters
AWI is seeking a Media Coordinator committed to the principles of improving animal welfare who can, under the supervision of the Senior Manager of Strategic Communications, develop AWI’s public-facing media, including social media posts, press releases, media pitches, and more, and guide these materials through their respective approval processes. The Media Coordinator is a detail-oriented problem solver who deftly manages multiple projects at once, tracks and adheres to deadlines with ease, and is skilled in writing across digital and print mediums. This person is creative, an excellent communicator, and an organized implementer. They are comfortable with detail-oriented and data-based tasks as well as duties that require attention to context and audience. The person who fills this important position is passionate about AWI’s mission to prevent animal suffering and protect wildlife and is committed to creating a healthy work culture of belonging and to maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct.
You could be our next Media Coordinator if you
- Have three years of workplace-based experience in communications, media relations, and/or social media management
- Have experience writing a variety of social media content, developing press materials, and pitching press releases to the media
- Are fluent across social media platforms, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Threads, Bluesky, and YouTube
- Have experience in and a passion for social change through advocacy and effective communications
- Have experience in a detail-oriented position that required high-level organizational skills
- Are self-motivated and invested in the strategic use of external communications
- Are flexible and adaptable enough to work concurrently on multiple projects as well as implement direction and feedback from multiple people
What you'll be doing
- Social Media
- Working with staff to develop content ideas for AWI’s social media accounts and translating those ideas into social media posts across multiple platforms
- Collaborating with AWI’s graphic designer to define and collate images, video, and graphics
- Running content through the review process, ensuring it is approved by deadline
- Publishing approved content on social media platforms
- Performing general account maintenance and management
- Press Releases, Pitching, and Media Relations
- Working with staff and external stakeholders to write press releases, op-eds, letters to the editor, and website statements
- Running content through the review process and ensuring content is approved by deadline
- Pitching content to members of the press through direct outreach and MuckRack
- Promptly responding to media inquiries, setting up interviews, and building relationships with key media contacts
- Data Organization and Reporting
- Measuring and reporting social media metrics and analyzing analytics to improve performance and refine strategy over time
- Maintaining up-to-date media lists
- Coordinating media monitoring and sharing AWI mentions and releases with staff and preparing reports for the AWI board of directors
- Other
- Responding to requests for information and connecting the inquirer to appropriate staff members for details and follow-up as appropriate
- Working alongside the communications team to ensure collaboration and coordination across roles
- Assisting with special projects as needed, such as digital fundraising campaigns, webinars, and more
Job Location
The Media Coordinator may work full-time at AWI’s headquarters (a row of converted townhouses one block from the Eastern Market Metro Station in Washington, DC), work a hybrid schedule (part-time at headquarters and part-time from a home office), or work full-time from a remote location anywhere in the United States or Canada.
Salary and Benefits
The annual starting salary range is $60,000–$72,500. Salary is based on experience, qualifications, skills, and internal equity. The hiring range maximum is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience.
We offer an excellent benefits package, including:
- 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Paid time-off that includes 3 weeks vacation, 3 weeks sick leave, 5 personal days, and 12 paid holidays
- 401(k) with employer match of 5% of employee’s salary
- 12 weeks of paid parental leave following childbirth or adoption
- Support for mental wellness, including CareFirst Wellness and an Employee Assistance Program
- 100% employer-paid short-term and long-term disability benefits
- Access to reduced-rate pet insurance payable through payroll deductions
- Resources to attend conferences and professional development trainings
- A dog-friendly DC office, on-site parking, and access to DC Metro SmartBenefits program
How to apply
- Cover letter: 2–3 paragraphs in an email (not attached but written in the body of the email) telling us why you are interested in this position, why you want to be a part of the AWI team, and why you are qualified. (In stating your qualifications, please provide a sense of the level of responsibility, complexity, and creativity involved in your previous work.)
- Resume and Samples: In a single PDF if possible, attach a resume along with samples of your social media work and writing you have done for traditional media, e.g. press release or op-ed.
- Email: Send materials to [email protected] with Media Coordinator in the subject line.
- Timing: First round of interviews will be taken from applications received by July 6. After this date, we will continue to accept and review applications received as needed. The position will remain open until filled.