American Rivers believes that a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 members, supporters and volunteers across the country, we are one of the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers. For more information, please visit www.americanrivers.org.

At American Rivers, we embrace and celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. Rivers Connect Us is more than just our tagline. The beauty of rivers is that they connect all people and communities. We seek to build and embody this diversity in our organization and throughout the conservation field. The life experiences, knowledge, innovation, and talent that each individual brings to our work provides perspectives and competencies which are critical to our effectiveness in protecting wild rivers, restoring damaged rivers, and conserving clean water for people and nature.

JOB SUMMARY
The Associate will join a ten-person California team working to protect and restore California’s rivers and to improve access to rivers and clean water for people. The Associate will support the California team by developing communications materials to engage key audiences, and by supporting our grants program through tracking sources, state and federal grant writing, compilation and submittal.  The Associate also will provide administrative support to the California staff by coordinating office rental space, office supply procurement and delivery, and organizing team gatherings. The Associate works under the Director of the California Program. We are looking for someone with multiple skills who is a creative communicator and will be an enthusiastic contributor to convey the importance of protecting California’s rivers to diverse audiences.

THE CALIFORNIA PROGRAM AT AMERICAN RIVERS
The California Program is designed to address the key challenges faced by our most critical rivers from their beginnings in the Sierra Nevada, as they flow through the Great Central Valley, and then out the Golden Gate to the Pacific Ocean. Our Headwaters Protection Program focuses on protecting water source areas, including restoring mountain meadows as natural reservoirs and biodiversity hot spots, and on reducing fire impacts through strategic ecological fuels management. Our team works in partnership with conservation groups, federal, state and private landowners and restoration practitioners to identify, prioritize and implement meadow restoration and watershed management projects that model the most effective approaches to protect and restore rivers and wetlands in the Sierras. Our Central Valley team works with conservation and community-based colleagues to reconnect rivers to their floodplains, producing a whole host of benefits – such as giving rivers room to spread out away from communities during flooding events, restoring habitat for native fish, wildlife and vegetation, ensuring that surface waters from restored areas percolate into key groundwater aquifers, and increasing public access to rivers for disadvantaged communities.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify and track grant opportunities at the state and federal level that are relevant to the California program.
• Coordinate and organize development and submittal of successful grant proposals.
• Support communications around California rivers to state and national audiences
  • Help our team tell inspiring stories and produce content that conveys our impact, via print and digital communications.
  • Develop compelling written and visual content to engage audiences via online, email, print materials, social media and earned media.
  • Assist in updating content on the American Rivers website.
• Schedule and organize team activities including logistics for staff meetings, retreats, and workshops.
• Manage California offices: coordinate office rental space, office supply procurement and delivery for two California offices.