Outreach Associate

Position Overview

Rare Overview:

Rare is a fast-growing, international conservation organization that has worked in 50+ countries and 400+ communities to inspire change so people and nature thrive. We believe that the most urgent environmental challenges share one thing in common – to solve them, people must start behaving differently. Over the last 40 years tackling on a variety of conservation and natural resource issues, we have honed our own approach to changing sustainable practices. Now we are sharing that expertise with the world so that global environmental efforts improve as a result.

Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment (BE.Center) launched in 2017 to deliver on three main goals: building the field for applying behavioral insights to conservation, translating the science of human behavior into real-world conservation practice, and training an international network of conservationists to become the next generation of behavioral designers and strategists.

Global understanding of human behavior is evolving quickly. New insights across economics, political science, evolutionary biology, social psychology, neuroscience, and design thinking have transformed understanding of human behavior and decision-making. Gone are the days of believing in Homo economicus, a perfectly rational actor maximizing costs and benefits at every turn. Research has shown that emotions play an important role in our decision-making processes. Advances in evolutionary biology tell us that people are inherently social animals and that ‘self-interest’ is far more complex than once assumed. Under the right conditions, people excel at cooperation, seek reciprocity, and act on the basis of social cues. And we have learned that our decisions are strongly influenced by the context and timing in which we make them and the “architecture” of our choices.

Yet, traditional conservation efforts have relied on more rational ways of driving change. We share information and hope for change. We leverage rules and regulation and assume people will follow them. And we offer material incentives and believe things like money or a free water bottle will get people to behave differently. Unfortunately, science tells us that these are insufficient in driving sustained behavior change. To get people to adopt new practices, we need to design innovative solutions that meet them where they are, using the power of emotional appeals, social incentives, and choice architecture as expertly as we apply economics and policy.

Our vision is that by 2030, conservation challenges are dramatically more solvable because behavior-centered design (BCD) becomes a norm in our field. To do this, we aim to raise the profile of behavioral science and design and build demand for it in the conservation space, to create compelling evidence that behavior-centered design leads to better conservation outcomes, and to strengthen the ability of practitioners and leaders to apply the strategies and tactics of behavior-centered design in their own work.

Position Overview:

Rare is looking for a thoughtful and energetic team member with a skill in communications and a passion for building relationships to join the Center for Behavior & the Environment (BE.Center). Reporting to the Senior Director, Partnerships & Engagement, Center for Behavior & the Environment, and working closely other team members, the Outreach Associate will be responsible for executing a communications strategy and engaging with the BE.Center’s community. The role will involve partnering with Rare’s Marketing and Communications team and working across Rare’s global teams to engage audiences across the BE.Center networks, to develop content for our online community, behavior.rare.org, as well as to manage special projects or initiatives (such as the Solution Search contests).

Primary Responsibilities:

Support the execution of the BE.Center’s strategy for promoting behavior-centered design

• Develop event concepts to be held at relevant conferences and gatherings
• Draft marketing related content – such as video scripts, email outreach, blogs and handouts
• Communicate with external audiences about the BE.Center’s involvement in marketing opportunities
• Support logistics associated with delivering on these marketing efforts

Maintain and monitor the online platform, behavior.rare.org, to serve as a behavior and environment community of practice

• Support the platform’s growth to create a positive user experience
• Partner with Rare’s technical team to request any necessary items to build and future updates
• Analyze findings to identify trends and core qualities
• Regularly report on successes and areas for growth to the BE.Center leadership

Grow and engage the community of users – both virtually and elsewhere, when possible

• Craft and curate unique content to attract and engage a community of behavior-centered designers and conservationists
• Draft content for the monthly newsletter, Behavior Beat, and work with BE.Center teammates to do the same
• Create and execute new content streams – such as webinars – to build and deepen relationships with the BE.Center
• Identify and analyze patterns and trends in community activity and growth

Support the implementation of Solution Search

• Manage entrant applications and communications
• Draft marketing emails and other materials to promote the contest
• Contact potential entrants to encourage applications
• Coordinate with Rare Communications and Country teams
• Analyze successful marketing efforts and reapply lessons to additional audiences
• Compile judging packets to prepare for entry evaluation
• Support awards ceremony and other event logistics

Required Experience and Education:

• Demonstrated experience in and a passion for engaging communities of individuals interested in similar issues. Experiencing managing these exchanges through virtual and online systems is a plus;
• Ability to translate theoretical ideas into accessible and practical applications;
• Interest (or experience) in behavioral & social science and behavior-centered design;
• Strong written and oral communication skills;
• Well organized, self-motivated, and detail-oriented;
• Ability to thrive equally in team and independent work settings across functions and time zones in a highly matrixed workplace;
• Ability to thrive in cross-functional team environments to build relationships across geographical distances, cultural communities, and up and down the organizational structure;
• Written and spoken fluency in English and Spanish required; proficiency in other languages a plus.
• Experience with website programming software, such as Drupal or WordPress, is a plus but not required.

Rare is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply; EOE/M/F/D/V