Communications Apprentice

Location of Position: Marin Headlands Sausalito California

Reports to: Director of Marketing & Communications

Position Classification & Expected Hours of Work and Travel:

• This is a grant-funded position through April 30 2026.
• This is a full-time position.
• Regular onsite work a minimum of 2 days per week is required.
• Days and hours of work may vary according to the needs of The Marine Mammal Center.
• Evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.
• Some local travel may be required as job duties demand.

Compensation Range: $20.00 - $23.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Generous time off policies including Holidays Sick and Vacation
• Medical Dental and Vision
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• 401k Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program

Job Summary:

The Communications Apprentice will focus on public relations and content development strategies that position The Marine Mammal Center as a leader in ocean health and marine mammal health inspire donors to continue their support and engage people to take mission-aligned actions. Areas of responsibility include assisting with public relations efforts social media content creation writing and editing content for web and print and other communications duties as assigned.

Essential Functions:

Public Relations: 40%

• Perform research to find news relevant to ocean health and marine mammals.
• Assist in drafting engaging content for press kits and media releases.
• Gather video footage and images as needed.
• Occasionally provide support with field media needs such as responding to media inquiries and monitoring the media inbox.
• Work in PR database to log media interactions.

Marketing & Communications: 40%

• Assist with social media content creation for channels such as Facebook Instagram X LinkedIn YouTube and TikTok.
• Moderate comments on social media channels and respond to inbox messages.
• Craft social media posts based on weekly content calendar and create evergreen posts.
• Assist with drafting and editing marketing emails donor communications and website content ensuring all communications are consistent with brand standards and have accessible calls to action whenever possible.
• Edit and proofread communication materials.
• Compile social media metrics and other communications metrics as requested.

Other Duties as Assigned: 20%

• Perform special projects and research as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility:
None

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Passion for marine and environmental conservation.
• Strong ability to craft messaging with wit and charm in short-form writing and quickly summarize news articles and stories in a few short words.
• Ability to take on brand tone and style when creating new content.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including strong spelling editing and grammar skills.
• Familiarity with all mainstream social media platforms.
• A portfolio showcasing your own work or work you admire is not required but is a strong plus website form most appreciated.
• Experience with basic photo editing and video editing tools (e.g. Audacity Descript Adobe Audition) is a plus but not required.
• Ability to work collaboratively and maintain open communication in a team environment.
• Minimal skills or ability to learn Microsoft Office applications (Excel Outlook PowerPoint SharePoint Word) and videoconference technology (Slack Teams Zoom).
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work which may include staff volunteers training participants and members of the public.
• Ability to practice self-awareness and respect while engaging with staff volunteers training participants and members of the public.
• Willingness to support and participate in The Marine Mammal Centers diversity equity and inclusion programs.

Qualifications and Experience:

• This position requires a combination of education and/or experience equivalent to a bachelors degree in marketing communications or related field.
• Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or waiver (medical or religious).

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

• This position operates in a professional office laboratory and hospital environment both indoors and outdoors with access to other parts of the facilities via outdoor pathways.
• Working in outdoor weather conditions and elements may occur.
• Ability to carry light gear (less than 25 pounds) for in-field media activities.
• Routinely uses standard office equipment requiring repetitive motion.
• Ability to work at a desk for extended periods of time using a computer.
• Limited exposure to allergens and zoonotic diseases.
• May involves strong smells associated with the care of live animals.

ABOUT THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER

The Marine Mammal Center is leading the field in ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue veterinary medicine science and education.

OUR MISSION

The Marine Mammal Center advances ocean health through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation research and education.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

The Marine Mammal Center actively engages individuals from all backgrounds. We are committed to embracing diversity within our organization because we firmly believe that diverse employee teams help us to achieve our best organizational outcomes and provide the most effective support to the communities we serve. We are deeply dedicated to creating and maintaining an inclusive equitable and supportive work environment. We strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply. The Marine Mammal Center believes in growth and supporting our employees as best we can so they can become their best selves in and outside of work. We believe that a healthy work environment means building an inclusive culture where people can thrive together and feel supported and empowered. We believe in stretch versus constraint.

For more information please visit our About Us page at

TO APPLY
Please submit your resume and a cover that provides a brief description about how your experience aligns with the role.

Note that applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

In your cover letter please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example she/her/hers he/him/his they/them/theirs etc). We strongly encourage people of color lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer and non-binary people veterans parents and individuals with disabilities to apply. The Center is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team. If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process please let us know.