Member Experience Specialist

Summary:

We are looking for a full-time remote hire to ensure that all CaDC members have the best experience possible. Working at the intersection of member success, marketing, and internal operations, you should have strong communication and organizational skills and be flexible to take on new responsibilities outside your comfort zone. Prior experience running and growing an organization is a nice extra, as is knowledge of the water sector.

Who we are

The last twenty-two years in the American West have been the driest in more than a millennium; an unprecedented reality that will only grow worse as our region becomes more arid. This changing hydrology is stressing our water systems to a breaking point. Adapting to the realities of a changing climate will require changing our behaviors and systems using the best tools and information available to us.

Meanwhile California’s water management system is fragmented among thousands of local water retailers and additional layers of regional, state, and federal agencies. This fragmentation creates high costs to the sharing and collection of data which results in planning and regulations that are often based on outdated, inaccurate, or non-existent data. Even in the birthplace of Silicon Valley, we are failing to fully harness the potential of modern software and data science to face up to the challenges we face as a civilization.

The California Data Collaborative (CaDC) is a nonprofit organization and network of water professionals collaborating on the creation of open-source software, data, standards, and applied research that support the informed planning and analysis needed to ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply in California into an uncertain future. We build tools and community to empower local water suppliers on the ground and put their data to use for planning and policy.

Role overview

You will be responsible for ensuring that all CaDC members have the best experience possible. You will do this by engaging Member Agencies, coordinating internal and external work groups, developing relationships across the California water sector, and supporting CaDC growth. This role will include internal and external stakeholder engagement, including trainings, events, and communications, as well as identifying and executing on funding opportunities, such as grant applications.

Responsibilities in this role will vary over time, but it will remain a member-facing role that requires strong problem-solving abilities, clear communication, and a genuine interest in helping people.

The CaDC has been around for six years, and while our brand and organization have grown, we still operate in many ways like a startup, so we are looking for people who are comfortable with ambiguity and having wide impact. You should be flexible and eager to dive in to help in any area that is needed.

This is not expected to be a technical role, but the ability to understand and communicate about data science, data management, water use and efficiency, and similar technical topics is important.

Why you might be excited about us

1. We have a compelling mission dealing directly with some of the biggest issues of today including water management, drought and climate change.
2. We work closely with water managers and others delivering essential public services to make their lives easier.
3. Data science is really cool (or at least we think so). We get to develop tools and analysis leading to smarter operations and better policies.
   

Why you might not be excited about us

1. We have a small staff of employees and contractors (you will be our third fill-time employee) so there is often lots of ambiguity and you will need to be a motivated self-starter who isn’t afraid to learn new skills on a constant basis.
2. The water industry is often very risk averse, and timelines can be long. We are in this for the long haul.
3. Every one of our member agencies gets a seat on our steering committee which means we have a lot of stakeholders, though so far, we all tend to share a common vision and purpose, so consensus is usually easy to reach.

Requirements

Role accountabilities: This is a role that covers a lot of ground and will likely evolve as we grow, but some of the expected accountabilities include:

• Engage existing Member Agency network to enhance member experience and determine actions to meet Member Agency needs.
• Onboard new Member Agencies, including helping to develop internal network connections.
• Coordinate Member Agency committees and work groups, and provide clear, concise written and verbal directions for action items and follows up on progress.
• Support event coordination for internal and external stakeholder engagement.
• Write new text and/or tailor existing communication materials, which may include interviewing Member Agencies or technical experts, incorporating data insights into text, communicating legislative requirements, and providing ad-hoc reporting.
• Support funding opportunities, including development of grant applications.
• Lead the delivery of specialized projects, ensuring Member Agency satisfaction, effective project management, and good communication and collaboration among project stakeholders.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• Strong planning, organizational, and time management skills; must be able to work and communicate effectively with diverse internal staff (technical, operations, client development, marketing/communications) and teaming partners and give clear, concise directions; able to understand and organize large volumes of information.
• Comfort working remotely and often asynchronously using tools like email, Slack, Notion Asana, Zoom, MS Teams, etc.
• 5 or more years' professional experience, including experience in supporting complex, multi-disciplinary projects
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and professional demeanor – speaks clearly and concisely, listens, and gets clarification in one-on-one and group situations.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject or equivalent professional experience.

Nice to have

• Experience running / growing an organization
• Knowledge of California’s water sector or prior experience working with(in) water supply agencies
• Experience developing and writing grant applications.
• Experience with marketing / branding.
• Experience with technical writing / creative writing.
• Graphic design skills

Details

This role is designed to be full-time, though are willing to consider part-time or contract work for the right individual.

The CaDC is a fully remote organization and we don’t currently have an office space. There will be a few in-person events per year that you are expected to attend (e.g. the annual Water Data Summit that you will help us plan). In addition, this role will require travel to the offices of our member agencies and prospective CaDC member agencies, and occasional industry events, up to 20% of the time.

Because of the travel requirements, the candidate should be located somewhere in California to enable easy travel.

You are expected to provide your own computer and workspace. A stipend to support use of a coworking space may be an option.

Benefits

You can see read more about our benefits (Work with the CaDC ), which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance.

The compensation for this role includes salary and our employee benefits package. The target salary for this role depends on experience, and ranges from $90,000/year - $120,000/year.

Application Process

1. Application

If you're interested in this role, you can fill out the APPLICATION LINK. We'll ask some questions to get to know you better and understand your interest in the CaDC.

You can learn more about what we're up to:

1. Website
2. Blog

2. Intro chat

Candidates who succeed in passing the application review process will be invited to a short interview. The goal of this call will be for you to meet the CaDC’s Project Manager, get to know our organization and this role, and generally gauge whether or not things seem like a good fit.

3. Interview

Candidates who pass the intro chat will be invited to a longer interview. This interview will give us the opportunity to ask more detailed questions about your experience.

4. Example Exercise

Candidates who make it past the interview stage will be assigned a take-home assignment that will test their communication, problem solving, and prioritization skills. The assigned tasks will be reflective of real work necessary as part of the role.

5. Final Decision

We will confirm the timeline in more detail when we reach out to schedule initial interviews and hope to communicate final decisions by early to mid-September.

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We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, and we encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from underrepresented groups and are an equal opportunity employer. If you have specific needs or circumstances that require accommodation, please contact us.