Content Development Specialist

ISED Solutions (Institute for Social & Economic Development)(isedsolutions.org) has served 400+ organizations in the national refugee and immigrant service sector since 1983. Current initiatives include two USDA grants to develop training materials for beginning refugee farmers and for use by incubator farm service providers. TSNE (tsne.org) is the fiscal sponsor of ISED and has provided fiscal sponsorship services to nonprofit projects since its founding in 1959 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

ISED currently sponsors and runs USDA-funded initiatives in collaboration with partner projects that help refugees begin to farm in the United States. Much of that work involves developing new training and technical assistance (T&TA) resources for use by 50+ refugee farming incubators nationwide. These emphasize alternative modes of communication that feature visual literacy over the more common reliance on written content. A key objective is to minimize written content, since refugee farmers have limited English literacy and fluency. 

After several years developing photo- and video-based instructional products, we are developing 200+ visually-based resources - including farming guides, posters, handouts, signs, pocket guides - to be made available in print and electronic formats. These incorporate design elements such as backgrounds, graphic and photographic inserts, scripting / typography, and overall aesthetic composition. While our content development teams can draft these materials, they need assistance from someone with advanced design skills and experience to produce the end products in a more professional mode. We can also benefit from a designer with agricultural background who can create some of these resources themselves. 

• The Content Design Specialist will directly assist ISED staff and interns and farm-based development teams to produce innovative T&TA resources for refugee producers. These products will incorporate nominal written content, prepared with Plain Language (low literacy) principles, to support visual modes of communication. This involves reviewing and provide feedback to our content developers on drafts of new resources they create.
• Assist partners with various aspects of design, such as composition, placement and layout, graphic content, scripting and overall aesthetic elements. This interfaces with subject selection, content planning, production protocols, fact-checking, reviews, post-production processing and formatting.
• Provide guidance to ISED staff and project partners on how to prepare / design informational and instructional content that the Specialist can further edit to produce higher quality designs and formats.
• In tandem, provide guidance to them on use of software tools for producing these resources – some simpler (e.g., Canva); others more advanced (e.g., Adobe InDesign).
• Interact regularly with other ISED staff working on these projects, including regular check-in calls and work updates; also communicate with partners and project interns as warranted.
• If possible, the Specialist, in collaboration with other ISED staff, will develop informational and instructional resources from scratch. This requires relevant agricultural background and applies especially to more full-time work status.
• Assist with applicable administrative and evaluation reporting grant requirements.

We will consider exceptional candidates who demonstrate a strong combination of the specific qualifications and skills described below.

Professional

• Experience with designing and producing materials similar to those being developed by this project.
• Competency and experience with relevant advanced design software for producing and managing products (e.g., Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, or equivalent).   
• Knowledge and preferably experience with small-scale farming a strong asset.
• Photography and photo editing skills also an asset, especially for original content development, but not essential.
• Understand the needs and opportunities associated with adult education and English Language learners.
• Be willing to learn and apply Plain Language (lower literacy) principles to written content.

Personal

• Experience working in a multi-partner collaborative structure is very helpful.
• Work effectively and respectfully with a variety of individuals and organizations, seek out and provide space for diverse perspectives, and build relationships.
• Strong verbal and written communications:clearly and effectively engage with others on the phone, in person, in video-based meetings, and in writing via email, chat, and other online platforms.
• Experience providing guidance and/or instruction / training / education in design and visual literacy is a strong asset. Ability to run online presentations / instructional events and consultations with project members is similarly valuable.
• Adequate Internet access and speed to perform all associated duties efficiently.
• Access to appropriate computer equipment and Internet service suited to performing this work (which can be supported by ISED).
• Able to work independently and complete agreed-to activities on schedule.

Physical Demands/Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those for this position. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee may be required to:

• Talk, hear and see in the normal range with or without correction;
• Use hands or fingers, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls;
• Move, Traverse; sit (usually for longer periods of time); reach with hands and arms; occasionally Ascend/Descend; and position self (to), move;
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds;
• The noise level in the work environment is adequately moderate to allow for online and phone communications.
• Job is not subject to significant occupational or environmental hazards.
• Likelihood of personal injury would be relatively slight.
• Environmental and work hazards are not present to a measurable degree.

Regarding COVID-19: TSNE considers the health and safety of our employees of the utmost importance, and due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and subject to your state and local laws, our policy requires that all employees performing in-person work at a TSNE designated office are fully vaccinated. For the purpose of this policy, fully vaccinated indicates that you have received a single dose of the Janssen vaccine, or both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Certain exemptions may be requested and will be considered by Human Resources.

Compensation and Benefits

Location: Work is performed remotely.

Schedule: Flexible although significant share expected during weekday business hours.

Compensation: This position is paid a salary of $50,000-$70,000 and is commesurate based on experience.

Benefits: This position is eligible for a full benefits package including:

• Generous Paid-Time-Off (PTO): 12 paid holidays, 3 weeks vacation, 1 week personal holiday, and sick time for full-time staff;
• 80% Employer-paid, $0 deductible Health Insurance through Harvard Pilgrim;
• Low-cost MetLife Dental and Vision;
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Health and Dependent Care;
• Employer-paid Life, Long- and Short-Term Disability Insurance;
• Employer-paid Pension through TIAA;
• ...and more!

TSNE/ISED strives to achieve excellence through a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that embraces all of our individual and collective differences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Middle Eastern and North African, Bilingual and/or Bicultural candidates, and LGBTQ2SIA+ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We value and honor the unique talents, learning styles, and lived experiences of each individual that enrich and strengthen our workplace culture, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

All employment conditions are based on an individual’s performance and job qualifications. TSNE/ISED prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, creed, color, religion, native language, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, race-based hairstyles, or any other protected characteristic stated by federal and state law. Regardless of any class’ protection under the law or lack thereof, TSNE/ISED celebrates diversity and values the strengths that come with having a diverse team of employees. It is represented in our workplace culture, and it is who we are.

TSNE/ISED's EEO statement extends to volunteers, interns, contractors, vendors, and clients.