TheTurtleRoom is an organization with volunteer staff stationed all over the United States and internationally. We exist to advance survival of the world's turtles and tortoises through collaborative education, conservation, and research programs. Want to join our team? Start the conversation by telling us about yourself and your love of turtles to see if being a part of the theTurtleRoom team is a fit for you!
If you are interested in any of these positions or have skills that theTurtleRoom could use to help educate about and conserve chelonians, CLICK HERE to tell us more about yourself and request any additional info. To apply for a position, you should also download this application and send a completed copy and a sample of your writing and editing to our executive director.
Current Openings
No Active Openings
Just because there aren't any active openings doesn't mean we aren't looking for you. We are always searching for volunteers who may have skills, abilities, and passion to provide to our efforts!
Director of Communications, Communications Staff, & Development Staff
We are looking for several individuals to fill a collection of communications and development roles. The specific positions, job responsibilities, and titles are flexible based on the skills and experience of the individuals hired and will have the opportunity for rapid growth of roles and responsibilities. Each person will be expected to put in a approximately 1-2 hours per week. The Director of Communications will report to the Executive Director and work to ensure messaging is consistent and on point based on the directives set forth by the Executive Director (ED). The other positions will report to the Director of Communciations and/or Director of Development. It is our desire that at least one of these roles would grow to include some in-person responsibilities in our headquarters region. So, we are hoping to find at least 1 high-performing individual who is within driving distance to both Lancaster, PA and Hartford, CT. All staff positions with theTurtleRoom are currently unpaid, volunteer positions (yes, even our Executive Director). However, it is our desire to change this as we grow. So, extreme success, especially in a fundraising role, could enable you to "create your own job" long-term.
If you are interested in this position, CLICK HERE to tell us more about yourself and request any additional info. You can also download this application and send a completed copy and a sample of your writing and editing to our Executive Director.
Responsibilities
The following responsibilities are just some of what we are looking for and will be divided, in part or whole, between the individuals hired.
Public Relations
-
- Ensures events, fundraising campaigns, press releases, and other information is disseminated through social media and other channels. This will involve coordinating campaigns/efforts with other organizations from time to time.
-
- Monitors analytics and effectiveness of social media strategy related to the above item and provides updates to the Director of C&D regarding progress.
-
- Writes monthly and quarterly update newsletters to supporters.
-
- Writes copy for the website.
-
- Works with media team to source images and video appropriate for each piece of content.
Fundraising & Donor Relations
-
- Pursue any leads in order to generate donation revenue to support existing program operations and expansion.
-
- Builds relationships with current and potential donors.
-
- Plans fundraising events.
Customer Relations
-
- Handles incoming contacts through both the website and phone lines and either direct them to the appropriate team member or coordinate with the appropriate team member to create the best response.
Qualifications
Required
-
- Passion for and desire to impact chelonian conservation.
-
- Desire to grow with theTurtleRoom.
-
- Speaks and writes English fluently.
-
- Confident, technically proficient written communication skills.
-
- Positive, professional personality.
-
- Comfortable "cold calling" potential donors through various contact methods.
Preferred
-
- Degree or comparable experience in public relations, media, communications, or a related field.
-
- Confident, charismatic speaker.
-
- Strong social media presence.
-
- Experience with WordPress or similar software.
-
- Working knowledge of HTML5/CSS.
Staff Writers
We are looking for several individuals interested in writing educational content for theTurtleRoom. Staff Writers are part of a team responsible for creating and authoring educational resources and blog articles. They can be assigned to various educational projects by Education Team Leaders, the Senior Director, and the Executive Director. Weekly time commitment of 1-2 hours per week. Excellent performance can lead to a promotion to Education Team Leader. All staff positions with theTurtleRoom are currently unpaid, volunteer positions (yes, even our Executive Director).
If you are interested in this position, CLICK HERE to tell us more about yourself and request any additional info. You can also download this application and send a completed copy and a sample of your writing and editing to our Executive Director.
Responsibilities
Resource Development
-
- Creates and authors new educational resources as assigned by team leaders.
-
- Participates in brainstorming sessions with the Educational Resource Team.
-
- Responsible for updating and maintaining existing educational resources as assigned by project leaders.
-
- Works with media team to source images and video appropriate for each piece of content.
-
- May serve as part of the World Turtle News team.
Qualifications
Required
-
- Passion for and desire to impact chelonian conservation.
-
- Desire to grow with theTurtleRoom.
-
- Speaks and writes English fluently.
-
- Confident, technically proficient written communication skills.
-
- Positive, professional personality.
-
- Willingness to share new ideas to grow the educational resources available from theTurtleRoom.
Preferred
-
- Experience with WordPress or similar software.
-
- Working knowledge of HTML5/CSS.
World Turtle News Editor
The World Turtle News (WTN) Editor is responsible for the WTN blog feature and reports to the Executive Director. This individual is responsible for all aspects of WTN including scheduling, format, idea curation, and growth. There is room for growth into greater responsibilities over time. Time required 3-5 hours per week in peak seasons (approximately 30 minutes per day is necessary to process/read/forward stories each day and 30-60 minutes to write a given day's news). All staff positions with theTurtleRoom are currently unpaid, volunteer positions (yes, even our Executive Director). You would be trained by the current WTN Editor who will staying on board in a Contributor role.
If you are interested in this position, CLICK HERE to tell us more about yourself and request any additional info. You can also download this application and send a completed copy and a sample of your writing and editing to our Executive Director.
Responsibilities
Leadership & Management
-
- Serves as project leader for the WTN blog feature and supervises the team (2-3 individuals) of contributors.
-
- Engages WTN contributors in regular discussions to develop new ideas for the project.
Resource Development
-
- Curates ideas to grow and adapt WTN.
-
- Responsible for scheduling and ensuring the creation of each WTN post. Checks work of contributors and provides quality feedback.
-
- Responsible for curating stores and writing the WTN blog up to 3 days per week (preferably only 1-2) following the format and protocol s/he has outlined.
-
- May participate in the development and creation of educational resources under other project leaders.
Qualifications
Required
-
- Passion for and desire to impact chelonian conservation.
-
- Desire to grow with theTurtleRoom.
-
- Speaks and writes English fluently.
-
- Confident, technically proficient written communication skills.
-
- Positive, professional personality.
-
- Able to communicate expectations clearly to subordinates.
-
- "Obsessive" turtle news consumer.
-
- Collaboration-minded individual with strong independent work ethic able to make decisions on which stories/articles to post/send to contributors.
-
- Willingness to create and find new ideas and practices to improve the WTN project.
Preferred
-
- Strong social media presence.
-
- Experience with WordPress or similar software.
-
- Working knowledge of HTML5/CSS.
World Turtle News Contributors
Entry level position. World Turtle News (WTN) Contributors are part of a global team responsible for curating stories and writing the WTN blog 1 to 2 days per week on average (occasionally, a third day may be required to cover for another member of the team). Reports to the WTN Editor and follows the protocol and format chosen by the WTN Editor. Weekly time commitment can vary, but will typically be less than 2 hours per week. All staff positions with theTurtleRoom are currently unpaid, volunteer positions (yes, even our Executive Director).
If you are interested in this position, CLICK HERE to tell us more about yourself and request any additional info. You can also download this application and send a completed copy and a sample of your writing and editing to our Executive Director.
Responsibilities
Resource Development
-
- Responsible for curating stories and writing the WTN blog up to 3 days per week following the format and protocol outlined by the WTN Editor.
-
- Participates in brainstorming sessions with WTN Editor and other members of the WTN team on ways to grow and improve the WTN blog feature.
-
- Will be given the opportunity to show the ability to contribute to other educational resources.
Qualifications
-
- Passion for and desire to impact chelonian conservation.
-
- Desire to grow with theTurtleRoom.
-
- Speaks and writes English fluently.
-
- Confident written communication skills.
-
- Collaboration-minded individual with strong independent work ethic able to make decisions on which stories/articles to post.
-
- An understanding of HTML5/CSS.
-
- Ability to consistently meet deadlines.
-
- Willingness to share new ideas and practices to improve the WTN service.
-
- Experience with WordPress or similar software.
-
- Working knowledge of HTML5/CSS.
Social Media Specialist, Twitter
We are looking for a motivated individual interested in joining our excellent social media team to focus on improving our stategy and building our following on Twitter.
The ideal candidate will be well-versed in Twitter, experienced in using Twitter, and passionate about connecting through Twitter in a positive manner. Reports to the Executive Director (ED) and Social Media Coordinator (SMC). Will be an online ambassador for theTurtleRoom, responsible for planning the organization's presence on Twitter. All staff positions with theTurtleRoom are currently unpaid, volunteer positions (yes, even our Executive Director).
If you are interested in this position, CLICK HERE to tell us more about yourself and request any additional info. You can also download this application and send a completed copy and a sample of your writing and editing to our Executive Director.
Responsibilities
Communications
-
- Develops, edits, and publishes innovative, creative, and varied content on Twitter.
-
- Ensures that the Twitter strategy supports theTurtleRoom's other efforts. On occasion, this will also involve coordinating campaigns/efforts with other organizations.
-
- Participates in conversations using the organization's Twitter account in a positive, helpful manner by listening to users, being sensitive to hot-button topics and issues, and providing a solution whenever possible. Many times, this will involve relying on the expertise of theTurtleRoom's staff to form a complete, accurate response.
-
- Assists the SMC in monitoring analytics and effectiveness of Twitter strategy and provide regular updates to the ED regarding progress.
-
- Assists the SMC in tracking Twitter trends and competition.
-
- Assists the SMC in monitoring for competitive messages, brand mentions, and identified key topics and reacts accordingly.
-
- Identifies and engages with key external influencers (customers, partners, analysts, media) to increase brand advocacy and use as a source of industry trends; conducts "newsjacking" where appropriate.
Qualifications
Required
-
- A passion for turtles and tortoises and communicating through the use of Twittera in a highly positive manner.
-
- A strong understanding of how to use social media with experience using Twitter.
-
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, especially in English.
-
- Active, established personal Twitter account(s). If these accounts are not public, you will be asked to provide access during the interview process for our leadership to view your content.
-
- Desire to work in a highly-collaborative team environment where good ideas and experienced opinions are highly valued.
-
- Positive, professional personality.
-
- Desire to grow with theTurtleRoom.
Preferred
-
- Experience creating Twitter content for an organization or company.
-
- Experience with Adobe Photoshop and/or Lightroom.
Communications & Fundraising Specialists
We are looking for one or more individuals to fill a collection of public relations, donor relations, and fundraising roles. The specific positions and titles are flexible based on the skills and experience of the individuals hired and will have the opportunity for rapid growth of roles and responsibilities. Each person will be expected to put in a approximately 1-2 hours per week. These individuals will report to the Executive Director and work to ensure messaging is consistent and on point based on the directives set forth by the Executive Director (ED) and Director of Communciations & Development. It is our desire that at least one of these roles would grow to include some in-person responsibilities in our headquarters region. So, we are hoping to find at least 1 high-performing individual who is within driving distance to both Lancaster, PA and Atlantic City, NJ. All staff positions with theTurtleRoom are currently unpaid, volunteer positions (yes, even our Executive Director). However, it is our desire to change this as we grow. So, extreme success, especially in a fundraising role, could enable you to "create your own job" long-term.
If you are interested in this position, CLICK HERE to tell us more about yourself and request any additional info. You can also download this application and send a completed copy and a sample of your writing and editing to our Executive Director.
Responsibilities
The following responsibilities will be divided, in part or whole, between the one or more individuals hired.
Public Relations
-
- Ensures events, fundraising campaigns, press releases, and other information is disseminated through social media and other channels. This will involve coordinating campaigns/efforts with other organizations from time to time.
-
- Monitors analytics and effectiveness of social media strategy related to the above item and provides updates to the Director of C&D regarding progress.
-
- Writes monthly and quarterly update newsletters to supporters.
-
- Writes copy for the website.
-
- Works with media team to source images and video appropriate for each piece of content.
Fundraising & Donor Relations
-
- Pursue any leads in order to generate donation revenue to support existing program operations and expansion.
-
- Builds relationships with current and potential donors.
-
- Plans fundraising events.
Customer Relations
-
- Handles incoming contacts through both the website and phone lines and either direct them to the appropriate team member or coordinate with the appropriate team member to create the best response.
Qualifications
Required
-
- Passion for and desire to impact chelonian conservation.
-
- Desire to grow with theTurtleRoom.
-
- Speaks and writes English fluently.
-
- Confident, technically proficient written communication skills.
-
- Positive, professional personality.
-
- Comfortable "cold calling" potential donors through various contact methods.
Preferred
-
- Degree or comparable experience in public relations, media, communications, or a related field.
-
- Confident, charismatic speaker.
-
- Strong social media presence.
-
- Experience with WordPress or similar software.
-
- Working knowledge of HTML5/CSS.
Managing Editor
This is a new position for an upcoming project, codename BILBO. We are looking for an individual to take part in guiding BILBO through its entire development, select and lead a team of editors, supervise the day-to-day operations of the project, and ultimately lead it to success. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in journalism, media, communications, or a related field and have experience as an editor of an online publication. The selected individual should be passionate about chelonian conservation with a desire to contribute to conservation through their editing and writing skills. Reports to the Executive Director and Senior Director. If you are scheduled for an interview, you will be given more details about BILBO to prepare for your interview, on conditions of keeping the project classified. We estimate this position to take 2-3 hours each week. It is likely there will be weeks where less time is needed and weeks where more time is needed, based on the publishing schedule you help select. All positions at theTurtleRoom provide the opportunity for growth into more responsibilities within our organization.
If you are interested in this position, CLICK HERE to tell us more about yourself and request any additional info. You can also download this application and send a completed copy and a sample of your writing and editing to our leadership team.
Responsibilities
The Managing Editor will directly oversee the team of editors, acting as a supervisor, mentor, and guide. They will work closely with the team of editors to find field researchers and conservationists to write about their adventures in the field. The Managing Editor is responsible for day-to-day operations, including setting/adjusting deadlines, final decisions on content (including the feature article), designing protocol, and the final product of each article published.
Leadership & Management
-
- Oversees schedule, assignments, and guarantees consistent tone and quality of final product.
-
- Creates and contributes relevant and engaging content on a regular basis.
-
- Actively engage and energize the editing team.
-
- Lead, coach, develop, and retain the editing team.
-
- Collaborates with the Executive Director and Senior Director to recruit, hire, and oversee training and orientation of all project staff members.
-
- Identify best practices and improve project systems
with an eye toward future needs and budget realities.
-
- Makes certain content is shared across social media channels and other outlets to push traffic to the content.
Planning & New Business
-
- Will be part of the team in charge of development of the project including branding, appearance, and selection of editorial staff.
-
- Develop and maintain relationships with researchers, zookeepers, business contacts, and more to discover and develop new content and brand opportunities.
Editing, Writing, & Communications
-
- Will take part in pursuing stories written by conservationists and editing them, just as the other members of the team. At times, this may involve being the author in an "as told to" capacity.
-
- May be asked to edit other tTR and project BILBO communications.
Qualifications
Required
-
- Passion for and desire to impact chelonian conservation.
-
- Desire to grow with theTurtleRoom.
-
- Strong leader with clear point of view and experience communicating to and managing team personalities.
-
- "Obsessive"� story consumer across all platforms.
-
- Able to conceptualize a multi-platform product offering and understand how each element contributes to the functionality of the overall service.
-
- Technically proficient, must understand editorial workflow.
-
- Degree or comparable experience in journalism, media, communications, or a related field.
Preferred
-
- Experience as an editor of a publication, preferably for online media.
-
- Experience with WordPress or similar software.
-
- Strong social media presence.
-
- Knowledgeable in social media, analytics, SEO and how they influence news production.