Breaking Barriers Collaborative - Communications Manager

Location: Seattle, WA or Portland, OR (Hybrid)

Reporting to: Breaking Barriers Director of Outreach

Compensation: $93,000 to $100,000

Start Date: November 2026

Application Due Date: August 28, 2026

About Climate Solutions

As a Northwest-based nonprofit for over twenty-five years, Climate Solutions' mission is to accelerate clean energy solutions to the climate crisis. Climate Solutions has a vision of a thriving, equitable Northwest, powered by clean energy, inspiring the transition to sustainable prosperity across the country and beyond. Climate Solutions advances local, regional, and state action on climate and clean energy through championing transformational policies and market-based innovations; catalyzing powerful partnerships and a diverse movement for action and accountability; and communicating a bold vision for solutions at the scale required by climate science. For more information about Climate Solutions, visit www.climatesolutions.org.

The Breaking Barriers Collaborative (BBC) empowers Pacific Northwest businesses to accelerate equitable climate action through hands-on programs designed for businesses ready to lead the transition to a net-zero economy. Since its launch in 2023, the Breaking Barriers Collaborative has experienced tremendous growth in the number of organizations that have completed its Fleet Electrification Accelerator and started the journey to electrify their fleets. We have completed seven cohorts and graduated 85 organizations that collectively operate over 30,000 vehicles. Accelerator graduates range from large corporations like Skanska, Boeing, and McKinstry, to more than 20 state agencies and cities, to smaller organizations like the Seattle Aquarium. BBC recently launched a pilot cohort of its Small Business EV Launchpad, designed specifically for small, mostly BIPOC-owned businesses. Learn more about the initiative here.

About the Opportunity

The Breaking Barriers Collaborative is looking for a Communications Manager to help define and implement the program's communication plan and strategies to expand its reach across social media and other platforms. This role will play an important position on the BBC Team as they will engage with current and former participants' and elevate their stories through equitable storytelling, refining BBC's messaging, and collaborating with the BBC team to promote the program throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Communications Manager will support the program's outreach to small and large companies to recruit them to participate in BBC programming.

This position is ideal for someone who combines strong execution with creative instinct: someone who takes ownership of established communications tools and systems and consistently makes them better, rather than someone looking to build a program from the ground up. You're energized by producing high-quality content under real deadlines, but you're just as engaged as a thought partner, bringing ideas to the table on messaging, storytelling angles, and channel strategy, and pressure-testing your own work against data. You're skilled at building trust-based relationships with businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies, and you bring genuine care to interviewing and representing program participants, especially small and BIPOC-owned businesses, in ways that are non-transactional and culturally responsive. You thrive in a collaborative, mission-driven organization, and while EV knowledge is a plus, it's not required.

Success Outcomes and Key Priorities

Expands Breaking Barriers Collaborative Presence across multi-media platforms utilizing core communication tools and measurable outcomes (35%)

• Expands BBC's social media presence to bring awareness and attention to the Fleet Electrification Accelerator and Small Business EV Launchpad.
• Partners with the Director of Outreach to strategize, develop, and implement a communication plan that will support online engagement with new and current participants.
• Owns BBC's email marketing platform (Mailchimp), including newsletter development, list management, and campaign execution.
• Develops and maintains an editorial calendar that coordinates content across blog, social media, and email channels.
• Manages and maintains BBC's website, including content updates and performance monitoring via Google Analytics.
• Produces social media content (e.g. videos and graphics) that promote BBC events and programming to recruit new participants.
• Researches and writes long-form blog posts on topics related to fleet electrification.
• Tracks and reports on communications metrics (website traffic, email performance, social engagement) against agreed-upon goals, and uses those insights to inform strategy adjustments.
• Develops recruitment and marketing materials tailored to corporate decision-makers, translating BBC's value proposition into business-case messaging that drives Accelerator and Launchpad enrollment.

Equitable Storytelling through Video Production and Writing (30%)

• Creates, produces, and edits videos that showcase the experiences of current BBC participants.
• Works in collaboration with Director of Outreach and Program Managers to elevate the success stories of current and former participants through equitable story telling.
• Works in collaboration with the Director of Outreach and the BBC Team to write, edit, and promote press releases, pitch memos, blogs, one-pagers, and other written forms.
• Interviews and obtains stories of participants through non-transactional and equitable ways.

Builds Trust-Based Relationships within Community (25%)

• Cultivates and maintains relationships with local news outlets, reporters, and editors to promote BBC's programs and successes.
• In collaboration with the Director of Outreach, participates at BBC-related or community events to highlight and collect stories for content creation.
• Engages with the fleet electrification community (i.e. participants, alumni, partners, sponsors, community organizers) through culturally responsive practices that place trust at the forefront of relationship building.

Cross Team Collaboration and Organizational Participation (10%)

• Collaborate with Climate Solutions Communications and Engagement team to develop cross-team editorial calendars, and other communication projects (e.g. alumni success stories).
• Participate in Climate Solutions staff meetings, training, racial equity conversations, retreats, and team meetings. Lead or coordinate meetings when appropriate.
• Incorporate Climate Solutions' Equity, Diversity and Inclusion commitments, Commitment to Leading our Work with a Racial Equity Lens, and Climate Solutions' values into all aspects of the job.
• Meet staff reporting deadlines for program, development, and administrative tasks
• Additional duties may be assigned within the course of the work, such as participating in relevant meetings and events, maintaining positive working relationships by travelling to other offices, and more.

Who You Are

• You believe in Climate Solutions' and BBC's mission, and are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. You believe in accelerating clean energy solutions to the climate crisis and champion transformational policies, market-based innovations, and implementation programs across Washington and Oregon.
• You are a skilled Storyteller. You write with clarity and purpose, distilling fleet electrification subject complexity into engaging content across platforms-press releases, blogs, social posts, talking points-that resonate with diverse audiences.
• You are efficient with core communications tools to produce digital and written content across diverse communication. You can learn, adapt, and be flexible with the evolving landscape of various media channels (e.g. social media, blogs, websites, Mailchimp, etc). You can identify emerging trends and adapt our communications to increase awareness of BBC's brand and mission among growing, diverse audiences. You are comfortable creating and producing both written and visual content while managing an editorial calendar.
• You can speak the language of both mission and ROI. You translate BBC's programs into a business case that resonates with corporate decision-makers, and you know how to keep a relationship warm over time, not just at the moment of an ask.
• You thrive on building and developing trust-based relationships with individuals and organizations through active communication and listening. You are energized by connecting with individuals and organizations to understand their needs and share BBC's vision and programs, always looking for win-win opportunities. You practice cultural humility, listen actively, communicate clearly, and create non-transactional relationships with customers, including small, socio-economically diverse, and BIPOC-owned businesses.
• You can manage projects from ideation to production. You can visualize, implement, and receive feedback for social media and marketing campaigns. You can design and create engaging communication materials that engage diverse audiences.
• You are a curious thinker and data analyst. You are able to analyze data through an equity perspective, and present it in a way that tells a compelling story that translates into actionable insights.
• You Are Adaptive and Resilient. You stay focused amid shifting priorities and evolving campaign landscapes, helping guide strategic communication initiatives from ideation to completion with clarity, collaboration, and a long-term view.

Travel: This is a hybrid role based either in Seattle, WA, or Portland, OR, with a hybrid schedule (2-3x week) and external partner meetings, events, and trainings, as well as frequent travel within the region to meet with potential program participants, sponsors, and community partners, and to participate in industry and community events.

Benefits: Climate Solutions provides 100% employee premiums for medical, dental, and vision, 6 weeks of PTO and 14 flexible holidays, and access to an Employment Assistance Program (EAP), health care flexible spending and dependent care spending accounts, and voluntary life insurance. A 401k retirement plan after 3 months of employment with a 5% contribution by Climate Solutions

In addition, Climate Solutions covers 100% of eligible employees' short- and long-term disability insurance, as well as life insurance.

Application Process: Please submit your resume and a portfolio of your writing samples and other media work to employment@climatesolutions.org and indicate where you heard about the position. There is no need to include a cover letter, and one will not be considered as part of your application.

We request that you do not use AI tools in preparing your resume. We do not use AI or computer screening for applicants and ask that you offer us the same respect.

If you are concerned that you don't meet the minimum qualifications but have other skills or experience that we have not considered and would be valuable in this position, please apply.

If you need reasonable accommodation in applying for or interviewing for this position, please let us know.

Nominate a leader: Submit a nomination and human resources will personally reach out to nominees.

Climate Solutions recognizes that institutional racism, including systems and behaviors that maintain white power and privilege, exists within our organization, the broader climate and environmental movement, and throughout society. We also recognize that the impacts of the climate crisis, pollution from fossil fuels, and the costs of proposed solutions fall disproportionately on communities of color, low-income, Tribal Nations, and frontline communities, both in our region and across the world. This is a barrier to a more equitable future and our ability to achieve our mission.

Climate Solutions has chosen to lead our work with a racial equity lens as a strategy to address all forms of oppression. Climate Solutions is committed to equal opportunity in employment and promotion for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, military or veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, pregnancy and childbirth, family responsibilities, or any other basis protected by applicable laws, regulations, or guidelines relating to discrimination in employment

Climate Solutions is committed to equal opportunity in employment for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, military or veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, pregnancy and childbirth, family responsibilities, or any other basis protected by applicable laws, regulations, or guidelines relating to discrimination in employment.