Communication & Publication Specialist

Seeking a Communication & Publication Specialist
Full-time Exempt (on-site)

Self Enquiry Life Fellowship, a top-rated US nonprofit organization based out of Penn Valley, California, is currently seeking a spiritually inclined Nonprofit Specialist in the area of Communications & Publication Project Management to serve in a serene ashram and monastery environment.
Position Summary: The candidate will be the lead editor and book publication manager and will serve as the personal communication support for the Nonprofit’s Head Monk, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda. The candidature should encompass the following areas of expertise: academically oriented editing, copywriting, curriculum content planning, publication project management, public relations on behalf of the monastery, community outreach to represent the head monk. Fluency in MS Office Suite and Excel are required. Working knowledge of CRM is highly preferable.
Background
The Nonprofit was established to preserve and disseminate indigenous knowledge and spiritual philosophy from the ancient Sanskrit heritage of the Vedic tradition. The Nonprofit’s head monk, His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda, is a Himalayan siddha and a living saint who offers spiritual guidance to sincere seekers through several forums including spiritual fellowships, meditation services, workshops, and retreats. In addition to these services, Self Enquiry Life Fellowship is undertaking several projects related to the preservation of Sanskrit-based wisdom, Vedic fine arts and classical music. For more details, please visit hansavedas.org, hansavedas.academy and bookstore.hansavedas.org.
Meaningful Employment
Employees become part of a core team and work alongside dedicated volunteers and will get an opportunity to work in the serene ambience of a spacious property that has dedicated office space for each member of staff. The team is directly guided by His Holiness Swami Vidyadhishananda. This position offers a unique opportunity to blossom spiritually and serve in an organization which values and promotes Himalayan meditation and higher yoga, personal spiritual empowerment, and mindfulness. The Nonprofit offers careers to those who are looking for meaningful service-oriented employment and makes an extra effort to nurture staff who are seriously looking to inculcate a spiritual lifestyle.
Mindful Professionalism
The candidate must be flexible, open to learning and adapting to alternative office procedures, including the formality of protocols necessary when working with monastics and priests. The candidate should be able to align and grow into this position seamlessly, by adapting to the fellowship culture and service-oriented mission of the Nonprofit. Therefore, mindful demeanor and mature communication skills with the community of meditators, devotees, donors, and philanthropists, are essential. The ideal candidate will blend spiritual sensitivity with outreach experience and communication skills, and technical expertise on various online platforms.
Responsibilities (scope of duties spread over daily, monthly, and annual workflow)
Communications & Editorial Work

• Support the Head Monk to reply to emails, letters and other inquiries by taking dictations and drafting responses.
• Serve as a point of contact or liaison between the Head Monk and devotees, donors, musicians, and other project collaborators.
• Facilitate communication between the Head Monk and board members, staff, and volunteers, and ensure that workflow instructions are followed.
• Write, edit and distribute various types of content for mass email, website, social media, compliance documents, contractual agreements, personal correspondence, and training manuals.
• Suggest new article content for the website and collaborate with Head Monk and other content creators to produce articles (blog posts) on a regular basis.
• Compile and prepare lists for mass email, including list development, drafting content, editing, testing, sending, and reporting.
• Coordinate phone outreach with Operations staff related to events of the Nonprofit by utilizing the Nonprofit’s CRM database and volunteer support.

Digital Publication Management

• Manage production of the Nonprofit’s e-courses and subscription platform.
• Coordinate with Head Monk, Graphic Designers, Medical Illustrators, and AV Team to develop visual and audio/video content. Prepare project submissions, brief designers/illustrators via screenshare and other methods, review work submissions and finalize work product.
• Proof online media and adjunct files for correct file-naming conventions and metadata. Once uploaded to their online destination, proof for corresponding release descriptions, titles, and SEO descriptors.

Book Publication Management

• Academically edit and organize book publication content and coordinate with Graphic Designers, Medical Illustrators and Book Designers, if necessary use AI platforms when useful.
• Copy editing or manage outsourced editing services for book projects.
• Prepare and organize photos and images for specific book projects under author’s direction.
• Research internet archives and digital/stock libraries for relevant images for book projects.
• Manage copyright/rights-managed release terms from third parties.
• Handle official communication on academic/book publication matters representing His Holiness.
• Work with printers, publishers, and marketing professionals to effectively print, distribute and market books.

Event Management

• Ensure that all photos taken during events/fellowships are cataloged and tagged immediately after events.
• Serve as lead manager of online events (livestreams), coordinating editorial content production, outreach planning, logistics, team management, production schedule, event registration, and attendance.
• Serve alongside Operations staff and core volunteers to coordinate in-person events such as retreats, workshops, fundraisers/benefit events and lectures – evaluating suitability of venue for monastics, assisting with booking by the Operations staff, assisting budgeting, co-planning execution and logistics with Operations staff, and preparing editorial content and registration outreach.

Acknowledgement

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice, within the scope of this position. By applying for this position, the candidate acknowledges the understanding of the requirements, essential functions, and duties of the position.

Qualification Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and professional work experience
• Strong English writing and academic editing skills
• Clear communicator on the phone and in writing
• Experience producing mass email communications
• Experience managing file formats for audio, image, and video
• Experience with MS Office, especially Excel
• Willingness to learn new software platforms (if not proficient), such as Salesforce, Constant Contact, Eventbrite, Slack, Uscreen, Track It Forward, Thinkific, Google Suite, VoIP
• Must be seeking a spiritual environment for inner growth and be spiritually aligned
• Public speaking and coordination skills
• Must be a professional, cooperative team player, and a proven self-starter
• Excellent organizational skills and detail-oriented
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills; able to work with and inspire volunteers
• Courteous communication skills; positive & spiritual demeanor
• Must have a reliable automobile and evidence of appropriate liability insurance
• Must be a US citizen or a US Permanent Resident
• Must uphold honour code in managing work hours and workflow

Qualification Preferences

• UNESCO or other International NGO work experience related to indigenous heritage preservation
• Experience with professional editing, print and digital publishing
• Experience planning events and managing event production
• Experience with Google AdWords
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite
• Experience with WordPress

Benefits

Lunch and snacks on workdays; access to basic wellness supplements; free attendance at workshops and retreats of the Nonprofit; on-the-job training & external courses. Exempt full-time salary will depend upon qualification and professional experience.

Submit: A Cover Letter explaining the motivation to serve with a spiritual organization clearly specifying spiritual intent or serious interest in alignment with mindful living, a Curriculum Vitae (or a résumé detailing education, professional work experience and technical skills), and a list of references.
Nonprofit Profile on Guidestar:
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-3478668
Read this article to learn more about our shared values at the workplace: 
https://hansavedas.org/work-is-worship/