Communications Assistant - 11-145 - SC/ Orange County - Center For Applied Research And Innovation (CARI)

Communications Assistant

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

The Communications Assistant supports the daily operations and digital presence of the Center for Applied Research and Innovation (CARI). This role ensures CARI's websites, social media channels, digital communications, and public-facing platforms remain current, responsive, and engaging while providing administrative, operational, and programmatic support for the 3:20 Innovation Lab and CARI activities. The Communications Assistant serves as the primary point of contact for visitors, website inquiries, and general communications, helping create a welcoming, organized, and professional experience for partners, researchers, students, donors, volunteers, and community members. This position also serves as a collaborative resource across CARI teams by supporting research portfolios, development and fundraising efforts, grant activities, events, and day-to-day Innovation Lab operations.

Essential Functions

• Maintain and update the CARI website with current content, events, resources, project updates, and information about CARI programs and partnerships.
• Schedule and publish content across CARI's social media platforms following the communications calendar.
• Monitor website forms, the general CARI email account, and digital inquiries, responding to routine questions and routing requests to the appropriate staff.
• Assist with maintaining CARI's digital communications by updating website content, organizing digital assets, supporting newsletters, and performing routine website quality checks.
• Assist with maintaining CARI's overall digital experience, including digital displays, online forms, event registrations, resource libraries, and digital communications supporting events and fundraising activities.
• Assist with photography, video, storytelling, and digital content that documents CARI research, partnerships, events, and community impact.

Innovation Lab & Office Operations

• Serve as the first point of contact for visitors, students, researchers, partners, donors, volunteers, and guests entering the CARI Innovation Lab, creating a welcoming, professional, and hospitality-focused experience.
• Coordinate meeting room and Innovation Lab reservations.
• Maintain the Innovation Lab calendar and scheduling system.
• Order, organize, inventory, and maintain office, workshop, prototyping, and Innovation Lab supplies.
• Prepare meeting spaces, visitor materials, collaboration areas, and workshop supplies before meetings and events.
• Assist with setup and breakdown of workshops, tours, trainings, research sessions, donor visits, fundraising activities, and community events.
• Help maintain shared spaces so they remain organized, welcoming, stocked, and ready for meetings, workshops, research activities, and visitors.
• Perform daily operational readiness activities, including preparing the Innovation Lab for staff and visitors at the beginning of the day and helping ensure the space is organized and appropriately secured at the end of the day.
• Maintain collaboration walls, research displays, signage, workshop materials, equipment, and shared resources to support an engaging and inspiring Innovation Lab environment.
• Assist with welcoming and onboarding interns, fellows, researchers, volunteers, university partners, and others participating in CARI activities.
• Coordinate routine deliveries, vendor access, supply inventory, and operational requests associated with the Innovation Lab.

Administrative / Communications Support

• Answer, route, and respond to phone calls, emails, website inquiries, and general requests for information.
• Maintain digital records, contact databases, mailing lists, project files, development records, and communication files.
• Coordinate calendars, meetings, agendas, meeting materials, and logistical support as assigned.
• Process routine purchasing requests, supply orders, invoices, expense documentation, and related administrative records.
• Capture photography and video during meetings, workshops, donor visits, and events as assigned.
• Assist with basic graphic design using Canva and other approved design platforms.
• Support communications projects by organizing assets, preparing files, maintaining content libraries, and coordinating materials across CARI portfolios.
• Assist with updating presentations, reports, flyers, promotional materials, donor materials, briefing packets, and other public-facing communications.
• Provide administrative support across CARI research, design, innovation, and partnership portfolios by organizing project materials, maintaining documentation, preparing meeting packets, and coordinating logistics.
• Provide administrative support for fundraising and development activities, including donor correspondence, meeting preparation, donor visits, fundraising event logistics, stewardship materials, gift-processing support, and maintenance of development records as assigned.
• Assist with grant proposal preparation by gathering supporting information, organizing required documents, conducting basic research, formatting materials, proofreading, tracking deadlines, and preparing submission materials.
• Support grant administration and reporting by maintaining files, collecting documentation, tracking required materials, and assisting with post-award administrative activities as assigned.
• Assist CARI leadership and staff with scheduling, meeting coordination, presentation preparation, travel-related administrative support, and follow-up activities as assigned.
• Coordinate registration, supplies, volunteer support, hospitality, materials, and other logistics for workshops, conferences, tours, public events, and fundraising activities.
• Maintain event checklists, operational procedures, project trackers, and action-item lists to support consistency and follow-through.
• Serve as a collaborative connector across CARI teams by helping staff coordinate projects, share information, remove administrative barriers, and ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly.

Core Competencies

• Problem Solving Identify and resolve problems in a timely manner; gather and analyze information skillfully and develop practical solutions.
• Collaboration Partner with others to solve problems, adapt communication tools and approaches, support healthy conflict, and develop strong relationships with stakeholders to advance CARI and Orange County objectives.
• Oral Communication Speak professionally, clearly, and persuasively in a variety of situations; seek clarification and respond appropriately to questions.
• Written Communication Write clearly and informatively; edit work for spelling and grammar; present information accurately; and read and interpret written materials.
• Project Management Prioritize and plan work activities, manage multiple responsibilities, track deadlines, and use time efficiently to deliver projects on schedule.
• Customer Service and Hospitality Create welcoming, professional, and mission-aligned experiences for visitors, partners, donors, volunteers, students, and community members.
• Initiative and Adaptability Anticipate operational needs, take ownership of routine responsibilities, respond flexibly to changing priorities, and learn new processes and technologies.
• Organization and Stewardship Maintain organized spaces, records, materials, supplies, and resources with attention to quality, accuracy, cost, and responsible stewardship.
• Relationship Building Develop positive working relationships and serve as a dependable connector across teams, projects, and stakeholder groups.
• Service Orientation - Demonstrate a commitment to supporting others and advancing CARI's mission through responsive, thoughtful, dependable service.

Working Conditions

Ability to walk, stand, bend, squat, climb, kneel, and twist on an intermittent or sometimes continuous basis. Ability to grasp, push, pull objects such as files, file cabinet drawers, and reach overhead. Ability to operate computer, fax, and telephone. Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or G.E.D. required. Associate's or bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Digital Media, Business Administration, Hospitality, Event Management, Nonprofit Administration, or a related field preferred.
• Experience managing and updating websites using Wix, WordPress, Squarespace, or a similar content management system.
• Experience scheduling, managing, and maintaining social media platforms for an organization or business.
• Proficiency with Canva and Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal communication skills.
• Comfortable learning new technology platforms, software, and digital tools.
• Experience coordinating meetings, maintaining project documentation, tracking deadlines, and supporting multiple staff members or portfolios.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities