Digital Asset Specialist

Location: Portland, OR; or a remote location within the United States

Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based (United States) is required at the time of application for this position.

Position Status: Full-time, Exempt, Temporary (The assignment is expected to last up to 18 months, depending on business needs)

Salary Level: US: Starting salary for this role will be $55,600 to $66,025 commensurate on experience.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Department

The Marketing & Communications department’s purpose is to amplify and support Mercy Corps’ mission and strategic goals by raising flexible funds, strengthening supporter partnerships, and raising our global profile and influence, and fostering team collaboration and connectivity.

We boldly share Mercy Corps’ global impact with our audiences, with a focus on building trust, engagement, and long-term relationships among our global team members and with our supporters. We inspire and motivate financial support and partnership through transparency, inclusivity, creativity, and best-in-class storytelling.

We engage prospects and supporters through a multi-channel, user-driven approach, communicating information that represents Mercy Corps’ best work and global culture, on key issues that donors care about. We work across teams to protect Mercy Corps’ reputation and safeguard our ability to operate.

The role of the Marketing team is to guide the direction of Mercy Corps global brand and develop and implement strategies to promote brand awareness and drive a sustainable base of unrestricted financial support, particularly among mass-market supporter audiences.

The Position

The Digital Asset Specialist will be a key part of the Marketing Operations team, supporting the successful day-to-day operation of Mercy Corps’ digital asset management system (DAMS). In close collaboration with the Digital Asset Manager, the Digital Asset Specialist will ensure that new assets are added to the system in a timely manner, that existing assets are organized, and that the system is operating smoothly. They will also respond to asset-related requests and provide DAMS-related support for our teams across the globe. In doing so, the Digital Asset Specialist will become an expert on Mercy Corps’ digital asset management processes and technologies, brand photo and video styles, and standards on ethical storytelling.

The Digital Asset Specialist position will play a key role in supporting the Marketing Operations team during a significant project, and therefore this role is being hired on a temporary basis. The assignment is expected to last up to 18 months, depending on business needs.

Essential Responsibilities

• Gather, upload, ingest, and share out new assets into the DAMS.
• Apply metadata and keywords to assets in the DAMS according to existing schemas.
• Ensure existing assets and metadata meet quality and organizational standards.
• Respond to content requests from around the organization, researching and sharing relevant assets according to users’ needs.
• Facilitate the submission of new content from Mercy Corps team members across the globe.
• Serve as a point of contact for Mercy Corps team members with questions about the DAMS.
• Work with the Digital Asset Manager to develop, implement, and document new and existing processes, standards, and functionality in the DAMS.

Supervisory Responsibility

The Digital Asset Specialist has no supervisory responsibility.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Digital Asset Manager.

Works Directly With: Director of Global Photography,Senior Global Content Producer, Creative Team.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in photography, design, marketing, library science, or related field.
• 2+ years of experience working directly with a digital asset management system (Brandfolder, Widen, NetX, Bynder, etc.).
• Experience working with metadata and taxonomy principles is a plus.
• Practical understanding of current multimedia file types and specifications.
• Working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, or equivalent photo editing software.
• Working knowledge of Photo Mechanic is a plus.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office (especially Excel) and Google Docs.
• Strong communications skills; written and verbal.
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate with team members across a wide scope of experiences, cultures, and backgrounds.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will be someone with a keen interest in both digital asset management and Mercy Corps’ mission and work around the world. They will bring strong organizational skills and close attention to detail alongside excellent communication skills. They will have an eye for the creative arts—photography, video, design—and an ability to quickly learn about Mercy Corps’ brand, visual style and ethical creative guidelines.

The ideal candidate will be able to work both in close collaboration with others as well as independently, successfully contributing to the long-term success of the DAMS while ensuring day-to-day functions occur smoothly and reliably. They will approach the role with an open mind, both accepting and responding to feedback positively while being willing to offer constructive input of their own.