Marketing and Communications Communications Manager
Job Description
Organization Mission & Background
A nonprofit organization that seeks to advance students’ economic and social mobility by improving public education, the Urban Assembly (UA) launches and supports unique, small public secondary schools in New York City and shares innovative programs and resources with partners across the country. UA schools are open to all students, and they significantly outperform comparable schools in the city. Our goal is to prepare 100% of UA graduates for success in the 21st century economy through cutting-edge academic and school leadership supports, social-emotional skills development, college access and success programming, and career readiness efforts.
Position Summary
The UA is seeking a talented, creative and passionate Communications Manager to drive our branding, public relations and marketing as part of the Advancement team. The Communications Manager reports to the Director of Advancement, and serves as a specialist in all matters of communications and public relations, with a focus on expanding the UA’s footprint in New York City and nationally. The ideal candidate will have a passion for education and youth development, and a talent for sharing stories in a compelling and visually appealing way for a variety of audiences.
This is an opportunity to join an engaged, collaborative, mission-driven staff and to take part in the vital process of improving the lives of NYC students. The Communications Manager collaborates with UA staff, schools, and a wide variety of partners, and is based at the UA’s newly renovated central office in Manhattan’s Financial District. It is a full-time, exempt, salaried position, averaging 35 hours per week, including paid sick and vacation days, paid holidays, and generous health benefits. Salary is commensurate with experience.
You are a great candidate for this position if…
- You care about high quality execution and getting things done well and done right; you like bringing great work to life through engaging written content and high quality design.
- You are a good listener and communicator, and you love making complicated and confusing information clear and attractive.
- You love the written word in all its forms, and are as comfortable on social media as you are with creating more traditional marketing materials and one-pagers.
- You actually enjoy editing!
- You are comfortable interacting and collaborating with colleagues at all levels.
- You are hungry to learn, to grow, and to give and get feedback as part of an ever-evolving team.
- You enjoy an open office environment, and you possess a sense of humor.
- You are passionate about leveling the playing field for NYC students who may not otherwise have access to opportunities, relationships, and resources that provide economic and social mobility.
Responsibilities
Marketing Strategy Development
The Communications Manager will develop and implement a strategic communications plan that:
Increases internal awareness and understanding of the UA’s strategic plan and vision for growth & impact, and inspires UA staff and schools to publicly champion the organization’s mission
- Broadens and strengthens the UA’s brand identity across key stakeholders, including students and families, education thought leaders, donors, elected officials, community partners, and UA alumni
- Identifies and maximizes opportunities for UA engagement in national and local conversations on equity, education reform, and other critical issues impacting UA schools and students
- Engages current and prospective donors and funders, and builds a dialogue across all communications channels (email, social media, direct mail, face-to-face, and media)
Digital Marketing & Social Media
The Communications Manager will ensure that the UA develops and maintains an online presence and social media strategy that remains fresh, builds upon social media trends, and advances the organization’s mission and needs:
- Work with UA program teams to develop creative, timely and consistent electronic communications and email marketing campaigns to deepen partner and school engagement across programs
- With external partners and UA staff input, revise website content and design to effectively describe our work and appeal to a wide variety of audiences
- Develop unique social media content that increases engagement with UA schools and programs, and highlights the UA’s innovations and impact
- Manage and expand the UA’s visual content library, including high-quality photos and video content, for use across a variety of platforms
- Use Google Analytics and other tools to measure and report on the performance of all digital campaigns, as well as site traffic/usage activity
Press and PR
With the Advancement Director, lead the organization’s media interactions, with a focus on promoting the UA’s impact and highlighting our schools:
- Strategically prioritize media opportunities, including support for UA and school leadership and staff in preparing talking points, speeches, presentations, and other supporting material as needed
- Cultivate and manage press relationships to ensure coverage of relevant education issues, UA programming, and UA student/school/alumni achievements
Branding
Oversee the continued development and use of the UA brand, including the development of UA-branded materials (printed & online):
- Work with UA school leaders and staff to design and optimize school-specific branding opportunities to increase school enrollment and partnerships
- Work with Advancement Director and CEO to design and publish UA’s annual report
- Ensure consistency of all marketing, promotions and communications across platforms
General
- With Director of Advancement, determine and maintain optimal internal communications norms and platforms for UA staff, including a UA style guide
- Support UA program teams and schools with event publicity and execution
- Support Advancement Director and CEO with funder relations and donor meetings
- Serve as gatekeeper/final review for all external-facing UA documents and presentations
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree
- At least 5 years’ experience with communications/marketing/PR in the nonprofit sector
- Experience in designing and/or executing communications strategies
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Strong attention to detail
- Proficiency in MS Office
- Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, or other image editing and publication software
- Experience with WordPress and/or HTML preferred
- Experience using content management systems and Google AdWords and Analytics preferred
- Social media savvy and enthusiasm for engaging across a variety of platforms
- Ability to manage multiple tasks with deadlines and adapt to changing priorities as needed
- Self-starter who can work independently or as part of a team
- Awareness of local and national education issues and passion for mission-driven youth development
- Ability to prioritize and follow through effectively
The UA is committed to building a diverse team. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
