Communications Manager
- Employer
- South Bend Empowerment Zone
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana
- Salary
- 60,000 per year
- Posted
- Jun 07, 2021
- Job Category
- Administrator, PR / Communications, Product, Services & Policy, Marketing / Communications
- Job Type
- Full-Time
POSITION TITLE: Communications Manager
POSITION SUMMARY:
In the Empowerment Zone, we are a team passionate and focused on making real transformation in our schools on the West Side of South Bend, Indiana. We are working in service to our students; 41% who are African-American/Black, 39% who are Latino, and 78% who receive free/reduced lunch. We are seeking a Communications Manager who is interested in helping us accomplish our vision and mission:
Our Vision
We are a system of schools that eliminates academic and social-emotional opportunity gaps and cultivates the greatness that exists within each child to confidently pursue their dreams in our city, nation, and world.
Our Mission
We nurture the mind, body, and spirit of each child by embracing equity, learning, and change for students, staff, and families. We harness the power of community and relationships to ignite transformation.
As the Communications Manager, you will play a critical role in ensuring that the Empowerment Zone is positioned to make data-informed decisions that improve the experience and outcomes of students and families in the Empowerment Zone.
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: Executive Director of Finance and Operations
HOURS: 8am-5pm, M-F; some evening and weekend hours required
COMPENSATION: $50,000 - $60,000 Annually, depending on experience
AVAILABLE: Immediate
DUTIES: This position is critical to the success of our schools. This person will be expected to engage in four core functions with responsibilities that include but are not limited to:
Digital media
● Regularly update the the Empowerment Zone’s website, including staff bios, and more with new content tightly aligned to our core messages
● Implement search engine marketing strategy
● Manage weekly email newsletter writing
● Create and update the Empowerment Zone’s paid and unpaid social media strategy: Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin; following and reacting to others’ content
● Use data to inform decision-making on newsletter, website, and other outreach efforts
Distribution & partnerships
● Create and implement holistic distribution plans for Empowerment Zone content (e.g. videos, etc.) ● Identify and support events and other opportunities to promote the Empowerment Zone
1
● Establish and nurture relationships with key members of the media, craft story pitches, respond to requests for interviews and data
● Create and manage systems for cultivating key distribution relationships at partner organizations ● Manage paid advertising efforts in media and partner organization outlets
Design
● Provide design leadership for all Empowerment Zone brand identity opportunities ● Design publications; oversee design and layout of client-facing documents; support creation of Powerpoint, Word, and Google Doc layouts and templates
● Design content for social media posts
Writing & editing
● Short writing: blog posts, op-eds, magazine submissions
● Content creation for large publications: writing, editing, copy-editing, fact-checking; message thesis/development
● Oversee production of multimedia projects including podcasts, videos, and more.
● Collaborate with content creators on message creation and ensure message discipline across materials ● Build writing capacity of staff through message documents, style guides, high-quality feedback and coaching.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
● 2-5+ years of experience working in communications and content creation/distribution; undergraduate degree
● Highly developed verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex material and effectively communicate the Empowerment Zone’s mission and impact to our target audience
● Strong knowledge of and proficiency in tools in your domain, such as Adobe Suite and Canva for design, email marketing tools and marketing automation for digital media, and Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
● Experience writing and designing content for various platforms, including websites, press releases, newsletters; understanding of various communication channels and the required content and styles to ensure results from these
● Deep desire to learn about education; preference for candidates with experience in education or social policy
● Experience managing and overseeing creative projects, including working with external providers; ability to work independently and cooperatively as part of a growing, mission-driven team
● Demonstrated passion for and commitment to the Empowerment Zone’s mission and values exemplified through work experience, leadership opportunities, or community involvement; a passion for improving equity and excellence in education systems and interest in deepening one’s understanding of the community context impacting education systems and the experience of students.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS (NOT REQUIRED)
● Ability to produce and edit videos that highlight Empowerment Zone activities and key messages
If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete an application through the Empowerment Zone website at https://sbezone.org/careers/. For full consideration, submit your application by 6/21/2021.