Senior Manager, Communications

Position: Senior Manager of Communications at Education Forward DC
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Start date: January 2021 (flexible)
Location: Washington, DC
Application Deadline: November 15, 2020 

APPLY HERE!

Note: Due to COVID-19, the application process for this role will be entirely virtual. Our team is currently working virtually, and the Senior Manager of Communications will likely begin this position virtually, with an expectation that they can work locally in Washington, DC once health conditions allow.

The Challenge & Opportunity

Washington, DC has dramatically outperformed peer cities in overall improvement in its public schools over the last decade. Still, only 1 in 9 of the city’s most vulnerable students (those with special education needs and those living in extreme poverty) are on track for college and career success. It is more critical than ever that we redouble our efforts to build on these past successes by working to ensure that all students and families – particularly those furthest from opportunity – have access to a great education.

The Organization

Education Forward DC (Ed Forward DC) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 in Washington, DC. Guided by our core values, we work to advance quality and equity in public schools to ensure that every DC student gets a great education. Specifically, our current five-year goal is to double the number of underserved students who are college and career ready. Ed Forward DC accelerates the work of local leaders by aggregating and disseminating $70M of local and national philanthropic dollars to local grantees who are committed to transformational change. We take an active role with each grantee in our portfolio to help them create sustainable organizations that generate breakthrough results for the students they serve.

The current public health crisis has dramatically changed the work schools and the city must do to ensure quality and equity in DC public education. We continue to support our grantees in addressing the emergent needs of students and families, including supporting our portfolio schools’ efforts to develop and implement distance learning operating and instructional plans that center underserved students’ needs, and working more broadly to ensure that the citywide COVID-19 response in education prioritizes the most vulnerable students and families.

In addition, Ed Forward DC is currently developing our next five year plan to guide our work starting in summer 2021. As part of this process, we are evaluating our work to-date and conducting research and analysis to better understand opportunities to increase our impact moving forward. As we move through this planning process together, our team members are actively participating in shaping the next phase of work for our organization.

The Person

As Senior Manager of Communications, you will play a leadership role on our team by developing our communications strategy, and by building our network through targeted communications, media events, and relationship management. This is a new role, and includes responsibility for our own communications work, as well as for supporting our network of grantees as they work to coordinate and amplify common messages. This role provides opportunities for engagement with teams and senior stakeholders across the DC education ecosystem.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Communications Strategy, Media Relations, and Content Development

• Develop a strategic communications plan aligned to organizational goals by identifying strategies to reach target audiences effectively
• Create messaging that that effectively communicates Ed Forward DC’s mission, core values, and priorities
• Plan media content, including social media posts, blog posts, and op-eds for print
• Draft, pitch, and deliver compelling stories of education innovation and excellence that inform, engage, and persuade a broad range of stakeholders
• Develop collateral material for the organization, telling stories that promote current issues, successes, and the priorities of the leaders we support

Capacity-Building and Campaign Management with Grantees

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders to gain an understanding of key initiatives and work, with an eye toward developing meaningful content
• Collaborate with grantees to uplift their stories and build their capacity to share their successes with the community
• Manage communications projects and campaigns, tracking metrics and reporting on progress to funders and other stakeholders as needed
• Lead or support meetings with key stakeholders including grantees, policymakers, and community members
• Organize network events to foster collaboration and innovation among entrepreneurs and organizations

Skills and Qualifications

• We work intentionally to disrupt patterns of racial inequity; a strong candidate will demonstrate an unwavering commitment to educational equity and improving public education in DC
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a track record of navigating and placing stories in the news and media landscape and a history of effective storytelling
• Familiarity with branded campaigns, including demonstrated experience in establishing metrics, crafting targeted messaging, and adapting to a fast-moving news cycle
• Ability to frame complex problems and ideas in compelling oral and written communication
• Access to an established media network and in-depth understanding of local media opportunities
• Self-motivated and passionate about helping leaders and organizations build their capacity
• Confidence in providing strategic points-of-view to senior stakeholders
• Effective project manager with attention to detail and ability to drive work to completion, and comfort managing multiple priorities amid high ambiguity
• Responsive to feedback, with capacity to learn quickly and continuously
• Strong technical skills, including fluency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word

Education and Experience

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in public relations, communications, public policy, education, community engagement, local government, and/or related field
• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree in related field valued
• We encourage alumni of public schools in the District of Columbia to apply

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The Tangible Good

The salary range for this position starts at $100,000. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including a 401(k) program with a 4% match that is fully vested day one and 100% of health/dental/vision premiums fully covered.

We are Deeply Committed to Equity & Diversity

We are on a mission to build a team that reflects DC’s students, and strongly encourage candidates of color to apply. Education Forward DC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood. We encourage anyone for whom this overview resonates to apply.

APPLY HERE!