Communications Associate Quincy (Boston), MA

Transcription

1 Communications Associate Quincy (Boston), MA The Nellie Mae Education Foundation seeks a goals-oriented, innovative, and highly motivated communications professional to support the communications team in executing the internal and external engagement objectives of the Foundation. Reporting to the External Affairs Manager, the Communications Associate (herein CA) will be responsible for executing the Foundation s social media strategy; write, edit and coordinate internal and external correspondences; provide event support and oversight; manage information and data systems; prepare news summaries, and serve as a supportive and provocative team member on projects and initiatives. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic and highly articulate professional with strong social media and online communications experience, including but not limited to the use of social media platforms, website management and an understanding of graphic design. S/he will have a track record of working within a high functioning team, the ability to work independently and collaboratively, and a strong commitment to delivering completed projects on-time and with an eye to detail. S/he will be a strong writer, with the proven ability to translate complex concepts into easily digestible language for multiple audiences. ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW The Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NMEF) strives to stimulate transformative change of public education systems across New England by growing a greater variety of higher quality educational opportunities that enable all learners especially and essentially underserved learners to obtain the skills, knowledge, and support necessary to become civically engaged, economically self-sufficient life-long learners. The Nellie Mae Corporation, a nonprofit education-financing company, first pioneered philanthropy in the student-loan industry in 1990 by creating the Fund for Education. For the next eight years, the Fund for Education provided over $5 million in grants to advance more than 300 education programs throughout New England. In 1999, the Nellie Mae Corporation was purchased by SLM Holding Corporation (Sallie Mae) resulting in the creation of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Today the Foundation is New England s largest independent principal public charity focused exclusively on education. NMEF is a separate entity and is no longer affiliated with the Nellie Mae Corporation. Between 2001 and 2007, the Foundation s primary focus was grounded in the belief that access to higher education is a right and necessity for all individuals. Its initiatives included Adult Learning, College Prep, Minority High Achievement and Out-of-School Matters!. In 2008, under the visionary and entrepreneurial leadership of President & CEO Nicolas C. Donohue, a pioneer in education policy and educational improvement strategies, the Foundation began a transformative shift in the focus of its grantmaking strategies. To better achieve its mission of improving outcomes for underserved learners, the Foundation now concentrates its funds and efforts towards education systems change and funding student-centered programs and schools. The Foundation s focus areas are:

2 District-Level Systems Change (DLSC): The Foundation invests in districts and communities across New England as they implement, sustain and build demand for student-centered approaches that foster deeper learning for every student. This initiative provides grants for developing practical models for schools to use in implementing new approaches, creating sustainable policy change to support these new approaches, and generating public will and increasing demand for changes in practice. Public Understanding and Demand: Support for communities in their efforts to increase awareness of and build broad support for new approaches that help reshape public education. Grants under this initiative target the education of communities on student-centered approaches to learning, the transformation of public perception of how students learn and why it must change, and building public demand for student-centered learning approaches in communities, districts and states. Research and Development: The Foundation is building a base of knowledge through research to help individuals, practitioners and organizations better understand, implement and support studentcentered approaches to learning. Recently, the Foundation has partnered with the Center for Collaborative Education on its Building Quality Performance Assessments initiative. This investment has already yielded two critical reports identifying the role of assessment in shaping learners experience. State-Level Systems Change (SLSC): Support for state and federal education policies that foster student-centered approaches to learning. The SLSC Initiative focuses its grants on four priority areas: state accountability systems that include evaluation of new basic skills such as creative thinking and problem solving; high school graduation requirements based more on students demonstrating competency in target areas than on time spent in the classroom as defined by the Carnegie Unit; teacher certification requirements that support teachers and help students develop skills and knowledge through relevant, interest-driven experiences; and, state funding formulas that enable and support student-centered learning environments. These focus areas for the Foundation require a comprehensive, cutting-edge and receptive communications strategy and plan with grantees, communities and individuals in the New England region. The Communications Manager plays a critical role in the execution of the Foundation s communications efforts and will be a vital member of the overall team and leadership at NMEF. STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES A New Community-Engagement Initiative to Build Public Understanding, Support, and Demand (PU&D) for School Improvement in New England The Great Schools Partnership, Educate Maine, and Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents are working with the Nellie Mae Education Foundation on a new regional initiative to support community-engagement activities in school districts throughout New England. The Communications Department leads this initiative, which is best described as an ambitious, multiyear effort to build stronger public understanding of and support for more innovative approaches to public schooling, including strategies such as student-centered learning where learning is personalized; learning is competency-based, learning happens anytime, anywhere; and where students take ownership over their learning. Over the next year, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and its partnering organizations will identify up to 15 districts and communities in the six New England states interested in pursuing strategies to authentically engage key stakeholder groups around the future of learning in their community. Selected districts will receive technical assistance to help local leaders engage stakeholder groups,

3 hold community conversations, and build broad-based support for stronger schools and more effective learning experiences for students. The Foundation will also award capacity-building grants to existing student-organizing groups and nonprofit media outlets as a way to further increase public understanding and support for educational innovation. The communities selected to participate in the project will not only recognize the need for systemic educational improvement, but they will also believe that engaging and involving their stakeholders including historically disengaged groups is essential to the improvement process. These communities will include historically underserved groups, including low-income, racially diverse, non- English-speaking, or new-american students and families, or they may be struggling with poor academic performance, achievement gaps, and low or inequitable rates of high-school graduation, college achievement, and postsecondary-degree attainment. Additionally, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation provides grants to school districts, community organizations, policy advocates, and research institutions to further promote the local, state and federal conditions for student-centered learning. Most recently and notably, on January 5, 2015, the Foundation announced that it will further the implementation of its District Level Systems Changes Initiative by renewing grants to five New England school districts. The $16M investment will enable implementation in MA, NH and ME and help launch student-centered environments in Hartford and Meriden, CT and Revere, MA. The Foundation s efforts to increase public awareness, understanding, support and demand for student-centered learning, as described above, represent only one approach toward achieving an innovative, more modern learning environment that promotes high achievement for all learners. Over the past year, Foundation leadership has undergone a comprehensive strategic analysis of its operations and future areas of focus. This process will culminate in the Spring of 2015 with Board approval of a strategic roadmap that will outline key areas of focus for the Foundation moving forward, further defining the key objectives and projects that are necessary to fulfill its ambitious goal of ensuring that 80% of New England graduates are fully prepared for life after high school by the year OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES Responsibilities of the Communications Associate The Communications Associate is expected to fulfill the following responsibilities for the role. As the Foundation evolves and grows, these responsibilities may change and encompass additional areas within the Communications Department: Copy writing including development of internal and external correspondence, press releases and media advisories. Coordinate closely with communications staff to identify content, coordinate media outreach activities and ensure consistent messaging within the Foundation and with external stakeholders. Work with Communications staff and program officers to develop new or revise existing content particularly in the initiatives and grant sections of the website. Regularly review and provide updates for the Foundation s website content as necessary. Responsible for developing presentations for executive staff.

4 Execute the Foundation s digital communications strategy including web and social media tools. Maintain existing models and strategies while developing new and cutting-edge ideas to keep the Foundation current in this changing media marketplace. Engage constructively with a wide range of electronic, print and broadcast media outlets (including new and traditional media) social networking sites. Support and help execute the Foundation s marketing strategy. Monitor current events and trends in education to anticipate potential dissemination of information. Responsible for internal communications, including writing and editing the Foundation s internal newsletter and compiling memos to the Board of Directors. Coordinate and execute special events, (e.g. sponsorships, meetings) including site coordination, collateral development, and speaker coordination and related activities. Responsible for pulling data for evaluation of effectiveness of communications activities and creating reports for organizational measurement. Oversee the maintenance of Foundation s database. Coordinate mailings with other internal and external resources. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE The ideal candidate will be a rising star within the communications field. S/he will be a selfmotivated and energetic communications professional with sophistication, intelligence, drive, and a demonstrable record of working in a communications department where social media and online engagement are top priorities. S/he will minimally hold a bachelor s degree in communications or related fields, demonstrate a proven communications track record, and have a successful background in communications, public relations, journalism, or marketing. The ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences: Experience in communications outreach in the education, public interest, research and/or non- profit sectors with a particular emphasis in digital and social media. Must have experience in content management systems and website development. Knowledge of publications and web/video/audio production is highly preferred; Fluency with PowerPoint and the ability and maturity to make presentations to senior staff members both within and outside the communications department; A minimum of three to five years of experience in positions encompassing strategic communications, media relations, public affairs or digital engagement;

5 A truly exceptional ability, interest, and facility to write in a variety of mediums from short news releases to published reports and from web features to persuasive op-eds; A proven track record developing and disseminating effective communications products and publications, both in print and on the web, from conception to publication; Proven ability to meet multiple deadlines and balance numerous projects while maintaining a perspective on long-term goals; Superior oral and written communications skills, used in one-on-one settings and in large group meetings. Ability to advocate and drive attention to the Foundation; Innovative, strategic, opportunistic, entrepreneurial, and creative thinker with exceptional attention to detail. The ability to handle competing priorities in a fast paced work environment. The ability to multi-task and work well both independently and as part of a team with the proven ability to effectively leverage resources, meet multiple deadlines, and balance numerous projects; TO APPLY The Nellie Mae Education Foundation has retained Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group to assist in this recruitment; Vice President, Tracy Welsh and Managing Associate, Tahsin Alam are leading the search. Applications, including a cover letter, describing your interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format), salary history and where you learned of the position should be sent to:[email protected]. In order to expedite internal sorting and reviewing processes, please type your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your . The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and candidates of color are encouraged to apply.