Managing Director, Marketing & Communications

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Applicants are encouraged to apply by September 6, 2024 to receive the best opportunity to be interviewed if qualified.

Purpose of Position

The Managing Director, Marketing & Communications at EdReports plays a crucial role in the External Affairs office. We are seeking a transformational professional to elevate our brand's thought leadership, anticipate opportunities and reputational risks, and navigate ambiguity as the organization scales into its next phase. This individual will oversee all external communications, including branding, marketing, content development, website strategy, media relations, advertising, and social media. Reporting to the Chief External Affairs Officer, the Managing Director will work closely with the executive team, organizational spokespeople, and external stakeholders such as funders and partners.

The ideal candidate is experienced in both creating and curating thought leadership. They can peer into the future, distinguish between signal and noise, and understand what is important. They know how to identify the organization's needed ideas, target audiences, and plan effective communication.

The Managing Director will develop, implement, and evaluate a strategic communications and marketing plan aligned with the EdReports 2023–2027 strategic plan, advancing our mission to provide high-quality instructional materials for students and teachers. This role also includes overseeing a team of three senior staff members.

Key Responsibilities & Outcomes

Strategy Development, Planning, Implementation, and Production - 50%

• Lead the development and implementation of a multichannel national marketing and communications strategy aligned with EdReports’ 2023-27 strategic plan and annual OKRs. This includes raising awareness of our reviews, optimizing earned and paid opportunities, and building a pipeline of invested stakeholders;
• Oversee the development of EdReports messaging by creating talking points, and FAQs, and handling tough Q&As. Ensure that key messages are reflected in all publications and events and that staff are adequately trained to deliver these messages as necessary;
• Design and implement a sophisticated constituent tracking and conversion strategy that provides insights and data on user behaviors and needs related to EdReports.org and related initiatives;
• Collaborate with Development, Product, and Technical Assistance staff to create and edit materials for philanthropic and fee-for-service priorities;
• Serve as editor-in-chief by collaborating on content plan development, overseeing the production of all external marketing and communications content, editing materials, and leading quality control and consistency;
• Lead an iterative website strategy in partnership with web development staff and cross-office stakeholders, leveraging analytic data alongside qualitative feedback to ensure the highest quality user experience;
• Spearhead the execution of marketing campaigns, including test and control group segmentation, testing, tracking, results reporting, analysis, and recommendations;
• Lead media relations efforts to promote major EdReports initiatives, drive an earned media strategy, and manage crisis communications needs in collaboration with the Chief External Affairs Officer and the executive team;
• Coach the executive team and key spokespeople in media preparedness as necessary.

Strategy Development, Planning, Implementation, and Production Outcomes

• Annual strategic communications plan aligned to organizational OKRS with explicit campaigns tied to brand building and lead generation;
• By the 90-day milestone, finalize and begin implementation of a growth marketing strategy inclusive of structural elements needed to execute (e.g. Salesforce, Pardot dashboards, and reports);
• Talking Points and Key Messages connected to high priority areas/risks;
• Monthly progress updates on grant deliverables;
• By six-month milestone, implement a dynamic website strategy that includes aspirational yet attainable metrics that demonstrate improvement in user engagement and experience scores.

Thought Leadership - 20%

This body of work intersects with Strategy Development, Planning, Implementation, and Production but requires dedicated commitment of time and resources to execute to expectations. 

• Partner closely with the Chief External Affairs Officer to set the direction and strategy for multi-year thought leadership efforts aligned to the strategic plan;
• Define and implement a multi-channel approach across all content areas, showcasing the knowledge and expertise retained within EdReports and its network;
• Manage staff thought leadership efforts, in the creation of high quality, timely, and high-impact outputs. Promoting an environment of shared success and teamwork, connecting staff with peers across different practices and areas;
• Build meaningful relationships and lead discussions with industry stakeholders, including funders, partners, and school systems;
• Develop and implement annual thought leadership OKRs that can be shared internally and externally;
• Partner with key EdReports teams (Product & Growth, Development) and leadership to integrate activities and value proposition.

Thought leadership Outcomes

• By the 90-day milestone:
  • Defined external thought leadership strategy that integrates seamlessly with an annual communications plan;
  • A clear grasp of the annual conference strategy and identified activities to develop and support staff application processes and presentations;
  • On track to securing a minimum of three earned media placements by the end of the next 60 days;
• Annual staff message training plan, with tiered supports for EdReports spokespeople and Leadership;
• In collaboration with key internal stakeholders, a joint external partner strategy that leverages outside audiences to build our brand credibility and reach;
• Monthly progress updates on thought leadership milestones.

Team Management - 20%

• Supervise, coach, and evaluate the MarComms team in service of annual goals and EdReports core values; 
• Lead and participate in key External Affairs office and sub-team meetings, including standup meetings, team leads meetings, and account management meetings;
• Contribute to oversight of budget and capacity needed to execute on projects, make recommendations for staffing and consulting support, manage team capacity and project staffing, and negotiate contracts with vendors and partners as appropriate; 
• Support staff development through a robust performance management system;
• Select, hire, and manage marketing and communications vendors and contractors, as needed.

Team Management Outcomes

• Consistent performance management support resulting in direct reports receiving regular actionable feedback;
• Monthly progress updates on team annual plans in service of OKRs;
• Lead quarterly OKR stepback for team and actively engage in External Affairs office stepback;
• Active engagement in quarterly budget reviews;
• Contribute to and facilitate portions of quarterly External Affairs all-hands meetings.

Organizational Contribution – 10%

• Contribute to the overall strategic direction and effectiveness of the organization;
• Lead and support cross-functional teams on projects as needed; and
• Other duties as assigned. 

Organizational Contribution Outcomes

• Engaged attendance at bi-monthly all staff meetings and Leadership DBIE learning sessions;
• Active participation in annual organizational OKR setting. 

Key Qualifications

Marketing & Communications Strategy Development, Planning, Implementation, and Production

• 10+ years of leadership experience with expertise in strategic communications, multichannel marketing, and thought leadership; 
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize data and identify market opportunities, create strategic plans, develop brand-building strategies, and align key stakeholders to execute and deliver;
• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills with high attention to detail and ability to translate academic or technical information into easily understandable communications for the general public;
• Expert knowledge of multi-channel marketing strategies;
• Demonstrated experience leading complex website redesign projects;
• Exceptional project management skills and an ability to work efficiently, navigate ambiguity, and prioritize effectively in a virtual environment; 
• Demonstrated experience managing and directing budgets;
• Basic understanding of HTML coding, Photoshop, and video production;
• Some expertise in the K–12 national curriculum, policy, and standards landscape is preferred but not required.

Thought Leadership

• Demonstrated experience in developing and leading thought leadership efforts with staff, building relationships with external stakeholders in pioneering innovative strategies, and gaining and sharing influential market insights;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, at varying levels. 

Team Management

• 6+ years of managing and coaching teams to achieve ambitious results, including identifying system barriers, developing solutions to address gaps, and effectively navigating through organizational layers;
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive leadership and centering equity and proven team development, management, and leadership skills, including the ability to drive consensus among executive stakeholders and translate that into action;
• Experience managing crisis communications and leading media training for staff is preferred but not required.

Mission Alignment and Organizational Contribution

• Passion for EdReports’ mission and vision, core values, and commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity;
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision;
• Ability to quickly gather context and build collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders at all levels of an organization; 
• A Bachelor’s degree is required, with a preference for degrees in communications, public relations, marketing, business administration, journalism, or a related field.

Salary

The salary for this position is $129,000 - $139,000 annually. At EdReports, in determining a final salary for a position, we consider the role and the experience and skill needed while striving to maintain equity in our compensation bands. For this and other reasons, our salary offers are non-negotiable.

Benefits

We know the importance of living a fulfilling, healthy life–both professionally and personally. That’s why some of the benefits we offer include:

• 160 hours of PTO that is prorated to the employee’s start date, 
• unlimited sick time, 
• 3 personal days,
• EdReports pays for 90% of health care for both the employee and their immediate family;
• 401k that new hires become eligible for after six months of employment (includes safe harbor, employer match, etc.), and
• 21 days of paid holidays and office closure days in 2024.

Travel - up to 10% 

National travel will occur related to organizational needs and for professional learning, as needed. The amount of travel will be monitored to ensure it is appropriate for both the organization and the Managing Director, Marketing & Communications.

Physical Requirements

Including, but not limited to standing and sitting for long periods of time; speaking loudly and  clearly; seeing and hearing things both near and far away; and reaching, stooping, kneeling, and  fine-finger and hand manipulation in use of a computer, chalkboard, dry erase board, or projector.  Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and  analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, and extensive reading. This  person will travel by car, air, or other transportation (as indicated above) and should be able to  physically withstand the demands of frequent travel. Employee may be required to walk for long  distances at event venues, conference and training locations, or other relevant sites.