Marketing and Communications Manager

Junior Achievement's mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in global economy. Our corporate and community volunteers deliver relevant, hands-on experiences that teach students in kindergarten through high school the basics of financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. JA programs empower students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how that can be applied in the real world to own their economic success. Junior Achievement of Southwest New England serves seven Connecticut counties (excluding only Fairfield County).This year, JA of Southwest New England plans to serve 35,000 students through virtual, hybrid, and in-person programs. JA of Southwest New England, with an office based in Hartford, has been recognized by JA USA for six consecutive years for financial stability, student growth, and overall management efficiency.Position Description:Junior Achievement of Southwest New England (JA) is looking for a Marketing and Communications Manager who is passionate about JA's mission to prepare and empower youth to succeed and able to effectively communicate and collaborate with stakeholders to amplify JA's impact in the community.Reporting to the Director of Philanthropy, the Marketing and Communications Manager (MCM) will develop and implement comprehensive communication strategies and materials to engage corporate and individual donors, volunteers, and stakeholders. This role demands a mission-focused storyteller adept in crafting compelling content across multiple channels. Collaborating closely with the Development and Education teams, as well as the CEO, the MCM will execute communication plans that support constituent and major giving initiatives and drive cohesive messaging across all platforms to illustrate the impact of JA programs.Duties and Responsibilities:Content Creation: (65%)Serve as the official JA storyteller through the creation of various content types, including both copy and assets, for proposals, solicitations, web content, social media, newsletters, emails, graphic design, and video production.Partner with internal stakeholders to have a firm understanding of the program/event purpose and needs in the marketing process, as well as to solicit and identify content and stories for JA's website and other collateral materials.Oversee brand management, including designing and maintaining document templates, and ensure staff understanding of and adherence to brand guidelines.In collaboration with the director of philanthropy, maintain the relationships with media and communication stakeholders to optimize and make recommendations for JASWNE visibility as an essential pillar in the community and effectively segment messaging to diverse stakeholders.Strategy: (25%)Working in close collaboration withthe JA leadership team, create and implement a comprehensive communications plan that promotes and educates key stakeholders and the general public about JASWNE programs and services, and inspires philanthropic support.In collaboration with JA leadership team, establish and manage a set of key performance indicators and benchmark reports to gauge the effectiveness of JA communications.Digital Marketing: (10%)Serve as the primary liaison to and manager for digital communications platforms.Our Ideal Candidate:You are a passionate and strategic storyteller with a deep commitment to equity and access. As a collaborative team player dedicated to excellence, you demonstrate a growth mindset and think creatively to solve problems. With a robust background in both written and digital communications, you excel at crafting compelling content across diverse platforms. You are deadline-driven, highly organized, and adept at managing multiple projects with competing deadlines. Your proactive approach, strong problem-solving skills, and flexibility make you an invaluable asset in achieving organizational goals and driving impactful communications.Qualifications:Bachelor's degree and/or minor in Journalism, Communications, or Public RelationsSolid working knowledge and 2+ years' experience in philanthropic communications and/or journalism and execution of initiatives that build influential recognition of an organization's impact.

Student experience will be considered.Demonstrated writing, editing, proofreading, and formatting of stakeholder ready materials.Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.Demonstrated ability to create marketing assets (Adobe Suite, Canva, etc.)Excellent relationship building skills, with the ability to inspire collaboration on impactful storytelling from program and service teams.Ability to collaborate with all members of staff to leverage programs and work closely with cross-functional colleagues across a range of issue areas critical to promoting and positioning the organization's outreach and communications initiatives that help achieve organizational strategic goals.Must be deadline-driven, with the ability to prioritize multiple activities, responsibilities and deliverables, often with competing deadlines.Exceptional project and time management skills, including a high level of organization, and attention to detail and follow-through.Desired:Good understanding of diverse marketing tools and techniques to increase visibility profile and reputation of an organization.Demonstrated experience in problem-solving and taking initiative, while utilizing solutions-oriented approach and exhibiting flexibility and good judgement in developing organizational messaging.Technical Skills: Familiarity with non-profit databases (i.e. BCRM, Raiser's Edge, QGiv and First Giving)Technical Writing: Exceptional writing and editing skills, with ability to meet multiple deadlines