Director of Marketing and Communications

About Aim High

For 35+ years, Aim High provides a multi-year summer enrichment program that empowers Bay Area middle schoolers from underserved neighborhoods to love learning and pursue their education. In fact, 97% of Aim High alumni graduate high school and go on to college! Join the team that is making a meaningful impact in students’ lives! For more about Aim High, please visit www.aimhigh.org.

The Opportunity

Aim High seeks a strategic marketing and communications professional to create and implement the organization’s strategic marketing plan. You will play a significant role in advancing the organization, with a particular focus on shaping the direction of Aim High’s brand and reputation. You will touch the entire organization by expanding the donor base, reaching and strengthening a broader talent pool of potential teachers, and providing greater visibility to showcase our program among critical stakeholders, including students, alumni, families. As the head of the marketing/communications team, you will build out a resourceful department that will work cross-functionally to create a lasting and effective marketing and communications program that positions Aim High for success for years to come.

If you’re a creative storyteller with a penchant for action and an entrepreneurial mindset, we’d love to talk with you. This position is ideal for an innovative and agile marketing and communications professional who is inspired to advance Aim High’s mission by increasing brand awareness in all of our communities and among all of our audiences (students, alumni, families, teachers, and donors). If this sounds like an ideal role for you, you will have the opportunity to…

Design and manage a strategic marketing plan

• Craft, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive, integrated, and actionable marketing plan to promote the brand across Aim High’s target audiences and internal departments.
• Develop inclusive, unified, and anti-racist messaging in partnership with other leaders within the organization to refine, promote, and protect the organization’s brand. Build brand ambassadors across staff and boards to ensure messages are accurately and consistently communicated to all external audiences, including donors, partners, teachers, parents, and students.
• Direct and deliver effective marketing campaigns that align with organizational goals and objectives.
• Craft compelling stories across channels and further develop our digital asset library.
• Oversee the website and social media presence to ensure compelling content on a variety of channels.
• Oversee all media/press relations with the support of external consultants.
• Serve as a thought leader and ambassador for the organization.
• Support other departments to achieve their goals in cultivating strategic relationships via marketing and communications efforts.

Develop and drive an internal communications strategy

• Partner with organizational leaders to create and project manage an internal cross-functional communication strategy.
• Oversee the creation of compelling, clear, and succinct messaging and materials for staff and volunteer boards.
• Design, launch, and manage new channels to keep employees connected to the organization’s mission and up-to-date on relevant information.
• Track the impact and success of existing communication channels and help implement/ manage new channels/solutions as needed.

Build and lead a growing team

• Establish and lead a productive and resourceful marketing and communications team. 
• Develop and manage marketing systems and infrastructure to streamline collaboration across the organization.
• Identify and liaise with external consultants to carry out strategy.
• Manage the department’s budget.

Qualifications

You will be successful in this role if you…

• Possess a deep commitment to the mission of Aim High.
• Have robust marketing and communications experience with increasing levels of responsibility and an expertise in leading and managing an organization’s branding efforts in print, digital, and across social media channels.  
• Demonstrate significant experience working with diverse audiences and/or communicating with an equity lens.
• Have a strategic mindset paired with the execution skills that allow you to lead and manage projects, groups, or organizations to achieve goals/ objectives.
• Are an outstanding problem solver with an independent and entrepreneurial spirit that allows you to make quick, sound decisions and the ability to juggle multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Build and maintain relationships with multiple stakeholders, internally and externally, with exceptional verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Possess exceptional and inspiring writing and communication skills; passion for word play and editing, with a strong eye for design and art-direction. 

Job Details

• Reports To: Vice President of Development
• Location: Bay Area, CA
• Classification: Full-Time Exempt

Please apply with the following: 

• Resume
• One-page cover letter outlining your unique qualifications for this role
• A portfolio of your work 

VACCINATION POLICY:

Aim High requires that the holder of this position be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined by the CDC. Aim High will review and consider requests for reasonable accommodation to this requirement. 

At Aim High, we recognize that striving to be a truly anti-racist, diverse, equitable, and inclusive (A.D.E.I.) organization requires deep and long-term commitment. We know that we will make mistakes, and we are dedicated to learning from them. We ask our broader Aim High team – including staff, educators, board members, and supporters – to encourage, challenge, and join us in living out our commitment to A.D.E.I. 

Aim High is an equal opportunity employer. Aim High seeks diversity in its community and affords equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, citizenship status, medical condition, or any other legally protected status.