Managing Director, Marketing & Communications

Mission

EdReports.org is at the forefront of the curriculum reform movement. By increasing the capacity of educators to identify and demand the highest quality curriculum, EdReports.org is both disrupting a multibillion-dollar market and transforming the way students are taught and ultimately perform. With the firm belief that what is taught matters and that all students deserve high quality materials, EdReports.org publishes free, online, evidence-rich reviews of instructional materials.

Purpose of Position

The Managing Director, Marketing & Communications is a key leader in the External Affairs office. They will lead all external communications for EdReports, including branding, marketing, content development, media relations, advertising, and social media. This position reports directly to the Chief External Affairs Officer, but also works closely with the executive team, leadership forum and external stakeholders such as funders and partners. This position will develop, implement and evaluate a strategic and comprehensive communications and marketing plan that advances EdReports’ mission to ensure all students and teachers have access to the highest-quality instructional materials that will help improve student learning outcomes. The plan will also support the EdReports 2023–2027 strategic plan.

The Managing Director assumes a key leadership role in initiating and implementing marketing and communications projects and media/public relations efforts that keep all organizational constituencies informed; enhances the overall brand and awareness of EdReports; and supports business development activities to ensure a strong pipeline of qualified leads. The MD also provides day-to-day personnel and project oversight for a team of three staff members.

Key Responsibilities & Outcomes

Strategy Development, Planning, Implementation, and Production - 70%

• Lead the development and implementation of a multichannel national marketing and communications strategy aligned to EdReports’ 2023-27 strategic plan and annual OKRs with an emphasis on raising awareness of our reviews and executing on our fee-for-services objectives in existing and new markets;
• Oversee the development of EdReports messaging (talking points, FAQs, tough Q&A) and ensure key messages are reflected in all publications and events and staff are adequately trained to deliver key messages as necessary; 
• Collaborate with Development and Business Development staff to create and edit fundraising materials for philanthropic and fee-for-service for specific priorities;
• Serve as editor-in-chief by collaborating on content plan development, overseeing the production of all external MarComms content, editing materials, and leading quality control and consistency;
• Spearhead the execution of marketing campaigns, including test and control group segmentation, testing, tracking, results reporting, analyses, and recommendations.
• Lead media relations efforts to promote major EdReports initiatives, drive an earned media strategy, and manage crisis communications needs in collaboration with Chief External Affairs Officer and the executive team;
• Coach executive team and leadership forum colleagues 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 lead generation 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
• Annual staff message training plan, with tiered supports for EdReports spokespeople and Leadership
• Monthly progress updates on grant deliverables

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

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.

Qualifications

• Passion for EdReports’ mission and vision, core values, and commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity;
• 10+ years of leadership experience in strategic communications, B2B marketing, and lead generation with a proven track record of managing and coaching teams to ambitious results, identifying system barriers, creating solutions to address gaps and managing through layers of an organization; 
• 6+ years of supervision experience;
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize data and identify market opportunities, create strategic plans, develop brand-building and lead generation 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;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, at varying levels;
• 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;
• Expert knowledge of multi-channel marketing strategies;
• Exceptional project management skills and an ability to work efficiently, navigate ambiguity, and prioritize effectively in a virtual environment; 
• Ability to quickly gather context and build collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders at all levels of an organization; 
• Demonstrated experience managing and directing budgets;
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision;
• Basic understanding of HTML coding, Photoshop and video production;
• Deep expertise in the K–12 national curriculum, policy, and standards landscape is preferred but not required;
• Experience managing crisis communications and leading media training for staff is preferred but not required;
• A college degree is required; a degree in communications, public relations, marketing, business administration or journalism is preferred.

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.

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. 

Core Competencies

Commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, & Equity

• Actively welcome diverse perspectives, center equity in decision-making, foster authentic and inclusive relationships that promote a sense of belonging, confront biases to build understanding, and continuously build knowledge of systemic inequities to inform behaviors that lead to an inclusive organizational culture.

Accountability

• Proficiently organize projects aligned with overarching objectives while proactively addressing challenges; ensure timely and high-quality fulfillment of responsibilities.

Communication

• Effectively engage stakeholders, actively listen to others, convey information for desired results, and adapt style to foster relationships and trust.

Continuous Improvement

• Consistently reflect, seek feedback, and apply new insights; identify and implement solutions that enhance individual, team, and overall performance.

Core Expertise

• Possess skills, knowledge, and abilities to perform essential duties; keeps knowledge current; utilize multiple points of view to achieve goals and is a subject matter resource for others.

Organizational Stewardship

• Cultivate external relationships, uphold policies, leverage historical insights, actively participate in organizational improvement, and adapt to align with the needs of the organization.

Manager Competencies

Empathetic Leadership

• Cultivate and lead an environment of reflection, feedback, clear expectations, and support that drives individual and team excellence; manage with compassion and kindness by adapting leadership style to meet an individual’s needs.

Strategic Management

• Adeptly address complex issues, engage others in decision-making and change initiatives; skillfully communicate information to foster team success; inspire momentum through purposeful direction.

Resource Management

• Thoughtfully allocate, monitor, and reflect to optimize resource utilization and enhance overall effectiveness.

We Value All Voices

EdReports is committed to equal-employment principles and we recognize the value of committed employees who feel they are being treated in an equitable and professional manner. We strive to find ways to attract, develop, and retain the talent needed to meet business objectives, and to recruit and employ highly qualified individuals representing the diverse communities in which we live, work, and serve. As such, all employment decisions at EdReports are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

We are also committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to our HR department at careers@edreports.org.