Communications Coordinator

ABOUT THE NATIONAL YOUTH EMPLOYMENT COALITION

NYEC (National Youth Employment Coalition) is a national membership network representing hundreds of workforce-development organizations and tens of thousands of direct service professionals and young people. NYEC’s membership is primarily composed of direct service organizations, and includes workforce development boards and other intermediaries, research organizations, and national nonprofits. NYEC works to improve the effectiveness of all organizations that serve young people aged 14-26 who are out of school and out of work, or opportunity youth (OY). NYEC sets and promotes quality standards; tracks, crafts, and influences policy; provides and supports professional development; and builds the capacity of organizations and programs. For 46 years, NYEC has been central to the youth workforce system as a convener, policy and advocacy lead, training and technical assistance provider, and builder of youth leadership nationally. As a membership organization, we track and shape changing practices within our industry, and employers in the industry.

OUR PRINCIPLES

Our efforts are guided by principles that reflect the needs of today’s young people:

• Center Race and Gender Equity: Policies and programs must focus on race and gender explicitly, prioritize people of color for services, and be driven by people with lived experience.
• Expand Opportunities for the Most Vulnerable: Policies must prioritize youth and young adults facing the most barriers to employment, adopt performance measures that encourage serving these young people, and reflect our deeper understanding of the effects of trauma.
• Invest in Capacity Building and Local Decision-Making: Funders should provide sufficient resources to support strong local conveners or intermediaries, thriving local service ecosystems, and a healthy workforce of youth-serving professionals.
• Co-Design Solutions with Young People: Youth voice and building youth leadership are at the heart of positive youth workforce development efforts. With training, support, and compensation, young people can be invaluable contributors and co-designers of programs and policies.
• Prepare the Next Generation of Leaders: We must train and support a new generation of leaders. Additional resources are needed not only to expand services for the young people, but also to hire, train, and refine the work of the adults who deliver youth employment programming.

Position Summary:

NYEC is seeking a creative and detail-oriented Communications Specialist to help grow our national presence, engage our community, and support internal and external communications. This is a full-time exempt position.

The ideal candidate is a strong writer and digital communicator who is passionate about community advocacy and supporting young people, with experience managing social media, newsletters, e-blasts, and communications campaigns targeting press. Strong writing is essential to this role, as responsibilities will include drafting press releases, grant-related content, reports, and newsletters. We are looking for someone with a strong background in building press lists and developing media relationships. Candidates who can support development efforts and contribute to grant writing are strongly encouraged to apply.

Location: This position will be remote (operating in Eastern Standard Time), but candidates must reside in one of these states:

• Mississippi
• Arkansas
• South Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Texas

Qualifications:

• 2+ years experience in communications, digital marketing, or related field
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to tailor content for different audiences and platforms
• Experience creating content for and managing multiple social media platforms
• Familiarity with tools such as Canva, Mailchimp (or similar), WordPress, etc.
• Basic graphic design skills such as creating promotional materials
• Comfortable using analytics tools (e.g., Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn, Mailchimp analytics)
• Ability to work independently, manage deadlines, and juggle multiple projects
• Self-starter who will look for opportunities to grow the organization
• Passion for youth opportunity, social justice, and supportive ecosystems
• Experience building media contact lists and pitching stories to press outlets
• Ability to support grant writing and development-related communications

Preferred but not required:

• Experience in the nonprofit, education, or youth development sectors
• Familiarity with membership organizations, coalitions, or recruitment
• Familiarity with policy work