Postsecondary Commission Job Description: Communications Manager

Position Overview

The Communications Manager for the Postsecondary Commission will manage the organization’s:

Website - update and maintain a WordPress site.
Collateral - create or help edit and update all external-facing collateral for the organization, including reports, one-pagers, slide decks, conference materials, etc.
Social - maintain the organization’s social media presence on Twitter and LinkedIn, and track other relevant social media accounts
Newsletter(s) - draft and/or edit the organization’s newsletter(s), including helping create and maintain a content calendar
Contact management - manage the organization’s mailing list on Constant Contact

This position is a full-time, virtual position and reports to the organization's Vice President for Operations and External Affairs, Carol Rava.

Organizational Overview

The Postsecondary Commission’s goal is to create a movement of new nonprofit colleges that can bring innovation, competition, and improved student outcomes to US higher education. These novel colleges will produce measurable breakthroughs in student outcomes related to economic mobility, notably high graduation rates, strong earning outcomes, and low net prices. They will agree, in exchange for access to public funding, to rigorous accountability for outcomes and to transparency with students and families. To enable this movement, the Postsecondary Commission will seek legal recognition from the US Department of Education as a new college accreditor that will direct federal financial aid and other vital forms of public aid for higher education to college startups that are accountable, transparent, and focused on economic mobility. The Postsecondary Commission will additionally pursue a variety of advocacy work and field-building work in support of its vision for a movement of new colleges and its application as a new accreditor to initiate that movement.

Responsibilities

This position will have responsibilities across a range of marketing and communication needs, internal and external, short- and long-form. This will include but not be limited to:

Writing - This position will do a lot of writing - from 160 character tweets to policy briefs to website blurbs. Being a strong, succinct writer capable of synthesizing and simplifying complicated information is critical.
Visuals - Document design and creation of basic infographics (Canva, etc), tables or charts (Excel), and decks (.ppt) will be an important part of this role.
Website - Manage the website on WordPress and ensure updates are made in a timely process in coordination with all groups in the organization.
Content calendar - Help develop a content calendar and manage the production of a regular newsletter.
Social media and sector tracking - Manage PSC's modest social media presence and become an expert on the experts in our field. Help identify the influencers, the popular hashtags, so that we can join and connect to current conversations, and identify potential partners and allies.
Impact monitoring - Track basic engagement metrics like reach, clicks, etc. - using a variety of tools (SproutSocial, GoogleAnalytics, Constant Contact), and pull reports and make recommendations based on findings.

Qualifications & Experience

This is a terrific opportunity for someone with a few years experience in entry-level communication roles, ideally with a national scope. A college degree plus 2-3 years work experience is preferred, and the following are key attributes of the ideal candidate:

Perfectionist - We want someone who has incredibly high standards for him/her/themselves, especially when it comes to the written word.
Multi-tasker - We are a small team and this job will require firing on many cylinders simultaneously. This person should be comfortable managing multiple projects and deadlines.
Quick and eager learner - No one starts knowing everything for a job, and this role will have a lot to learn. Candidates should have a proven curiosity and interest in learning (whether that be new software or a new language).
Collaborative. We are a small team. We need someone who works well with others, takes an interest in them, and builds them up.
Entrepreneurial. The Postsecondary Commission is a startup. Things change constantly. We need someone who likes that sort of work environment. We need someone who is flexible, who processes new data and developments well, and who pivots quickly.
Humble, Open to Feedback, and Fun. Yes, humble, open to feedback, and fun. We value that.

Timeline & Compensation

The position can be located anywhere, and will be full-time. Compensation for this role is between $70,000-$95,000 depending on experience and qualifications.

Interested candidates can apply by sending a resume and short note of interest to Carol Rava at jobs@postsecondarycommission.org. This posting will be open until filled.

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