Digital Director (New York) (Families for Excellent Schools)

[kitaro....@familiesforexcellentschools.org]

ABOUT US

At Families for Excellent Schools, our employees are passionate about their belief that all children should have access to great schools and education. We have diverse professional and personal backgrounds, and we don’t simply accept them - we celebrate them, we support them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our employees, organization and the communities with which we work.  We are an active and energetic group, who like to roll up our sleeves and get things done, which reinforces our culture and organization's core values of Collaboration, Results, Grit, and Respect.  

THE ROLE

As Digital Director, you will develop and drive social and digital media strategy. You will design and implement all social and digital components of Families for Excellent Schools’ campaign work across three states, and manage content development and design for Families for Excellent Schools’ website, social media platforms, and grassroots online engagement. You will also manage our growing digital team including associate-level staff and various consultants. In partnership with organizing and political staff, you will ensure Families for Excellent Schools campaign plans incorporate sophisticated digital efforts in alignment with paid and earned media strategies. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities will include but are not limited to: 

Design and Management of Families for Excellent Schools Digital Properties

In partnership with organizing and political staff, the Digital Director will own design strategy and content development for all digital properties with a particular focus on the Families for Excellent Schools website and social media properties.  The Digital Director will:

• Oversee Families for Excellent Schools’ website and social media activities, including its Twitter and Facebook presence, and track analytics to report on the progress of campaigns and engagement.
• Produce creative content for all of Families for Excellent Schools campaigns, including photos from events, blog posts highlighting policy demands, graphics for social networks and other forms of media.
• Manage the relationships with a digital agency and partners to update the website and develop new advocacy tools.
• Work with team members to develop digital campaigns for new initiatives.

Management of Social/Digital Strategy on Campaigns

The Digital Director will develop digital strategies that amplify and drive Families for Excellent Schools campaigns in a fast-paced political environment.   

• Manage paid digital and social strategy including content development, placement and message
• Manage grassroots online organizing linked to campaigns
• Manage social content linked to campaign strategy and message

Support Development of Communications Strategy

In partnership with senior communications staff, the Digital Director will support development of organization-wide and campaign-specific communications strategy   The Digital Director will:

• Engage in close partnership with focus group/poll specialists and other consultants for research and message development of issue, legislative, and electoral campaigns.
• Help develop earned media strategies that are proactive and expansive (daily pitches, weekly editorial placement, monthly op-ed work) and paid media strategies that are research-based, including the management of external messaging and creative specialists.
• Coordinate digital media strategies with Families for Excellent Schools’ earned and media strategies in order to strategically engage and grow memberships through multiple platforms.

QUALITIES AND CHARACTERISTICS

Candidates should enjoy working in a dynamic, results-oriented environment in which expectations are high for both the quality and speed of work. In addition, they should have the following:

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of communications experience responsible for political/advocacy communications and/or digital media efforts;
• Strong campaign experience—experience running digital on multiple of the following: electoral campaigns, advocacy campaigns, issue campaigns;
• Attention to detail of message and message discipline across multiple platforms
• Strong ability to balance urgency with discipline—gets the message right every time even under intense pressure;
• Strong eye for creative and ability to manage consultants to produce high, high quality creative for social and digital
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team;
• Experience in an education policy or other issue advocacy environment is a plus;
• Experience in media relations or related field with demonstrated ability to forge and maintain relationships with journalists is a plus;
• Demonstrated commitment to education, low income communities, and communities of color;
• An understanding of the role of communications in achieving advocacy goals and policy change.

In keeping with the work, candidates must be able to travel and work on site frequently, and work moderately irregular hours when needed.

PAY AND PERKS

We provide competitive salaries and a full slate of benefits including health coverage, an FSA, a 401K plan with 5% matching and pre-tax commuter benefits. We have a generous vacation policy, and our office is shut down for a week at the end of the calendar year. Perks include a shiny new MacBook on your first day and open and collaborative office space at our offices in NYC, Boston, and New Haven.

http://grnh.se/ade065