About NYC Kids RISE

NYC Kids RISE is a nonprofit organization working to expand economic opportunity and equity by providing families, schools, and communities with a way to work together to save for their children’s education. NYC Kids RISE manages the Save for College Program in partnership with the NYC Department of Education and the City of New York. The Save for College Program is a scholarship and savings program designed to make college more accessible and achievable for all NYC public school students, starting with all kindergartners in School District 30 in Queens—regardless of their family’s income or immigration status. By providing upfront scholarships to every student, tools and information for families to develop their own college savings plan, and a platform for communities to save together, the Save for College Program empowers families to begin saving and planning for college from their child’s very first days of school.

NYC Kids RISE launched the Save for College Program in School District 30 in Queens in Fall 2017, the first year of a three-cohort pilot that aims to enroll approximately 10,000 kindergartners. (School District 30 includes the neighborhoods of Astoria, Ditmars, East Elmhurst, Hunter’s Point, Jackson Heights, Long Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside.) Following this pilot, NYC Kids RISE hopes to expand the Save for College Program to all NYC public schools.

Learn more about NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program at nyckidsrise.org.

Communications Manager

NYC Kids RISE seeks an entrepreneurial, highly organized, creative communications and marketing professional to serve as a Communications Manager. Reporting to the Director of Communications, the Manager will play a key role in building a communications platform that lifts up the voices of all NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program partners (parents/guardians, school staff, community members, government partners, etc.), enables them to meaningfully contribute ideas and learn from one another, and generates momentum for ongoing engagement in and expansion of the program. The ideal candidate will be a stellar writer and storyteller who is passionate about partnering with communities to build wealth and opportunity and who is willing to roll up their sleeves, operate at various levels and with diverse partners, and juggle multiple projects and deadlines.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Working with the Director of Communications and the leadership team, support the implementation of an integrated strategic communications plan to advance the organization’s communications and engagement objectives (including earned media, social media, grassroots engagements, print materials, events, etc.);
2. Draft and edit copy of public-facing materials, including website pages and features, print materials, newsletters, website content, social media content, outreach flyers and emails, op-eds, blog posts, and other communications and marketing collateral;
3. Support writing and development of reports and other key organizational communications, including an annual report;
4. Develop messaging and creative for discrete action-oriented campaigns to engage program partners, including parents/guardians, school stakeholders, community members;
5. Manage vendor relationships with outside graphic design and marketing firms, public relations firms, printers, and translation firms;
6. Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, maintain, and support other staff and volunteers to maintain, strict adherence to NYC Kids RISE data security and privacy policies; remaining vigilant on the ways in which NYC Kids RISE can continue to protect Confidential Information (including Student and Family Data); identify vulnerabilities, and proactively problem solve to improve controls and practices; and
7. Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, participate and share in the organization’s work to advance racial equity and anti-oppression in the organization’s and program’s operations and practices; proactively identify opportunities to advance the development of an anti-racist organization; share and solicit ongoing feedback and conversations to advance this work.

Qualifications include:

• Proven experience in using communications and marketing to empower communities; understanding and experience in co-creating initiatives or campaigns with communities, track record in developing communications and marketing to drive consumer action;
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public policy, or related field; experience in communications, public relations, journalism, or related field;
• Experience planning, writing, editing, and producing newsletters, press releases, annual reports, marketing collateral, and other print materials;
• Experience creating and managing digital elements of campaigns and initiatives, including social media platforms, website content, email outreach, and online advocacy and organizing tools;
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with diverse stakeholders including NYC Kids RISE team, Save for College Program government partners, local schools, and other program stakeholders and participants;
• Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines, juggle multiple, simultaneous projects, self-reliant, good problem solver, and results-oriented;
• Strong judgment;
• Fluency with Constant Contact, and other online database, communication, and campaign tools, preferred;
• Graphic design ability or strong familiarity with the use of graphic design as a key communications element, preferred; and
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator a plus;
• Passion for social change, ability to be creative, strong sense of humor, flexibility, and a desire to work with fun people.