Communications Manager - Umoja Community Education Foundation

Umoja is a community of educators and learners committed to the academic success, personal growth and self-actualization of African American and other students. The Umoja Community seeks to educate the whole student–body, mind and spirit. Informed by an ethic of love and its vital power, the Umoja Community will deliberately engage students as full participants in the construction of knowledge and critical thought. The Umoja Community seeks to help students experience themselves as valuable and worthy of an education. 

The role of the Communications Manager for the Umoja Community is critical in shaping our public image, promoting our mission, and attracting stakeholders.  This role will be pivotal in enhancing the foundation's visibility, reputation, and impact by effectively communicating its mission and value to the broader community. 

Communications Manager increase brand awareness for a company's current and potential clients and work in nearly every industry to create marketing materials to distribute to customers including newsletters, brochures, or email blasts. They also collaborate with design teams to produce other materials, including a white paper or promotional video. They distribute marketing materials to the appropriate parties, research online and offline channels, and determine best practices for distributing their marketing materials for maximum exposure. 

Marketing communications specialists track marketing campaigns once they have successfully launched. Utilizing metrics including customer engagement or conversion rates, they identify how to improve future marketing campaigns and make notes. They are responsible for reporting campaign performance to upper management by analyzing data to create presentations on analysis to deliver. They run special marketing and promotions campaigns and may be responsible for the setup of interviews or press conferences, which involves reaching out to media and industry experts. Marketing communications specialists need at least a bachelor's degree in marketing, media, communications, or related fields.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Designing and creating online marketing content, including newsletters, brochures and promotional emails 
• Collaborating with Leadership Team to create white papers, infographics and marketing videos 
• Tracking and recording the performance of marketing campaigns and presenting this information to the Leadership Team 
• Identifying the effectiveness of marketing material by tracking metrics including conversion rates 
• Reviewing and analyzing data to analyze effective marketing strategies and successful ways to increase brand awareness 
• Assessing the return on investment (ROI) for marketing campaigns 
• Coordinating the design of promotional material and distributing in online and offline channels 
• Advertising our company and products/services on various media 
• Plan interviews and press conferences 
• Produce marketing copy for our website 
• Craft and send regular newsletters with company updates 
• Track ROI for marketing campaigns 
• Join social media groups and professional platforms to discuss industry-related topics 
• Monitor corporate website and social media pages and address clients’ queries 
• Network with industry experts and potential clients to drive brand awareness 
• Assist with events to promote the foundation's programs and initiatives. 
• Coordinate participation in conferences, workshops, and other relevant events. 
• Work closely with internal stakeholders, including program managers, educators, and administrators, to gather information and insights for marketing and communication efforts. 
• Develop and distribute UCEF branding guide for internal and external use. 
• Establish vendor relationships to execute public relations strategies.  (Photographers, videographers, etc.) 
   
  

Requirements

• Proven work experience as a Communications Manager or similar role 
• BSc, BA in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations or relevant field ; MA in Marketing and/or Communications  preferred
• Familiarity with B2B and B2C advertising campaigns 
• Hands-on experience with web content management tools, like WordPress 
• Proficiency in MS Office 
• Knowledge of SEO and Google Analytics 
• Experience with marketing campaigns on social media 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Good presentation skills 

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Training & Development
• Free Food & Snacks