Senior Associate, Communications

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY

The Education Trust (EdTrust) seeks a Senior Associate to join the organization’s Communications Department. The Senior Associate will join a passionate staff at EdTrust who are committed to fulfilling the mission of closing opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families.

The Senior Associate, Communications serves as a key communications team member that serves as a liaison between our national and state teams. Duties include managing day-to-day implementation of strategic communications efforts and supporting media relations in conjunction with the National Communications Team and Partnership and Engagement team focusing on state advocacy capacity. The Senior Associate, Communications plays a pivotal role in amplifying advocacy goals at the state and national level.

EdTrust is comprised of fierce advocates for the high academic achievement of all students — pre-kindergarten through college, particularly those of color or living in poverty. Through research and advocacy, EdTrust’s goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that affect millions of young people across the U.S. — especially students of color and those from low-income families. We work alongside educators, policymakers, parents, and community and business leaders across the country to advocate transforming schools and colleges into institutions that serve all students well. Lessons learned in these efforts, together with unflinching data analyses, help shape our state and national policy agendas.

This role, available immediately, is based in our Washington, DC office and is eligible for telework for up to three days a week based on our current telework policy. The Senior Associate, Communications reports to the Director, Communications.

ABOUT THE SENIOR ASSOCIATE ROLE

Major responsibilities of the Senior Associate, Communications include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Coordinate and implement strategic communications efforts in partnership with the Higher Ed and P12 comms leads to amplify EdTrust’s advocacy goals, including managing media relations in support of state advocacy efforts
• Support the planning, coordination, and execution of public releases for EdTrust and partner-branded materials, ensuring all materials are consistent with branding guidelines
• Coordinate with digital media teams to enhance the online presence of advocacy campaigns, including the development of multimedia content and social media strategies
• Maintain a database of media contacts, segmented by state and issue area, to enhance targeted media outreach efforts
• Develop and present reports on the effectiveness of communications initiatives, with a focus on mission impact and alignment with organizational goals.
• Conduct analysis on the impact of communications strategies on state advocacy goals and national priorities, using metrics to assess effectiveness and make data-driven adjustment
• Keep abreast of emerging trends in strategic communications, media relations, and digital engagement
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to support cohesive communication strategies across all levels that resonate with diverse audiences, including policymakers, educators, parents, and community leaders

IDEAL SKILLS AND CHARACTERISITCS

• Shared belief in EdTrust’s mission and a commitment to improving educational equity
• Dedication in contributing to and maintaining an equitable working environment
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work quickly and maintain composure under short deadlines
• Teamwork skills and an eagerness for collaboration
• Ability to develop and maintain a detailed project timeline, ensuring all internal stakeholders are aligned and deadlines are met
• Problem solving ability
• Familiarity with pressing education issues and state legislative advocacy

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will possess the following and experience:

• At least a bachelor’s degree
• Four years of experience in communications, journalism, PR preferred
• Experience in political, advocacy or issue-based campaigns or organizations

VACCINATION FOR COVID-19

At EdTrust, the health and safety of our employees is of the utmost importance. As such, all Education Trust employees are required to be fully vaccinated and remain up to date on their vaccinations for COVID-19. New hires should be fully vaccinated and up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations prior to their first day of work. Requests for accommodations due to medical or religious reasons will be reviewed by Human Resources.