Associate Director - Digital Marketing and Strategic Communications at America Needs You – NEW YORK, New York

Today, more than half of all college students in the U.S. are first-generationthe first in their families to navigate college and forge a career path beyond graduation. But only 21% of first-generation college students graduate within six years. While there are a multitude of programs for first-generation college students, few offer the deep mentoring relationships and skill-building necessary to graduate and launch successful careers. This is where America Needs You (ANY) comes in. After completing our Fellows Program, 96% of ANY Fellows graduate college and go on to earn a median income significantly higher than their peers.

ANY is the national nonprofit connecting first-generation college students with transformative mentorship and intensive career development for economic mobility. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, ANY expanded to New Jersey in 2012, Illinois in 2015, and our operation continues to grow. In 2021, ANY launched FirstGenU, a flexible digital career development program designed to help first-generation college students across the country launch great careers. Visit americaneedsyou.org to learn more about our programs and their impact.

We are seeking an Associate Director, Digital Marketing and Strategic Communications. This Associate Director will drive digital content production, engage and grow digital audiences, and manage ANYs social media and web presence. A passionate communicator, the incumbent will craft compelling messages, produce creative and impactful images and videos, drive audience engagement and development across digital channels, and tell ANYs impact story to various audiences. This unique role will also support a major brand refresh and the development of a new communications strategy and new digital platforms as ANY steps into a new strategic direction. Reporting directly to the Chief Communications and Engagement Officer and collaborating with external partners, this role also works closely with the program team, development team, local sites, students, and mentors to produce impactful and streamlined communications products.

This inspirational leader is passionate about ANYs mission, is highly collaborative, has a hunger for developing strong partnerships and raising critical funds, has a recognized track record of achieving excellence, and demonstrates proven success in managing the day-to-day operations of a growing organization. The ED will have a growth mindset and execute ANYs current program, while focusing on market opportunities, to include regional expansion in the Midwest within the next 2-3 years.

Website content: Collaborate with regional and national staff to regularly update all components of the website, ensuring accuracy, brand fidelity, and alignment with brand narrative. Ensure that web components, such as the volunteer portal and events calendar are accurate, compelling, and easy to navigate.

Web development: Design and develop intuitive web content and components that showcase our mission, build audiences, and deepen digital engagement.

Email marketing: Collaborate with regional and national staff to develop and distribute engaging strategic emails and newsletters, drafting and editing copy and building visual components. Track distribution and engagement data and iterate for deeper email engagement.

Daily social media operations: Collaborate with colleagues across the organization, populating the editorial calendar, drafting high-quality messages and images, and collaborating with CCEO.

Social media strategy: Contribute to and deliver on a social media strategy aligned with brand and audience engagement goals.

Content creation: Create engaging, tailored content across platforms with expertise in LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

Social media engagement: Pitch and execute collaborative content and external social events, such as live conversations, co-posts, and interviews featuring ANY experts with external partners. Support covering live speaking engagements, workshops, career days, and other events for social media.

Storytelling: Work directly with Fellows and mentors to craft student-centered stories and capture impact. Cultivate an affirming and positive space on social media where first-generation college students can tell their own stories and share their perspectives.

Editorial Planning: Maintain and project manage the organizations editorial calendar, tracking deliverables through project management tools.

Content Distribution Management: Collaborate with regional sites and national staff to refine and maintain distribution lists, using Salesforce and email marketing platforms.

Donor Communications: Work with the development team to craft bespoke

communications highlighting our mission and impact to deepen donor relationships.

Future planning: Thought-partner with CCEO and vendors to plan and support a reenvisioning of our brand. Coordinate vendor engagement and project manage timelines and deliverables.

Resource building: Collaborate on narrative playbooks and internal operational tools for a streamlined communications shop.

Event support: Support operations and collaterals for all events, including our annual gala and spring fundraising events.

Provide regular reports and analysis on social and website KPIs.

Stay informed on digital channel and platform changes and adjust strategy accordingly.

Streamline and optimize current social platforms and develop buildout of new ones.

Grow our social media audience, reach, and engagement metrics.

Strategic Digital Communications: Develop and execute integrated digital strategies that advance brand awareness, audience engagement, and mission storytelling. Translate organizational goals into cohesive digital campaigns that drive measurable outcomes and align with ANYs strategic direction.

Content Creation and Storytelling: Craft compelling, authentic narratives that elevate the voices of first-generation students and mentors. Produce high-quality written, visual, and multimedia content that drives engagement, deepens understanding of ANYs impact, and strengthens connection with key audiences.

Platform Management and Analytics: Oversee the organizations social media, website, and email marketing platforms to maximize reach and engagement. Leverage analytics to measure effectiveness, inform content strategy, and ensure continuous improvement aligned with audience insights and trends.

Project Management and Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead complex, multi-stakeholder projects with precision and clarity. Coordinate timelines, deliverables, and communications across teams and vendors to ensure brand alignment, operational efficiency, and timely execution of strategic initiatives.

Brand Stewardship and Innovation: Safeguard and strengthen ANYs brand identity while driving creative evolution that reflects the organizations growth and values. Identify opportunities for innovation in design, storytelling, and digital engagement to keep the brand current, authentic, and mission-centered.

Strong alignment with ANYs mission, vision, and values

Bachelors degree and legal work authorization

Minimum of 6 years of experience in a strategic communications role

Deep familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, video editing tools, WordPress, Salesforce, and email marketing tools

Expertise and fluency in social media platforms, strategies, and analytics. Experience in paid social is desired.

Project management, editorial calendar management, and event management experience highly desired

Ability to wear many communications hats across functions, experience working on small teams or in growing organizations is beneficial

High degree of initiative and ability to take ownership over workstreams

Proven track record of engaging and growing social media audiences

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Strong interpersonal skills, solutions-oriented team player, flexible thinker, and ability to deliver on editorial deadline

This position is hybrid and based in the New York City area.

This role requires flexibility and availability to support occasional events and programs that fall on evening or weekend hours.

We offer a warm, collaborative work environment with a rich culture of support and feedback, a generous benefits package (health/dental insurance, 403(b), FSA, three weeks vacation, etc.), and connections to an expansive professional network.

This role is hybrid.

The salary for this position is in the range of $72,000-$80,000 a year.

Please note that your application will not be considered without a cover letter.

No phone calls, please.