About JFF

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.

DEIBW at JFF

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.

We seek to invest and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply.

About the Position

Reporting to the Director, Public Relations within the Strategic Communications team, the Manager, Public Relations will help raise awareness and recognition of JFF in the education and workforce development fields by securing national, regional and trade media coverage and promoting the work of key thought leaders at JFF. The Manager will identify media-worthy stories within JFF, draft compelling news pitches, press releases, Op-Eds, statements, and talking points, as well as cultivate relationships with members of the media, partner organizations, and industry influencers.

This newly created Manager, Public Relations role is an exciting opportunity for someone who is looking to work with a leadership team to execute targeted PR and media outreach while connecting with external stakeholders to build relationships and secure speaking opportunities for key spokespeople. If you are looking to deepen your experience and subject matter expertise in growing an organization’s influence over public and private sector policies and practices that affect today’s learners and workers, this role will provide the opportunity to build relationships with marketing and communications colleagues, as well as members of our program, policy, and research teams. They will support an organization-wide, multi-faceted PR and communications strategy to support our path of ongoing growth and expanding impact in education and workforce spaces.

What You'll Do

Lead Effective Partnerships to Enhance Media Relations and Press Outreach

• Partner with the Director of Public Relations and the Strategic Communications team to support a unified public relations and media relations strategy to amplify JFF externally
• Support day-to-day media relations and outreach efforts, including fielding interview requests for executives and subject matter experts, developing talking points and media briefs, and providing interview preparation as needed
• Draft and edit press releases, statements, announcements, and Op-Eds
• Build and maintain a list of key reporter contacts to foster relationships and identify proactive pitch opportunities based on coverage areas
• Utilize social media to amplify media coverage of JFF, monitor news trends and build relationships with the members of the press
• Contribute to the development of a thought-leadership strategy to promote subject matter experts, which includes identifying and connecting external news trends with JFF priority initiatives and key spokespeople
• Collaborate with communications colleagues to develop and execute targeted PR and media relations strategies to support the promotion of individual JFF reports and initiatives
• Liaise with external PR firm to ensure focus on key organizational priorities

Contribution to External Visibility of JFF’s Work

• Work with colleagues to secure speaking engagements for JFF thought leaders at industry conferences and explore additional speaking opportunities
• Collaborate with digital marketing colleagues to leverage social media, email, and digital channels to amplify our messages and key partner messages to targeted audiences

Media Monitoring and Reporting to Inform Continuous Improvement

• Generate detailed reporting of earned media coverage to provide ROI metrics on public relations efforts, including impressions, sentiment analysis, breadth, and depth of coverage
• Monitor industry keywords, reporters, and competitors to identify opportunities for future coverage and establish benchmarks
• Create a quarterly summary of public relations metrics to support the development of the board deck and track KPIs

Who You Are

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work.

• You have exposure to supporting or managing public relations, strategic communications, or experience as a journalist ideally focused on education, workforce development, or a related social enterprise with prior exposure to working in/with nonprofits, the public sector, public policy, or issues advocacy campaigns (New hires at the Manager level at JFF typically bring 3-5 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions)
• You have strong writing, editing and storytelling skills and bring an understanding of what makes a compelling story
• You have experience engaging with members of the media and generating national and trade-level media coverage
• You have experience building and maintaining positive and collaborative relationships with others, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own, and are comfortable connecting with internal and external peers and senior-level leadership to amplify our messages to key audiences
• You know how to use your good judgment, clear analytical thinking, and strong decision-making skills to independently manage your day-to-day work
• You seek out opportunities to find new ways of doing things, make meaningful contributions, and support your team and organization’s mission
• You have experience organizing bodies of work for your team to support your organization’s strategic goals and priorities while taking ownership of your tasks and keeping yourself and others focused and accountable to the work, deadlines, and intended outcomes
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work
• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that each individual brings to JFF
• You are able and willing to travel up to 10%. This includes traveling to the Boston office up to 3 times per year to meet with the Marketing and Communications team and to participate in both team and organizational retreats, as needed (Note: JFF requires Covid vaccination for all work-related travel)

What We Offer

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.

The hiring range for this role is $60,000 - $70,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Manager salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.

To Apply

We are accepting applications through November 20th, 2023. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of November 27th, 2023.

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process.

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.