Start Early (formerly known as the Ounce) is an energized, future-focused organization devoted to providing quality early learning and care across the country.


Our desire to close the opportunity gap and build more equitable early learning experiences for our youngest learners guides everything we do. As a leader in early learning and care, we scale our deep expertise across program, policy and research through partnerships across the country.


We are recruiting individuals who want to join us in this mission and share a commitment to our core values of appreciation & respect, empowerment, diversity, excellence, learning and communication.


Become part of our rewarding, mission-driven culture! We want our employees to feel empowered, motivated, energized, and passionate about the work they do!


This position supports the Educare Network in its mission to demonstrate that research-based early childhood education prevents the persistent opportunity gap for our nations young children living in under-resourced communities. The Senior Associate will help manage and implement key brand and network marketing and communications initiatives to drive awareness and engagement in Educare and transform the field of early childhood education. They will develop internal and external communications materials for a variety of audiences and engage key constituents and other target audiences in Educares work through pro-active and reactive marketing and communication efforts. This position also collaborates with on-site communications staff across the network of schools, providing marketing and communications advice and consulting for school leaders, and provides marketing support for large Network events.

Reporting to the Manager, Educare Marketing and Communications, you will:





Develop and execute social media calendar and content (in partnership with manager) across the Educare Networks channels; includes paid promotion of content as needed, including the development of digital assets for channel promotion (social graphics/social toolkits, web images, etc.) This includes measurement and reporting.




Create and execute internal, network, and public-facing newsletters and marketing emails in the Marketing Cloud platform. This includes measurement and reporting.




Update web content and build new landing pages (particularly timely content like blog posts and event pages) as needed across various web properties. Coordinate cross-divisional collaboration to drive strategic content deployment and integration. This includes measurement and reporting.




External/field and internal/Network conference and PR strategy and execution, including proposal generation, logistics coordination and material development.




Development of Educare materials, including special reports, briefing papers, letters, fact sheets, brochures, summaries, etc., and ongoing file and content management across shared platforms.



Qualifications:





BA/BS in Marketing, Communications major preferred or equivalent experience.




Understanding of digital marketing concepts, strategies, and execution best practices.




4-6 years experience in marketing and communications including: Content management systems; WordPress experience preferred.




Email marketing systems and building and executing emails.




Implementing social media posts across channels and community management.




Working knowledge of graphic design tools.




Experience with cross-collaboration amongst different teams and within complex environments.




Ability to accurate synthesize information and coordinate exchange of ideas across a broad range of topics.




Marketing Cloud (formerly ExactTarget), WordPress, Adobe Creative or Canva experience preferred.




Familiarity with social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Threads.




Sprout Social experience preferred.




Must be a self-starter who is comfortable with ambiguity and able to operate independently (in partnership with/with guidance from Manager.




Deep commitment to advancing diversity, racial equity, and inclusion into organizational routines and practice.




Effectively establish and maintain effective relationships with customers and gain their trust and respect.




Comfort and experience in handling risk and uncertainty to move work forward.




Chicagoland Area Preferred. Cover Letter Required for Complete Application.


We recognize that few candidates might meet every single piece of knowledge, experience, or education listed here. Research shows that women and people of color, among many other historically excluded groups, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Start Early is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your qualifications dont perfectly align with everything in the job description, we still encourage you to apply!

Base Annual Salary: $67,125-$75K


We believe that all employees should be paid fairly and equitably. As of the time of this posting, this is the expected base annual salary range. The base annual salary will be based on a wide range of factors, including skills, qualifications, experience, as well as business needs and limitations.

Our generous benefits plan includes:


Comprehensive Health Plans, Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Holistic Wellness Program, Professional Development Program, 401k Contribution, Paid Volunteer Days, 6 months paid parental leave, and much more.


Start Early is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to our core values by creating an inclusive environment for all staff.