Marketing and Community Engagement Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager

Employment Classification: Full-time, non-exempt hourly

Hourly Rate: $27.00–$31.00 per hour

Reports To: Senior Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships

Primary Work Site: Remote, with regular statewide travel. Office space at a VAL Learning Center may be available.

Location Requirement

Although this position is remote, the successful candidate must be able to regularly travel throughout Vermont and attend in-person meetings, events, and activities as required. Because of the frequency of in-state travel, candidates should reside in Vermont or be located close enough to reliably meet these ongoing job requirements.

Help Shape the Future of Adult Education Across Vermont

Are you a creative communications professional who enjoys telling meaningful stories, building community connections, and creating strategies that make a real impact? Vermont Adult Learning is seeking a Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager to elevate statewide awareness of adult education, amplify learner success stories, and connect Vermonters with opportunities that transform lives.

This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic storyteller and relationship-builder who can blend marketing expertise, community engagement, and communications leadership to advance a mission-driven organization serving learners, employers, and communities throughout Vermont.

Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager leads Vermont Adult Learning's statewide marketing, communications, learner recruitment, public awareness, and community engagement efforts within the ONE VAL model.

This role is responsible for translating Vermont Adult Learning's strategic priorities into integrated marketing, communications, learner recruitment, public awareness, and community engagement strategies that strengthen the ONE VAL brand, increase organizational visibility, and build meaningful connections with learners, employers, partners, and communities throughout Vermont.

Working in close partnership with the Senior Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships, Executive Director, Leadership Team, Regional Directors, and program staff, Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager develops and implements coordinated strategies that support organizational priorities, promote learner success, strengthen community partnerships, and advance statewide awareness of adult education.

Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager serves as steward of Vermont Adult Learning's organizational voice, brand, and public identity, ensuring communications consistently reflect the organization's mission, strategic priorities, learner success, workforce impact, and commitment to educational equity.

In advancing ONE VAL, Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager promotes consistent organizational messaging across centers, strengthens statewide visibility, supports equitable access through strategic outreach and recruitment, and advances the Community Pillar by connecting learners, communities, employers, and partners throughout Vermont.

Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager reports directly to the Senior Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships.

The Senior Director establishes organizational priorities related to partnerships, business development, workforce initiatives, organizational visibility, and external engagement. Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager develops and implements marketing, communications, learner recruitment, public awareness, and community engagement strategies that advance these priorities.

The Executive Director serves as Vermont Adult Learning's primary spokesperson, policy advocate, and organizational leader. Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager supports these efforts by developing communications, storytelling, media relations, public awareness campaigns, and advocacy materials that strengthen Vermont Adult Learning's statewide visibility and reputation.

Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager collaborates closely with the Leadership Team, Regional Directors, and program staff to ensure marketing, communications, learner recruitment, and community engagement activities accurately reflect organizational priorities, learner outcomes, workforce initiatives, and the ONE VAL framework.

Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager partners with the Director of Data & Accountability to communicate organizational performance and impact, and with Regional Directors to coordinate statewide and regional outreach, recruitment, and community engagement efforts.

• Develop and implement Vermont Adult Learning's annual marketing and communications strategy.

• Lead stewardship of the ONE VAL brand across all programs, centers, and communication channels.

• Develop and maintain organizational brand standards, messaging guidelines, logo standards, communication templates, and written style guides.

• Ensure communications reflect Vermont Adult Learning's commitment to accessibility, inclusion, educational equity, and the ONE VAL framework.

• Develop statewide marketing campaigns supporting organizational priorities.

• Coordinate development of print, digital, and promotional materials.

• Design and produce routine branded communication materials, including brochures, flyers, social media graphics, presentations, signage, event materials, digital advertisements, and other marketing collateral using established brand standards.

• Ensure consistent branding and messaging across the organization.

• Strengthen statewide recognition of Vermont Adult Learning.

• Maintain a regular, visible presence in communities throughout Vermont by attending and representing Vermont Adult Learning at meetings, outreach activities, employer visits, conferences, and community events.

• Develop and implement statewide learner recruitment strategies.

• Coordinate outreach initiatives that increase learner inquiries and enrollment.

• Partner with Regional Directors to develop regional marketing and outreach strategies that align with the ONE VAL brand while responding to local community needs.

• Build relationships with employers, referral organizations, municipalities, educational institutions, workforce partners, libraries, and community organizations.

• Represent Vermont Adult Learning at community events, conferences, employer meetings, schools, chambers of commerce, Rotary clubs, job fairs, and partner meetings.

• Coordinate promotion of organizational events, graduation ceremonies, learner recognition activities, and community engagement opportunities.

• Support volunteer, alumni, and community engagement initiatives.

• Advance implementation of the Community Pillar by strengthening community partnerships and learner connections.

• Lead statewide communications strategy.

• Develop and manage the annual organizational communications and marketing calendar.

• Develop internal communication resources that support consistent implementation of ONE VAL.

• Coordinate organization-wide communications in collaboration with the Leadership Team.

• Manage Vermont Adult Learning's website and digital communications.

• Manage social media platforms and digital marketing campaigns.

• Produce newsletters, email communications, blogs, and organizational publications.

• Serve as Vermont Adult Learning's primary media contact and coordinate media relationships in collaboration with the Executive Director.

• Coordinate press releases, media advisories, and public announcements.

• Develop learner success stories, workforce success stories, community impact stories, photography, video, and other storytelling content.

• Maintain the organization's photography, video, and digital media library.

• Support presentations and communication materials for organizational initiatives and external audiences.

• Develop communications that increase awareness of adult education and Vermont Adult Learning's statewide impact.

• Prepare advocacy materials, fact sheets, annual impact reports, presentations, and public awareness resources.

• Support legislative communications and statewide advocacy initiatives.

• Promote learner success, workforce outcomes, and community impact.

• Position Vermont Adult Learning as Vermont's recognized leader in adult education and workforce development.

• Collaborate with the Executive Director and Senior Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships to support organizational advocacy priorities.

• Monitor marketing, recruitment, website, and social media performance.

• Analyze learner inquiry sources and outreach effectiveness.

• Evaluate marketing campaigns and recommend improvements.

• Develop marketing dashboards and reports for organizational leadership.

• Collaborate with the Director of Data & Accountability to communicate organizational outcomes and impact.

• Collaborate with workforce leadership to promote employer partnerships, apprenticeship initiatives, VAL Works workforce training programs, fee-for-service programs, and other strategic initiatives.

• Develop communication resources supporting implementation of ONE VAL.

• Provide branding guidance, templates, and communication tools for staff.

• Promote consistent communications across all learning centers.

Marketing Communication & Community Engagement Manager advances ONE VAL by:

• Strengthening the ONE VAL brand across all centers and programs.

• Advancing the Community Pillar through marketing, outreach, partnerships, and community engagement.

• Supporting learner recruitment and equitable access to services.

• Increasing statewide awareness of Vermont Adult Learning and adult education.

• Supporting implementation of Strategic Goal Five: Visibility, Voice, and Leadership through coordinated marketing, communications, public awareness, and community engagement.

• Promoting collaboration across Education, Workforce, and Community.

• Ensuring organizational communications align with Vermont Adult Learning's mission, strategic priorities, and shared accountability model.

• Serve as Vermont Adult Learning's primary grant writer.

• Lead fundraising strategy or donor cultivation.

• Manage foundation or corporate giving.

• Administer donor databases or donor acknowledgment processes.

• Own organizational business development strategy.

• Independently establish advocacy or public policy positions.

• Supervise Regional Directors or program staff.

• Independently establish organizational marketing strategy outside established leadership processes.

• This position currently does not supervise staff but may assume supervisory responsibilities as organizational needs evolve.

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Business, Nonprofit Management, or a related field preferred.

• Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in marketing, communications, community engagement, public relations, or a related field.

• Experience developing and implementing integrated marketing and communications strategies.

• Demonstrated success managing organizational brands, websites, social media platforms, and digital communications.

• Excellent written, editing, presentation, and verbal communication skills.

• Strong relationship-building, networking, and community engagement skills.

• Experience developing marketing campaigns, storytelling initiatives, and public awareness efforts.

• Demonstrated experience creating professional marketing and communication materials using graphic design platforms such as Canva. Experience with Adobe Creative Suite is a plus but not required.

• Experience using Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Canva, WordPress, and social media management platforms pref