Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications Operations

Deadline to Apply: Friday, October 16 at 11:45pm ET 

About JFF 

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve 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: By 2033, 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 200 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.   

Equal Employment Opportunity at JFF  

Inclusion, belonging, and well-being are core to JFF’s North Star and mission, and we seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve as it is important to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members. 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 career advancement opportunities for all. 

JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we hire based on qualifications, and experience, and we are committed to fair opportunity for all qualified candidates – including those without a 4-year degree or with a conviction history.

About the Marketing & Communications Team 

Our mission is to maximize the positive impact of JFF’s programs, products, services, and staff expertise. We do this by: 

• Staging high-quality convenings and ensuring a presence at prominent events hosted by other reputable organizations 
• Creating content and messaging that is both accurate and engaging to our key audiences 
• Distributing that content to any policymakers, practitioners, thought leaders, etc. who can act upon our messages and spread them to those who can 

About the Position 

The Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications Operations serves as the operational engine of JFF's Marketing and Communications team. This role is responsible for keeping the team running smoothly - managing budgets, coordinating vendors and contractors, establishing project management standards, and building the systems and processes that allow the team to do its best work. This role reports to the AVP, Enterprise Marketing & Communications and works closely with team leadership, finance, and contracts to ensure the department’s operations are streamlined, compliant, and aligned with organizational priorities. 

The ideal candidate is a highly organized, proactive problem-solver, and someone who finds deep satisfaction in bringing structure and efficiency to complex, fast-moving environments.  They will also be energized by building strong operational systems, coordinating across teams and external partners, and bringing structure and momentum to complex Marketing and Communications work. The Senior Manager will bring strong project management and operational skills, an ability to navigate ambiguity and competing priorities, and a track record of serving as a trusted collaborator and connector across a matrixed organization. They will be skilled at translating strategy into clear processes, workflows, and project plans; coordinating resources, vendors, and stakeholders; and creating the systems and operating rhythms that enable a high-performing Marketing and Communications team to work effectively. 

What You'll Do   

Project & Budget Management  

• Develop, track, and manage marketing and communications project budgets, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and fiscal constraints  
• Establish and maintain project management standards, templates, and workflows in Asana across the Marketing and Communications team  
• Own project intake, prioritization, and capacity planning processes  
• Partner with internal stakeholders to strategically develop efficient project plans, resource assignments, estimates and project timelines for funded deliverables by monitoring and evaluating project plans, tasks, resources, deadlines, and any post-project needs      
• Lead resource planning and allocation across concurrent projects and workstreams 

  Vendor & Contractor Management  

• Identify and onboard external vendors and contractors, partnering with stakeholders to define scope, establish engagement requirements, and align external expertise with Marketing and Communications initiatives 
• Manage relationships with agency partners, freelancers, and other external resources, serving as the primary point of contact to ensure alignment, effective communication, and seamless coordination across engagements 
• Negotiate contracts, scopes of work, and service agreements in partnership with contracts and finance  
• Review and process vendor invoices, track external resource spend, and reconcile expenses against project budgets to support accurate financial management and forecasting
• Maintain an accurate, centralized roster of active freelancers, contractors, and other external resources to support resource planning, project staffing, and vendor management

 Team Operations  

• Drive team operating rhythms by facilitating recurring meetings, establishing agendas and decision-making processes, and ensuring clear ownership and follow-through on priorities 
• Design and maintain centralized systems for team documents, assets, and resources, improving access to information and reducing operational friction 
• Serve as the operational backbone of the Marketing and Communications team, identifying workflow gaps and bottlenecks and proactively implementing solutions that improve efficiency, clarity, and cross-functional collaboration 
• Partner with team leadership to design and continuously improve internal processes, SOPs, and operating norms that enable the team to work more effectively and consistently 

Cross-functional Collaboration  

• Facilitate cross-functional coordination between Marketing and Communications and Finance, Contracts, and Program teams, navigating operational and budget requirements and ensuring effective adherence to organizational processes and protocols
• Develop and support onboarding practices that equip new team members with the tools, systems, processes, and context needed to integrate effectively into the team 

Who You Are  

• You bring a strong track record of leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects from planning through execution, with the ability to create structure and efficiency in fast-moving, matrixed environments, preferably with experience supporting Marketing and Communications initiatives 
• New hires at the Senior Manager level at JFF typically bring 5–8+ years of relevant professional experience, including experience gained through full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance roles 
• You establish project-management guardrails, align resources and expertise to project needs, and develop effective vendor and contract workflows 
• You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and brainstorming creative solutions to challenges as they arise 
• You are highly organized and have a strong instinct for building systems that improve reliability, clarity, communication, and follow-through 
• You have strong written and verbal communication skills and are comfortable with building relationships and managing communications with external partners, especially freelancers and vendors