Job Description

Status: Full Time
FLSA: Exempt
Location: Washington, DC; New York, NY; Remote

JOB SUMMARY AND KEY PRIORITIES:
The Senior Manager, PR will be a key player in growing the brand of Active Minds, and in widening awareness and enthusiasm of the mental health awareness and education efforts of the organization. This individual will ensure Active Minds is part of any and all major national mental health coverage, particularly coverage focused on emerging adult mental health. With a key focus on broadcast news and national print media, and a secondary focus on podcasts, documentaries, and more. This position will manage the organization’s public relations program, including staff experts and student storytellers.

The Senior Manager, PR will report to the Chief Marketing Officer, in addition to collaborating with other staff including senior team members to tell the Active Minds story.

ABOUT ACTIVE MINDS:
Active Minds is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults. Through our presence in more than 1,000 high schools and colleges, communities, and workplaces, and with a wide-reaching public audience, Active Minds is creating communities of support and saving lives. Founded in 2003 by Alison Malmon after the tragic suicide of her brother, Brian, Active Minds is dedicated to supporting a new generation in ending the silence, helping to make mental health as highly valued as physical health. We approach our work with a racial equity lens and are committed to the continued process of being and becoming a more anti-racist and inclusive organization. Through our many programs, we are changing social norms and behaviors related to mental health across the country.

KEY RESULTS:

Public Relations & Marketing Active Minds’ Thought Leadership (50%)

• Work closely with the CMO to proactively reach out to media to build public brand awareness:
  • Bring media relationships to Active Minds and proactively work to build new media relationships; Steward and nurture those relationships to maximize interest and coverage.
  • Showcase and support Active Minds subject matter experts related to higher education mental health programs; K-12 mental health culture-change; workplace mental health; community engagement and mental health equity with an emphasis on elevating awareness of mental health needs in BIPOC and LGBTQ communities.
  • Provide regular content, press materials, and media kits (potentially EPKs) to nurture media relationships and provide the content needed to achieve positive and informed earned media coverage.
  • Oversee and lead when necessary the quantitative and qualitative tracking of Active Minds media mentions.
  • Identify thought leadership opportunities for Active Minds leadership and other internal experts (including students who have received media training) in spaces such as op-eds, LTEs, podcasts, blogs, etc.
• Respond to frequent press inquiries for Active Minds’ voice related to young and emerging adults and campus mental health policies.
  • Train key staff, including senior team members, as thought-leadership voices for Active Minds with press, social, and other marketing opportunities.
  • Train SAC leadership and other mental health advocates to serve as ambassadors for the Active Minds brand in traditional media coverage.
  • Partner with colleagues on each team to maintain a current list of staff, student and expert voices able to speak to issues frequently coming to Active Minds for media mentions.
  • Regularly take strategic steps to develop a strong understanding of how to make Active Minds information and materials appealing to each target audience.
  • As appropriate, connect with communications officers of the various institutions/agencies/companies where Active Minds chapters are in operation and where events/projects/campaigns are taking place to partner in reaching out to media leveraging the relationships they already have.
• Continue growing Active Minds’ expert voice in the arena of young adult mental health:
  • Write and disseminate Active Minds news advisories and
  • Regularly proactively pitch content (including advisories, news releases and events) to media contacts (existing and new).
  • Create new communications channels to achieve communications and marketing goals including development and broad engagement around podcasts, public-facing programming, partnerships and other relevant outlets.
  • Lead efforts to build Active Minds’ position as a thought-leader in the industry, including working with Senior Team members and the Senior Manager, Communications & Storytelling to draft op-eds, LinkedIn posts, and Medium articles for Active Minds senior leadership.

Market Active Minds’ Programs (40%)

• Leverage brand partnerships and communications campaigns (Suicide Prevention Month, Mental Health Month) to secure traditional and new media coverage for Active Minds.
• Lead National Conference media engagement.
• Support Send Silence Packing promotion (media kit, school comms outreach, PR).
• Support planning and execution of tactics for organizational milestones

Other Duties as Assigned (10%)

• Lead SAC media training annually.
• Provide on-site support for the Active Minds events in addition to achieving successful media coverage related to the event.

Qualifications

About You

• Natural people person who appreciates that everyone has an important story to tell.
• Talented writer and creative communicator, able to maintain and develop Active Minds’ approachable voice.
• Accustomed to working on multiple projects with different deadlines simultaneously.
• Dynamic, professional, and poised brand ambassador for Active Minds.
• Ability to communicate effectively and enthusiastically in person, over the phone, and in writing, and with fellow staff members.
• Stickler for details and quality.
• Self-starter with a positive attitude who enjoys working proactively and thinking creatively.
• Advocate for social entrepreneurship and a believer in young people making an impact.

You Need to Have

• 5-7 years of nonprofit PR, marketing and communications experience.
• Knowledge of and experience in managing nonprofit marketing and public relations efforts.
• Own existing marketing and media relationships, and/or a willingness to develop new connections for the benefit of Active Minds.
• Ful digital literacy, including Microsoft and Google products, social media, and online meeting tools.
• Experience with CRM systems (ex. Salesforce) and other databases a plus.

OUR CULTURE

Active Minds is a place where every employee matters. We value diverse perspectives, radical authenticity, and a community-driven approach. We dream big, offering flexibility to staff while we work to achieve our mission. As such, we are proud to offer competitive salaries and benefits and an environment that is friendly to remote working and life/work balance.

Active Minds is an equal opportunity employer that works to advance racial equity and social justice in an increasingly multicultural and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background, intersectional identities, and lived experiences. We make a particular effort to recruit people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and people with other marginalized identities. Active Minds encourages all to apply for our open positions as we depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

COMPENSATION

This position offers an initial salary range of $77,000-87,300K along with robust benefits. The starting pay for this position is equal to others at the same level throughout the organization. Candidates whose experience meets both the minimum and preferred qualifications may be considered for a starting salary that exceeds the current amount. The role sits within Active Minds Level 4B salary band, and as such, has the potential to grow to $108k over time. FLSA Status: Exempt.

Active Minds has an industry-leading and competitive benefits package that includes Health, Vision and Dental Insurance, Paid Vacation and Sick Leave, Paid Holidays, Company Wide Mental Health Days, 401(k) Matching, HSA and FSA Options, Life Insurance, Short Term and Long Term Disability, Fully Paid Parental Leave, Wellness Reimbursement Program, and Professional Development Stipends.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and cover through this application form.

Active Minds is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we encourage all qualified candidates to apply. It is important to us to reflect the communities we serve. Active Minds thus recruits, hires, trains, compensates, and promotes our staff regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.