Director, Marketing & Communications

Music Will•Covina, CA

6d•$114,506 - $121,241•Remote

About The Position

About Music Will Music Will runs the largest nonprofit music education program in the U.S. public school system. We transform lives by transforming music education. Using genres including rock, pop, Latin, and hip hop, our program empowers teachers to build music programs as diverse as the kids they serve. As a result, students see themselves reflected in their classes, which strengthens their connection to their school, their peers, and their community. Music Will also donates necessary instruments and curriculum, meeting a key need of many school music programs. Since 2002, Music Will has served more than 1,800,000 students in more than 6,000 schools in over 1,000 cities and communities across 50 states with highly inclusive and culturally responsive music education. Today, over 1 million kids currently participate in Music Will programs, and we’ve set an ambitious goal to serve 11 million students annually by 2030. Learn more here: www.musicwill.org . Summary of the Opportunity Our vision is to partner with tens of thousands of teachers to bring the transformational power of music to 11 million students annually. To achieve that growth, we must bring powerful ideas, messages, and stories to our expanding community of educators, funders, and collaborators. The Director, Marketing & Communications plays a critical role in making that possible. Reporting directly to the CEO, the Director will lead the Marketing and Communications team and establish a cohesive, organization-wide strategy. This strategy will encompass: Email communications Content creation Social media engagement Digital marketing & advertising Search Engine Optimization Public Relations Engagement with artists and music industry leaders Exploration of new media (e.g., podcasts) The primary goal is to effectively reach and engage our key audiences. This leader will ensure marketing efforts are strategically aligned with programmatic and fundraising priorities by partnering closely with other teams to create unified messaging and coordinated tactics that lead to measurable results. Under the Director’s leadership, the Marketing & Communications team will serve as a leader, thought partner, and collaborator across Music Will to ensure that messaging and communications are aligned and impactful across all channels, both those directly overseen by the Director and those led by other teams. We are seeking a leader who is both a creative storyteller and a strong operator – someone who can translate big ideas into clear strategies, and ensure those strategies are executed with consistency, clarity, and impact. The Director, Marketing & Communications will be responsible for setting priorities, managing competing demands, and ensuring timely follow-through. And of course, we are looking for a candidate who believes in the power of music in their life and in the lives of the students, teachers, and communities we care about and support.

Requirements

At least 7-10 years of experience in marketing and communications, especially in a mission-driven environment
3-5 years of management and/or leadership experience
Experience developing and implementing strategic marketing plans
Previous lead or strategic oversight role for the creation of content (e.g. blogs, podcasts), including content production and art direction, and managing social media dissemination
Experience managing new and ongoing website development and enhancements; incorporating SEO into tech assets
Demonstrated ability to use digital marketing as a key driver of brand awareness, audience growth, and audience engagement
Work with celebrities, artists, or influencers to collaborate in ways that amplify messages
Proven superior communication skills (written and oral); able to adapt personal style to capture the voice of Music Will and share our story
Ability to operate in a fast-paced, evolving environment while creating clarity, structure, and direction for team members and cross-functional partners.
Demonstrated experience managing and developing teams with a track record of setting clear expectations, providing consistent feedback loop, and driving accountability for results.
Proficiency with Wordpress and Social Media Channels (functionality and best practices)
Proficiency with Google Workspace and Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

Nice To Haves

Certifications and/or degrees in Marketing, Digital Marketing, or related areas
Experience working with educators, or as an educator
Music industry and/or artist relations experience
Experience working with Salesforce, or similar CRM
Music maker, a plus!

Responsibilities

Collaborate with the CEO, MarComm team, and various department leads to develop and implement a marketing and communications strategy that expands and engages our key audiences and elevates Music Will’s brand, leading to program impact, funding, and broader brand awareness.
Lead the development and alignment of brand voice across all communication channels (those led by the Marketing & Communications team and those led by other departments), ensuring consistent, high-quality storytelling while adapting tone and messaging to platform, audience, and content type
Own end-to-end execution of marketing and communications initiatives, ensuring projects are delivered on time, aligned to priorities, and meet quality standards.
Establish clear planning processes, timelines, and communication cadences with cross-functional partners to ensure alignment, minimize last-minute requests, and drive consistent execution.
Serve as a strategic partner to other departments, providing guidance and guardrails for communications initiatives driven by those departments (e.g. cause marketing and promotional campaigns, advertising our digital curriculum).
Provide consistent, engaged management to direct reports, including regular check-ins, clear goal-setting, and ongoing coaching and feedback. Ensure team members have clear priorities, are accountable for deliverables, and are supported in their professional growth.
Oversee Music Will’s email marketing, social media, digital advertising, and PR. Leverage data analytics to inform strategy, optimize campaign performance, personalize audience engagement, and guide long-term marketing decisions, while driving measurable growth and engagement.
Partner on a coordinated story gathering and storytelling effort that supports both our program and fundraising goals.
Integrate our artist relations efforts into the organization’s program, funding, and brand awareness objectives.
Lead implementation and support sustained utilization of SEO to drive increased website traffic.
Define, track, and report on KPIs that measure the effectiveness of marketing and communications efforts, and use data to inform strategy, prioritize work, and drive continuous improvement.

Benefits

Benefit package (medical, dental, vision), up to 100% paid for employee coverage
Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account Options
Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance
403(b) Retirement Savings Plan with 3% match after 90 days of service
Eligibility for student loan forgiveness through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Discretionary Time Off policy, 10 paid holidays, and company-wide office closure from December 24th through January 1st
Flexible work arrangements
Monthly remote work stipend
Employee Music Enjoyment stipend
Additionally, we provide employees with a laptop, monitor, docking station, and peripherals for business use.