Manager, External Affairs - Governance & Communications

Uncommon Schools•New York, NY

2d•$91,300 - $107,400•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, External Affairs - Governance & Communications supports the work of Uncommon Schools’ NYC External Affairs team by helping strengthen governance and compliance, communications, and both external and internal partnerships across the region. This role coordinates key work with the Uncommon NYC Board of Trustees, manages regional communications channels, and helps ensure important external affairs projects move from planning through execution. The Manager works closely with school leaders, external partners, Trustees, and colleagues across Uncommon to develop clear, audience-centered communications and maintain the strong relationships necessary to move this critical work forward. They also use data and project management systems to organize complex work and communicate progress and insights to stakeholders. Through this work, the Manager helps Uncommon NYC tell its story, and sustain the relationships and systems that support our schools and students.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Marketing, Communications, or a related field.
5–6 years of relevant experience. Relevant backgrounds may include program or project management, communications or marketing, development, public policy, community organizing, digital media, school or regional operations, or other work that builds transferable skills for this role.
Experience managing or supporting organizational social media accounts, including content creation and planning.
Strong project management and implementation skills, with attention to detail and the ability to build and maintain effective systems.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor communications to different audiences.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to inform work and communicate findings clearly.
Ability to build effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders and coordinate work across levels and teams.
Ability to manage competing priorities, work independently, take initiative to build systems where they may be lacking, incorporate feedback, and navigate ambiguity.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Experience in education, fundraising or board management, and/or demonstrated alignment with Uncommon Schools’ mission.

Responsibilities

Coordinate the management of the Uncommon NYC Board of Trustees, including Trustee relationships and communications, meeting content, storytelling, and onboarding of new Trustees.
Coordinate annual Trustee visits to school campuses, including scheduling, Trustee communications, and preparation with school leaders.
Monitor changes in state, local, and charter authorizer policy and support appropriate responses.
Manage regular charter reporting and compliance, and the charter renewal application process with Uncommon NYC’s authorizer.
Manage Uncommon NYC’s regional social media accounts, including content development, editing, planning, event coverage, and engagement with comments and direct messages.
Partner with school-based social media points of contact to source stories and content, provide ongoing support, and coordinate communications and expectations across schools.
Collaborate with social media leads across Uncommon regions and manage the work of a part-time external digital media consultant.
Manage website updates, coordinate school visits from external stakeholders, and craft a monthly region-wide family newsletter featuring school highlights and stories.
Represent Uncommon NYC with key external stakeholders and partners as needed and collaborate with internal teams on governance and external affairs special projects.
Partner as needed with external affairs colleagues on advocacy, and family and community engagement workstreams - this may include attending community events, or project management and communications support.
Develop and maintain project management and accountability tools for governance, communications, and stakeholder engagement work, including complex and long-term projects.
Coordinate with colleagues and partners across levels and teams to ensure assigned deliverables are completed and project goals are met.
Support the NYC External Affairs team’s annual planning process in partnership with the Senior Director.
Help develop and maintain team-wide systems, including meeting agendas, processes, surveys, templates, and tools that support External Affairs workstreams.
Use internal data platforms and dashboards to pull reports and conduct analysis.
Translate existing reports and data into clear narratives tailored to different audiences, such as Board-facing presentations and school leader communications.
Use qualitative and quantitative data, including stakeholder feedback and surveys, to inform future work.
Use data analysis and project management tools to support routine work, projects, and planning.