Senior Brand & Content Lead

Rice University•Houston, TX

23h•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Brand & Content Lead within OpenStax at Rice University owns brand strategy, editorial voice, and external content and communications across the OpenStax K-12 and Higher Education markets. OpenStax is a nonprofit educational initiative of Rice University that publishes free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed textbooks and builds interactive teaching and learning tools used by students and educators across high school and higher education. Working under the direction of OpenStax marketing leadership, the Senior Brand & Content Lead develops and implements complex, multi-audience communications and marketing strategies; sets, governs, and enforces the OpenStax brand and style guide; leads public relations, media relations, and external communications; supports executive messaging; owns the editorial voice, content calendar, and the organization’s owned content channels, including the blog, newsletters, podcast, and social media; and serves as a core member of the cross-functional product marketing group, contributing to positioning, messaging, and sales-facing collateral. This is an individual-contributor role that drives cross-functional collaboration across marketing, product, design, sales, and leadership and provides expert guidance and mentorship to colleagues without formal supervisory authority.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree (or equivalent related experience on an equivalent year-for-year basis).
Four or more (4+) years of experience in brand management, content strategy, communications, marketing, or public relations.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Strong leadership and strategic-management skills.
Strong project-management and organizational skills.
Strong organizational and creative skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Strong editorial and brand judgment, including experience developing or maintaining brand or style guidelines.
Ability to manage multiple content workstreams and editorial calendars simultaneously.
Ability to collaborate effectively and build consensus with colleagues across teams without formal authority over them.
Proficiency with standard office and content-collaboration tools.
Familiarity with responsible AI tools and strategies for content and marketing purposes.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, Writing, or a related field.
Eight or more (8+) years of experience in brand management, content strategy, communications, or public relations, including experience developing or maintaining brand or style guidelines.
Experience in a nonprofit, higher education, K-12, or edtech organization.
Experience owning brand or content strategy across more than one audience or product line simultaneously.
Direct experience with media relations, press outreach, or executive communications.
Experience contributing to product marketing or sales-facing collateral as part of a cross-functional group.
Familiarity with marketing automation or CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Pardot).

Responsibilities

Develops and implements complex, multi-audience communications and marketing strategies.
Sets, governs, and enforces the OpenStax brand and style guide.
Leads public relations, media relations, and external communications.
Supports executive messaging.
Owns the editorial voice, content calendar, and the organization’s owned content channels, including the blog, newsletters, podcast, and social media.
Serves as a core member of the cross-functional product marketing group, contributing to positioning, messaging, and sales-facing collateral.
Drives cross-functional collaboration across marketing, product, design, sales, and leadership.
Provides expert guidance and mentorship to colleagues without formal supervisory authority.
Partners with the Design Lead on brand execution across visual and written materials, ensuring consistency between design and content.
Supports the development of sales and marketing materials, including one-pagers, decks, and other collateral, in partnership with sales and marketing colleagues.
Contributes to a culture of learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the OpenStax team.