About JFF

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable 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: In 10 years, 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 300 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.

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone. 

DEIBW at JFF

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. 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 equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.

We seek to invest and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply.

About the Center

JFF is excited to launch a new Center for Career Navigation to mobilize the field around a bold vision for building the bridge from learning to work for Gen Z. Over the next decade, Gen Z will enter an evolving workforce with new opportunities and challenges. So, it is more imperative than ever that they can find, evaluate, finance, secure, and flourish in opportunities that lead to high-quality jobs they can trust. We believe in the power of building connections between learners and workers aged 16 - 24, training providers, and employers so that Gen Z can navigate non-degree and degree pathways and work-based learning opportunities. 

By 2030, this Center will realize our vision to impact more than 20 million Gen Z learners, providing them the tools, access, and experience needed to confidently navigate various pathways. The Center aims to mobilize the field in youth career navigation and launch a tech experience that helps young people across the US bridge the education-to-career cliff. The Center’s work will focus on:

• Engaging JFF’s networks across the learn to work ecosystem
• Driving thought leadership
• Building and launching impactful digital marketing campaigns across key stakeholder groups
• Engaging in advocacy work with federal and state policy

About the Position

JFF is looking for an experienced, agile, and innovative Associate Vice President (AVP) to lead the marketing and communications strategy for our new Center for Career Navigation. In this role, you will lead the development and execution of the digital strategy targeted towards Gen Z and audiences focused on career navigation for Gen Z, to ensure the Center for Career Navigation’s messaging supports the organization’s unique value proposition across the education and workforce ecosystem. 

Reporting into JFF’s Marketing & Communications Lead and working in close partnership with the leadership of the Center and other Marketing & Communications Team colleagues, the AVP will lead the marketing, communications, and narrative change campaign to promote our solutions, establish our leadership in the field, and publish our findings. You will also collaborate and manage JFF’s relationship with an external marketing agency, playing a critical role in developing and elevating the Center’s brand, reinforcing its impact and measuring its growth. 

Your work will be instrumental in defining and strengthening the Center’s brand identity, creative content, public relations, events and communications. The ideal candidate is an experienced communications and marketing strategist who thrives on delivering results in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, and is eager to drive the communications and marketing engine for the Center for Career Navigation.

What You'll Do

Drive innovative, inclusive and strategic campaigns to increase engagement and expand the Center’s influence 

• Build an innovative marketing strategy for the Center that supports JFF’s strategic priorities and creates a distinctive brand targeted towards Gen Z, employers, education and training providers, and other key audiences 
• Lead relationship management of an outside creative agency, working jointly to develop and implement a cohesive marketing plan and narrative change campaign to increase brand awareness of the Center and its ambitious vision
• Create, test and implement creative campaigns and themes, in partnership with a creative agency, connecting with our target audiences and creating consistent measurable impact
• Develop a sustainable, strategic digital marketing and public relations plan to maximize and grow the success of the Center
• Champion the Center’s content creation and marketing strategies, while ensuring alignment with JFF’s enterprise marketing goals and brand

Deliver powerful results through targeted outreach and engagement

• Clearly define, design and increase digital and content marketing campaign ROI, and develop metrics to track the success of marketing campaigns
• Manage the design, launch and engagement of diverse content (e.g., images, video, written) across various marketing platforms
• Identify and propose solutions to emerging marketing trends and technologies to maintain a competitive edge
• Conduct related market analysis to identify challenges and opportunities for market reach and engagement 
• Drive relationships with media partners, field leaders and others to secure coverage and amplify our position in the field

Foster collaboration across the Center, JFF’s central Marketing Communications team and other partners

• Leverage and engage with Marketing Communication Business Partners to elevate and manage a unified go-to-market approach, consistent with JFF’s brand and messaging 
• Partner with central Marketing Communications, IT and Development colleagues to create demand generation that’s scalable
• Provide leadership and consultation on projects across other Centers and Practices at JFF and JFF Labs that have implications to the work of the Center for Career Navigation

Who You Are 

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work.

• You bring expertise designing and leading digital marketing strategy within the education and workforce ecosystem, ideally with success targeting the Gen Z population (New hires at the AVP level at JFF typically bring 15-20 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions) 
• You are an innovative marketer, with experience successfully leading and championing the development and implementation of strategic marketing plans
• You are proficient in working with marketing technology systems and tools including CRM, content management systems, SEO/SEM, and others
• You are creative and disciplined, with an ability to leverage quantitative and qualitative data to inform your priorities and to launch effective campaigns with both quickness and quality 
• You are skilled at quickly building an understanding of your target audiences and adapting and tailoring your marketing and communications strategies accordingly
• You are an effective writer and facilitator who is skilled at translating complex topics and strategies into simple language 
• You have experience being a thought partner to senior leaders with a proven track record of influencing their decision making and helping to build consensus with multiple stakeholders who may have different perspectives 
• You have experience building relationships across teams within a matrixed organization; you build positive relationships with internal leaders and external stakeholders based on trust and building mutual understanding 
• You bring experience in developing and exceeding ambitious marketing strategies and goals, ensuring alignment with the goals of multiple complex programs and initiatives, and know how to communicate about them in a compelling way to external audiences
• You have an entrepreneurial mindset and an appetite for building, scaling, and innovating marketing and communications strategies and processes
• You mentor and empower others to allocate resources and manage priorities effectively to keep teams focused on results and can organize teams, facilitate teamwork, and foster collaboration to drive the collective achievement of an organization’s mission
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work 
• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that each individual brings to JFF 
• You have a willingness to travel (up to 30%) to support efforts that increase brand awareness of the Center and its ambitious vision

What We Offer

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers. 

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.

The hiring range for this role is $160,000 - $185,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Associate Vice President salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands. 

To Apply

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. We are accepting applications through 5pm EST on April 5th.

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org.

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.