Publications Manager - Communications Team
Monday, July 18, 2011
By: Rachel Szarzynski

Flexible location

The New Teacher Project (TNTP) strives to end the injustice of educational inequality by providing excellent teachers to the students who need them most and by advancing policies and practices that ensure effective teaching in every classroom. A national nonprofit organization founded by teachers, TNTP is driven by the knowledge that effective teachers have a greater impact on student achievement than any other school factor. In response, TNTP develops customized programs and policy interventions that enable education leaders to find, develop and keep great teachers. Since its inception in 1997, TNTP has recruited or trained approximately 43,000 teachers and worked with more than 200 districts in 31 states - benefiting an estimated 7 million students. Meanwhile, TNTP's acclaimed studies of the policies and practices that affect the quality of the teacher workforce -- most recently including The Widget Effect (2009) and Teacher Evaluation 2.0 (2010) -- have influenced federal education policy and inspired reform efforts across the country.

TNTP is active in more than 25 cities, including 10 of the nation's 15 largest. For more information, please visit www.tntp.org .
We are currently seeking a full-time Publications Manager for our Communications Team. The location of this position is flexible and may be based in the central TNTP office in Brooklyn, NY or from a home office anywhere in the United States. This position is available immediately.

Communications Team

The Communications Team is a small, dynamic group responsible for TNTP's marketing, public relations and communications efforts. Among other things, the Communications team manages TNTP's brand and marketing strategy, writes and edits TNTP publications, provides strategic communications support to more than 25 TNTP project sites, generates proposals for new business, and ensures that TNTP's 300-person staff is well-informed. In 2010, the team coordinated the release of a half-dozen influential reports, advanced reform-oriented communications campaigns in partnership with several large urban school districts, and secured more than 50 editorials in prominent publications.

Role and Responsibilities

We know from experience that effective communications can be the deciding factor in the success or failure of education reforms. Simply having the right policy ideas isn't enough; TNTP must convey those ideas in a compelling and accessible way in order to shape opinions and create momentum for change.

One important way TNTP does this is by regularly releasing reports, whitepapers and other publications on timely education issues. We strive to create publications that present common-sense solutions to complex policy challenges in a way that resonates with a variety of audiences, including policymakers, elected officials, members of the media, teachers, school administrators and the general public.

TNTP intends to increase the frequency of its publications over the next year while still maintaining the level of quality and clarity that has consistently earned acclaim for its past publications. We plan to focus on providing district- and state-level policymakers with timely ideas and solutions that can immediately improve the effectiveness of their teacher workforce.
The Publications Manager will work closely with the Director of Policy Communications to write and edit publications that meet these goals. The Publications Manager will also be responsible for developing and managing all aspects of a publication process that ensures that publications meet TNTP's quality standards and align with the organization's broader communication strategy.

Specific responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Develop and maintain clear standards and protocols for TNTP publications
• Develop and manage an organization-wide publications process that leads efficiently from ideas to initial drafts to a polished product
• Coordinate with teams across TNTP to identify, schedule, and develop new publications
• Create and maintain a master publications calendar and tracking system
• Write and edit publication content so that it is compelling to all appropriate audiences
• Coordinate with graphic designers, proofreaders, printers and other vendors involved in the publication process
• Organize publications into logical streams or branded series
• Oversee and align TNTP's publications strategy with its overall communications plan
• Coordinate closely with other Communications staff on publications release and publicity efforts
• Provide additional writing support to Communications staff as necessary

This position reports to the Director of Policy Communications.

Qualifications

We are seeking candidates who believe deeply in our organization's mission, who thrive in an entrepreneurial and dynamic environment, and who demonstrate a record of achievement. Successful candidates will also demonstrate:

• Exceptional writing and editing ability specifically, an unparalleled ability to translate complex policy-related content into clear, accessible prose
• Minimum of 3 years experience managing editorial / publications processes
• Keen understanding of K-12 education policy issues
• Obsessive attention to detail
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Strong organizational and project management abilities
• Strong visual design sensibility
• Outstanding interpersonal and teamwork skills
• A willingness to work non-standard hours and/or occasional weekends

Compensation

The annual salary for this position is $60,000 or commensurate with experience in a similar position, with the potential for a performance based bonus. TNTP offers a motivated team of dynamic colleagues, a collegial atmosphere that values professional development and valuable feedback, a comprehensive benefits plan effective on the first day of employment including low cost medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, a 403(b) plan with matching, potential opportunities for performance based bonuses as well as the chance to impact the direction of a growing, mission-driven company that is committed to the success of our nation's children. For more information on TNTP's competitive benefits package, please visit http://tntp.org/join/our-benefits/

To Apply

Please submit your resume and tailored cover letter online at:

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA5/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=THENEWTEACHERPROJECT&cws=1&rid=946

We review applications on a rolling basis so it is to your advantage to apply as soon as possible. We will not consider applications without a cover letter tailored to this position, which can be addressed to the Human Capital Team. Please note that an offer of employment will be subject to the successful completion of a background check. The New Teacher Project is committed to fostering and capitalizing on the diversity of our organization. We are an equal opportunity employer and seek individuals of all ethnic and racial backgrounds to apply to this position. If you would like to learn more about our mission, please visit our web site at www.tntp.org.