Communications and Events Manager

Description

Organization Overview

The mission of Onward We Learn is to inspire and prepare young people in Rhode Island to become the first in their families to attend and complete college. From the time they join through their early years of college, participants experience the steady, nurturing presence of caring adults and participate in programs that focus on academic enrichment, personal development, career exploration, and college preparation.

Purpose of the Position

The Communications and Event Manager will serve as a critical activator of our bold, narrative-driven brand. This position will ensure our identity is visible and deeply embedded across internal culture, public presence, community relationships, and audience experiences. The Manager will oversee multi-platform communications, own the design and delivery of flagship events, and ensure every touchpoint reinforces Onward’s mission. This role blends strategy with execution, creative storytelling with operational precision, and visibility with relational care.

Job Responsibilities:

Brand Activation and Systems Management

• Implement Onward’s brand identity across all internal and external channels.
• Conduct regular brand audits to assess visual and messaging consistency.
• Manage and maintain the organization’s brand toolkit (templates, messaging guides, collateral library, swag system).
• Partner with the Senior Director of Strategy and Partnerships to adapt brand materials for evolving priorities.
• Provide coaching and tools for staff to consistently apply brand standards across programs, presentations, and community interactions.

Strategic Storytelling and Audience Engagement

• Lead editorial and creation across digital platforms (social media, website, newsletters, email campaigns), ensuring a consistent, mission-aligned voice.
• Maintain and grow the organization’s story bank, working across teams to collect, archive, and activate student, family, alumni, and partner narratives.
• Oversee student-led content projects, storytelling labs, and peer ambassador initiatives.
• Develop and manage audience-specific storytelling strategies, including creating narrative arcs and segmenting content for diverse groups such as students, families, donors, partners, and policymakers.

Visual Identity, Swag & Collateral

• Oversee design and roll-out of Onward’s limited-edition swag drops, building cultural demand and visibility.
• Work closely with vendors to produce sustainable, high-quality merchandise and promotional materials.
• Partner with school-based and community events to create a highly visible Onward presence.
• Manage production of branded materials, ensuring visual identity is fresh, culturally relevant, and responsive to respective audiences.

Event Design, Production & Execution

• Plan and execute all major events, including student celebrations, alumni convenings, fundraising galas, policy round tables, etc.
• Ensure events reflect Onward’s brand values of joy, cultural fluency, and community-centered.
• Integrate donor stewardship events/campaigns with communications priorities.
• Build cross-departmental event planning systems, ensuring smooth logistics, promotion, storytelling integration, and follow-up engagement.

Team Collaboration and Professional Development

• Participate actively in departmental and functional meetings to understand organizational goals, support cross-functional collaboration, and provide updates as appropriate.
• Maintain a working knowledge of nonprofit communications trends, including mission-driven storytelling, donor engagement strategies, and community outreach best practices through professional memberships, sector networks, and communities of practice.
• Participate in ongoing professional development to stay informed about emerging trends in communications, digital media, brand storytelling, audience engagement strategies, and best practices in organizational messaging and public relations.

Requirements

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Business Administration, or a relevant field.
• A minimum of three years of experience in communications, marketing, or event planning.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Canva, Word Press, and other common…