Director, Volunteer Communications & Marketing

Job Title: Director, Volunteer Communications & Marketing

Team: External Affairs

Location: In-Person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), or Newark (NJ)

Employment Type: Full Time

Start Date: ASAP

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program.

We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life-changing experience that begins with a semester-long course for college students followed by support that lasts through graduation.  

Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

To learn more, take a look at Braven’s Jobs Report.

About the Role

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Director of Volunteer Communications & Marketing to craft and drive the storytelling, messaging, and marketing strategy that inspires, retains, and grows our volunteer community. In this highly creative and strategic role, you will shape the voice of our volunteer experience–developing compelling narratives, brand-aligned messaging, and targeted campaigns that speak to the hearts and minds of our volunteers across the entire journey, from first impression to long-term engagement. You’ll partner closely with the broader External Affairs team, regional leads, and program operations to ensure cohesive, resonant, and data-informed communication that elevates the volunteer experience and advances Braven’s mission. This role is on the External Affairs Team team and reports directly to the Managing Director, Communications & Marketing.

What You’ll Do

• Volunteer Email Communications – 70%
• Lead the strategy, execution, and quality assurance for 100+ automated and manual email campaigns that drive recruitment, onboarding, and engagement.
• Create journeys with precise segmentation, conditional logic, and timing to ensure clear, personalized communication.
• Design and execute high-impact, segmented email campaigns across the full volunteer journey—from first interest to alumni engagement.
• Craft compelling messaging that articulates the impact of volunteering with Braven, drives prospective volunteer conversion, supports onboarding and program readiness with clear and timely information, and re-engages past volunteers.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the volunteer audience, using data and feedback to tailor messaging and optimize campaign performance.
• Write with clarity, warmth, and precision to set expectations and drive action at every stage of the volunteer journey.

• Manage Campaign Monitor accounts and lists, keeping subscriber data clean, organized, and efficient.
• Regularly test and monitor campaigns to ensure flawless delivery and troubleshoot issues as they arise.
• Analyze performance metrics and optimize journeys to improve conversion and engagement over time.

Digital Advertising & Social Media – 20%

• Manage and optimize digital advertising campaigns on platforms like LinkedIn to drive high-quality volunteer leads and meet recruitment goals.
• Develop and test ad creative and targeting strategies using performance data to iterate and scale what works.
• Track and report on ad performance metrics, making real-time adjustments to maximize ROI.
• Manage Braven’s volunteer brand presence on social media with engaging, mission-aligned content that builds awareness and trust, working in partnership with Braven’s Manager, Communications & Marketing.

Volunteer Brand Vision & Strategy – 10%

• Elevate and evolve Braven’s volunteer brand and communication strategy across multiple channels (e.g. email, web, social, collateral), ensuring consistency, creativity, and alignment with Braven’s voice and values across all touchpoints.
• Collaborate with the leadership of the Volunteer Engagement Team and the Communications & Marketing Team to shape the voice, look, and feel of Braven’s volunteer program.
• Identify opportunities to streamline messaging, strengthen storytelling, and connect volunteers more deeply to Braven’s mission and impact.

Minimum Requirements

• 5-7 years of experience in marketing, communications, or a related field, preferably with experience managing email marketing and digital advertising campaigns

Preferred Qualifications 

• Strong command of email marketing platforms like Campaign Monitor, with demonstrated ability to build, test, and manage automated journeys and segment audiences
• Experience leveraging Salesforce or other CRM/email automation systems to streamline messaging and communications.
• Experience running digital advertising campaigns, especially on LinkedIn, with a data-driven approach to targeting and optimization
• Excellent writing and editing skills with a strong eye for detail, clarity, and brand alignment
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Strong analytical skills and experience using performance data to refine marketing strategies and improve results
• Comfort working cross-functionally with tech, design, and program teams to move work forward and solve problems collaboratively
• A builder’s mindset: energized by creating new systems and processes from the ground up and continuously improving them

• Exemplification of Braven’s core values.
• Experience that has informed your belief in Braven’s mission and have prepared you to work with, or for, Braven’s student Fellow population.

Please know that no one ever meets 100% of the preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL),  or Newark (NJ) at least 3 days per week
• Travel: 4-8 times annually out of state for team events.
• Occasional evening hours for work events and/or to ensure we hit key campaign deadlines.

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship

Application & Interview Process

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be:

• Phone screen with Talent Team member
• Performance Task
• Interview with Hiring Manager
• Panel Interview with Key Partners
• Reference Checks

Compensation and Benefits

The salary for this position, which depends on prior work experience and our assessment of your demonstrated fit for the role, will likely be between $79,200-$99,000 in Atlanta, $83,600-$104,400 in Chicago, $92,000-$114,900 in Newark. This is based on a 50-hour work week at an hourly rate. This is a full-time regular, non-exempt, and benefits eligible position where you will be working at 100% capacity. Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size, with opportunities for salary growth over time. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Braven does not negotiate salary offers; instead each salary offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking. You will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail after you begin the application process.

Braven also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. While Braven reserves the right to change benefits at any time, current benefits include: 

• Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 19 days per year)
• Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
• Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff

Location

We gather in the office 3 days a week Tuesday through Thursday and work remotely 2 days a week Monday and Friday. Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of one of our hubs: Atlanta, Chicago, or Newark. We believe in the magic, connection, and collaboration that happens when people work together face-to-face, and we believe in giving people flexibility to focus, balance personal priorities, and save themselves two commutes per week.

Braven is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected factor.  We encourage talented individuals of all backgrounds to apply.