Communications Associate

Job Title: Communications Associate

Classification: Full Time

Reports to: Communications Director

Salary: $50,000/year plus a generous benefits package, including 100% employer-paid health insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, summer Fridays, a paid week off between Christmas and New Year's, 403(b) retirement account, flexible hybrid/remote work environment, and a $1,000 annual professional development stipend.

Location: New Music USA’s office is in NYC, but this position can be remote. For those outside of the NYC area, occasional travel will be required. If NYC-based, hybrid home-office working is expected.

Application Deadline: September 12, 2024 at 8pm ET

About New Music USA

New Music USA is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing new music in all its forms. Our mission is to nurture a vibrant and inclusive community for artists and listeners by supporting the creation, performance, and appreciation of new music throughout the United States. Through responsive grant-making; skill-building; mentorship and convenings for creators from all backgrounds; and platforms designed to connect music-makers with organizations and their audiences, New Music USA works to ensure a thriving, connected, and equitable ecosystem for the music of our time.

New Music USA is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the music community our national organization serves. We believe that music can be a change agent for a more just and balanced world. We value belonging, empowerment, imagination, connectivity, and trust, and we embed these values in our organizational culture and across all our program activities. newmusicusa.org

Position Overview: A core support member of the communications team, the Communications Associate collaborates with the development and programs teams to collect, create, and share content that promotes the work of New Music USA, its grantees, and the broader new music community. This role reports to the Communications Director and works closely with the Program Associate. The Communications Associate creates and shares New Music USA’s digital content, implements New Music USA’s social media strategy, updates website content, and helps foster an engaged online community by responding to, sharing, and amplifying all voices that contribute to an equitable ecosystem for new music in the US.

Key Responsibilities:

Social Media Management

• Draft, copyedit, and schedule social media content across New Music USA’s platforms (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, YouTube), with an emphasis on developing engaging short-form video content.
• Produce social media content in alignment with New Music USA’s key strategic priorities and values.
• Stay current with social media trends and work with Communications Director to use trends to inform New Music USA’s social media strategy.
• Liaise with grantees and community members to coordinate features on our social media channels, i.e. Instagram takeovers and Grantee of the Month series.
• Engage with our community on social media by liking and commenting on relevant posts and sharing our community’s content on our channels.
• As directed: Help create, curate, schedule, and execute short-term and long-term social media campaigns in support of New Music USA activity.
• Monitor social media analytics weekly and present data to Communications Director quarterly.

Graphic Design, Photos, and Video

• Create and edit graphics and digital marketing materials for social media posts, newsletters, and print assets that align with New Music USA’s brand guidelines.
• As geography permits, help shoot nonprofessional video and photos of New Music USA / grantee events.
• Edit short-form video content for social media and YouTube.
• Maintain an organized digital asset library.

Newsletter Support

• Import newsletter content into Mailchimp; design and format newsletters to ensure consistency with brand guidelines.
• Help organize content for monthly community events newsletter.
• Assist Communications Director with proofreading and QA for newsletters.

Website Maintenance

• Make content edits to New Music USA’s website (WordPress) as needed.
• Support design of new webpages.
• Alert Communications Director of any site issues that need to be escalated to our web team.
• Update Community Calendar daily by evaluating and approving user-submitted event listings.
• Assist Program Associate with building grantee profiles ahead of grantee announcements.

Development

• Assist with digital communications surrounding specific fundraising/program campaigns, our annual gala, and our regular annual fundraising campaigns.
• Research, solicit, and liaise with new advertisers for the website.

General

• Oversee the communications email inbox.
• Support organizational internal data management across all departments.
• Provide support for special initiatives and partnerships as needed.
• Support job recruitment by posting job opportunities online and on social media.
• Research, solicit, and liaise with advertisers for New Music USA’s newsletters and website.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support organizational development of New Music USA.

Required Skills and Experience

• 1+ year of experience of end-to-end social media management, including basic graphic design and video editing, ideally for a music or arts organization.
• Proficiency with Canva, Adobe Photoshop, and/or Adobe Illustrator (or similar).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Experience updating website content using website CMS platforms (WordPress preferred).

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Familiarity with Bloomerang or similar CRMs.
• Demonstrated knowledge of non-commercial new music across the United States.

Key Attributes:

• Digital-first storyteller who is passionate about the ever-evolving landscape of social media and digital communications.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Highly organized.
• Exceptional proofreading skills and attention to detail.
• Eye for graphic design.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Collaborative and excited to play an important role on a small team.
• Creative, resourceful, and flexible when priorities change.
• Good listener and comfortable asking questions.
• Enthusiastic about digital community building and engagement.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Passion for New Music USA’s mission.
• In-depth knowledge of the music community New Music USA supports.

Compensation: New Music USA is offering an annual salary of $50,000 for this role, plus a generous benefits package including 100% employer-paid health insurance, 403(b) retirement account, flexible hybrid/remote working, paid vacation, sick leave, summer Fridays (6 full Fridays off between mid-July and Labor Day), and a paid week off between Christmas and New Years. Each employee at New Music USA also receives a $1,000 annual stipend for professional development.

All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, nation of origin, dis/ability, or age. We strongly encourage applications from all people including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQIA+ candidates, and candidates with dis/abilities. New Music USA envisions a thriving and equitable ecosystem for the music of our time across the United States. Read our Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism action plan here: https://newmusicusa.org/new-music-usa-action-plan/

Hiring Process

Interested applicants should submit the following:

• Resume and a cover letter explaining your interest in and suitability for the role.
• Names and contact information for three references, including one person who has supervised you in a previous role.
• Three work samples that showcase your writing and graphic design skills. At least one of these work samples must come from a social media account you have managed.

Please combine your resume, cover letter, references, and three work samples into a single PDF. Upload your materials to our application portal here (https://new-music-usa.breezy.h...). Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Application Deadline: September 12, 2024 at 8pm ET