Marketing and Communications Manager

Location: Remote (U.S.). Preferred states: NY, CA, ME, IL, DE, CO, TX, KS, MO, NC, PA, MA.

LEANLAB EDUCATION OVERVIEW

Leanlab Education is a nonprofit education R&D lab validating tomorrow's education innovations through codesign research. We bridge the gap between researchers, product developers, and educators - ensuring evidence flows where it's needed, when it's needed.

We believe that by strengthening edtech's evidence base, supporting the scale of evidence-based edtech, and increasing demand for evidence-based edtech, we can accelerate educational outcomes and ensure all learners have access to effective, excellent solutions.

Our collaborative team is guided by three core values:

• Adaptability: we operate with curiosity and respond to an evolving landscape
• Boldness: we take initiative and push boundaries to deliver outcomes for learners
• Codesign: we design with, not for, the humans at the center of education

POSITION

Reporting to the VP of Strategic Partnerships, the Marketing & Communications Manager is responsible for bringing Leanlab’s communications strategy to life.

This is a manager-level role for a communications leader who excels at execution and is motivated by building toward something bigger. In the near term, this role owns and executes Leanlab’s existing communications strategy across channels and partnership, shaped by bold decision-making, strategic thinking, and strong relationship-building across the education and edtech ecosystems. Over time, it is intentionally positioned to track toward leading the creation of an updated communications strategy in 2027–2028.

Success in this role means producing high-quality communications and strategically supporting and enhancing Leanlab’s credibility, influence, and visibility through a focus on three outcome areas:

• Strengthen market positioning: Leanlab is strongly positioned as a research leader through visible partnerships, co-authored content, shared platforms, and a research advisory board.
• Target direct outreach to influential players: We showcase our close partnership with funders and major players as we work with them to solve their most vexing research challenges. We're invited to shape initiatives, not just respond to them.
• Amplify Leanlab’s work: Leanlab's nimble approach, centered on codesign and research agility, keeps pace with fast moving technologies and is setting an industry standard.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Create excellent content that reinforces Leanlab’s brand, credibility, and values

• Produce partner-facing, turnkey content (e.g., social media copy, graphics, short-form narratives) designed for easy sharing by collaborators and influencers
• Coordinate and manage co-authored content (e.g., blogs, announcements, research summaries) with partners
• Support advisory- and research-aligned initiatives by developing supporting communications materials
• Coordinate and produce webinar content to showcase Leanlab’s research and work

Design and execute outreach to target audiences

• Develop and deliver communications aimed at key leaders and decision-makers
• Draft executive-level communications (e.g., CEO letters, direct outreach emails, briefing materials, conference sessions)
• Package research and partnership work into concise, user-friendly, audience-specific narratives
• Build, maintain, and manage contact lists for priority audiences and outreach campaigns

Manage and execute multi-channel communications

• Own Leanlab’s core marketing channels and ensure consistent execution in alignment with communication strategy (e.g. Linkedin, Instagram, email, website)
• Ensure consistent, influential, and engaging social media presence that supports communication strategy, including designing accompanying graphics and short-form assets
• Manage social campaigns, including setup, monitoring, and optimization
• Own the bi-weekly newsletter end-to-end, including content sourcing, editing, design, and distribution
• Draft, edit, and publish website content; manage ongoing updates and additions
• Maintain current pulse on marketing & communication methods and strategies bringing recommendations to Leanlab leadership

Design and execute outreach to target audiences

• Identify, recommend, and prepare for conference and event attendance that supports high-impact visibility and strategic communications plan
• Build and maintain a calendar of relevant conferences, submission deadlines, and opportunities
• Relentlessly secure high-visibility speaking and presentation opportunities that deliver on the communications strategy
• Develop content, prepare materials, and ensure speaker preparation to maximize speaking engagements and event attendance
• Own conference strategy and logistics (e.g. attendee prep, booth materials, signage, handouts) maintaining clear, compelling, and strategically-aligned event-related content before, during, and after conferences

Reporting, optimization and analytics

• Own grant reporting function including tracking of outcomes, description of activities, written reporting and coordinating with Business Manager to ensure financial reporting is complete
• Track and report on engagement, reach, and conversion metrics across channels
• Maintain dashboards or reports tied to marketing and communications goals
• Use performance data to recommend adjustments to content, timing, and channel mix as well as broader revenue strategy

THE PERSON

This role is a strong fit for someone who:

• Enjoys working autonomously and creatively managing their own timelines, deadlines, and high-quality deliverables while seeking advice, engagement, and review from others when needed
• Brings ideas and knows how to turn the best ones into impact, building and testing without waiting for oversight
• Is obsessed with maximizing influence and quality, not just output
• Cares deeply about ensuring Leanlab’s work is visible, credible, and influential
• Is energized by starting and shaping initiatives, not just maintaining them
• Thinks 2–3 years ahead and enjoys building toward a future-state communications vision

QUALIFICATIONS

• 4+ years of experience in marketing and/or communications
• Demonstrated ability to execute a marketing and communications strategy at a high level
• Strong relationship-building skills and comfort working with senior leaders and external partners as well as a cross-functional team internally
• Exceptional writing and visual design skills
• Strategic thinker with a data-informed mindset
• Highly organized and autonomous; able to set priorities independently
• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop)
• Familiarity with email marketing platforms and analytics
• Knowledge of education and edtech trends and audiences

BENEFITS & SALARY

This is an exempt position with full benefits, retirement plan with company match, and unlimited PTO in addition to company holidays including 4 weeks of company-wide shutdown per year. The position is remote, with occasional travel for client meetings or project-related activities.. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and be based in the United States. The salary range for this role is $80,000-$90,000 annually aligned with our internal compensation philosophy which means that an offer is unlikely to be placed at the top-end of this range.

Please by February 27, 2026 through this application.

NOW