Marketing Communications Specialist

Are you a creative, results-driven marketer with a passion for making a meaningful impact? Come be part of a mission-driven team that’s redefining what's possible in rural communities across the country.

Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. (RISI) is a dynamic social impact consulting firm, working hand-in-hand with our collaborating organization, the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Together, we are empowering rural communities to build thriving tech economies by supporting scalable entrepreneurship and tech job creation.

As we embark on our most ambitious growth phase yet, we’re looking for a Marketing & Communications Specialist to help elevate our national visibility, reach key audiences, and generate new business leads. This is a high-impact role on a passionate, collaborative team where your creativity, problem-solving, and design instincts will help us meet our goals and drive real change.

If you're excited about the opportunity to build bold campaigns, engage new audiences, and make a difference in rural America, we want to hear from you.

Job Description:

Marketing Strategy & Execution

• Develop and execute comprehensive digital marketing strategies that align with organizational goals, with a focus on lead generation and increased engagement across websites, email, and social media.
• Manage all aspects of our digital campaigns—from planning and execution to analysis and optimization—in support of key initiatives, events, and programs.
• Ensure digital activities are integrated with broader communications strategies, including earned media, events, thought leadership, and speaking engagements.

Social Media Management

• Oversee CORI and RISI’s social media presence, including content creation, scheduling, posting, and engagement on LinkedIn and Facebook
• Track KPIs and campaign performance, using tools like Hootsuite and native platform analytics to inform strategic decisions and optimize reach.
• Manage paid social campaigns and promote brand consistency across all social touchpoints.

Content Development & Editorial Support

• Create compelling written and visual content for websites, social media, and email campaigns.
• Collaborate with staff to write and create content that highlights our work, elevates our thought leadership, and aligns with programmatic goals.

Email Marketing

• Develop and execute email marketing campaigns, including newsletters, announcements, and event invitations; design engaging and modern email templates.
• Maintain segmented email lists, adhering to best practices to ensure deliverability and performance.
• Track metrics, analyze performance, and adapt content to increase audience and engagement.

Website Management

• Manage updates to CORI and RISI websites, including posting blogs and announcements, updating landing pages, and setting up gated content.
• Collaborate with website vendor to support content development, SEO/SEM optimization, UX improvements, and ongoing website enhancements.
• Monitor website performance using Google Analytics and provide actionable insights.

Design 

• Design digital assets for social media, websites, email, and collateral using tools such as Canva and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Ensure brand consistency and quality across all visual content.
• Produce and edit video content for website and social channels
• Support the creation of presentation materials, including slide decks and talking points.
• Update and design printed collateral and templates (slide decks, one-pagers, etc.) as needed.

General Marketing & Communications Support

• Work closely with other departments to support mission-critical marketing and communications needs.
• Support event and webinar planning and execution.
  Collaborate with external vendors including web developers, graphic designers, etc.
• Maintain and organize digital assets, including image and video libraries.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in marketing, content strategy, or a related field, preferably for a national nonprofit organization, social enterprise, or professional services firm
• Reside or have lived experience in a rural community. Visit this webpage to learn how CORI/RISI defines rural.
• Proven success managing and executing on multichannel marketing campaigns across web, email, and social media, with a focus on both lead generation and engagement metrics
• Strong writing and editing skills with experience in telling compelling stories and optimizing content for different channels
• Experience designing engaging marketing assets aligned with organizational branding
• Experience with SEO/SEM strategies and web content management.
• Skilled in basic video editing, particularly for creating short-form video content and social media assets that support 
• Expertise with marketing tools such as Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Constant Contact, Canva, Adobe Suite, and WordPress.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple projects, work cross-functionally, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail, commitment to producing high-quality products and results, and a creative problem solver.
• A collaborative spirit and a passion for rural economic development and social impact.

Physical Requirements:

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Location:

Fully remote, but will require travel to Hartland, VT headquarters and/or other rural locations 1-3 times a year for in-person meetings.

**We are seeking candidates who currently live in a rural area or have lived in a rural area for more than 5 years. Rural is defined as a town with a Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) code of 4 or higher as determined by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy.**

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Please make sure your application materials are tailored to showcase your ability to succeed in this specific role.
• Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
• Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. will manage the application and review process using our Workable platform. Please direct all inquiries through this system. We are unable to respond to phone and email inquiries at this time.

• Annual professional development allowance 
• 100% employer paid health, dental, vision, life and short-term disability insurance
• 5% employer matched 401k after 90 days
• Home office set-up allowance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Fifteen days accrued PTO, plus eight floating holidays
• The salary for this position is $75,000 - $85,000 depending on experience
  
  
  We are an Equal Opportunity Employer—people of color, people with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to a diverse workplace, and to supporting our staff with ongoing career development opportunities. We are interested in your ambitions, personal experiences, great ideas, and passions, and believe that everyone’s unique story and perspective adds value to our organization.