The Search for Our Next Brand and Communications Director

Do you believe in the transformational power of higher education and have a passion for helping Maine’s young people reach their full potential during their college years and beyond? Are you committed to increasing the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education?

The Mitchell Institute welcomes applications from marketing and communication professionals seeking to become Brand and Communications Director at Maine’s premier higher education scholarship organization. Learn more below about the opportunity to improve the lives of young people from every corner of Maine who face uphill battles on their way to college.

The Brand and Communications Director serves as the Institute’s chief content and communications officer and is broadly responsible for the execution of multimedia and traditional communications that increase the organization’s reputational strength and appeal for all external and internal constituents. The Brand and Communications Director assesses constituent message segmentation, conducts environment scan and gap analyses, and adopts industry best practices to produce digital and non-digital messaging that ensures reputation advancement of the Institute.

This director-level role reports directly to the President and CEO, executing weekly deliverables that support the strategic direction of the Institute. The Brand and Communications Director also works closely with the Development Director, serving as chief editor of donor and philanthropic-driven messaging that advances the Institute’s revenue streams. The brand development and visibility of the Institute is driven through community-, social-, email- and multimedia-focused communications. The Brand and Communications Director is a highly productive and versatile professional who develops and delivers engaging content to tell the Institute’s story and data across multiple channels to reach target audiences and deepen engagement. The director monitors metrics and analytics to make data-driven decisions about content development and efficacy.

  • Execute strategic communications and multimedia strategy that strengthen the Institute’s stature and support brand lead objectives, strategic plans, and partnerships
  • Produce and deliver new collateral weekly to serve key internal and external constituent groups, including donors, foundations, thought leaders, partners, and scholars
  • Deploy messaging strategy that aligns with the mission, values, and strategic priorities
  • Generate weekly video, photography, and message content
  • Leverage content across Institute channels to reach messaging goals, realize brand promise, and enhance institutional reputation
  • Ensure brand guidelines are implemented and remain current
  • Create and maintain external marketing relationships, including any paid marketing firms/consultants with whom the Institute may contract services
  • Serve as primary press contact with newsrooms, editors, and media outlets
  • Oversee and update website and communication platforms
  • Assist the President and CEO with managing unplanned/urgent communications
  • Staff the Brand Development and Marketing Committee
  • Work independently, in teams, and with agility in support of the President and CEO
  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • Eight plus years of experience with responsibilities for major publications and external communications content
  • A high degree of skill with writing for news, social media, and marketing communications; location photography and photo editing; DSLR video development and production; Web content management; developing email concept, copy, and graphics for broadcast email; writing and distributing hometown press releases and media pitches; building infographics
  • Experience with Adobe Creative Suite, WordPress, Constant Contact, and other communications applications and systems
  • Demonstrated leadership-level experience with producing a broad range of strategic communications involving interview-based written and video stories; copy for web, email, social media, and print collateral; photo and video assets; and light design/animation
  • Demonstrated experience with developing and executing a broad range of contemporary, traditional, and digital-focused communication plans
  • Demonstrated experience with project management of publications and productions
  • Proven track record of making data-driven content decisions with engagement analytics/metrics
  • Flexibility, creativity, and willingness to work in an organization pursuing mission growth
  • Understanding of higher education and social-mobility-driven missions
  • Experience working with board governance structures is preferred
  • Must support organization’s policies and procedures, including a high degree of confidentiality

Additional Duties
• Participates in signature events with donors, board, partners, scholars, and alumni
• Participates in the scholarship selection process
• Participates in events that may require occasional evening/weekend hours or travel
• Performs other duties as needed or assigned

The Brand and Communications Director will have several tools available to capture content and tell the story of the organization to all of its audiences:

  • A Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR camera, Canon 70–200mm f2.8L lens, and Canon 24–70mm f2.8L lens
  • A Macbook Pro and 27-inch monitor
  • Adobe Creative Suite
  • Photoshelter for image archiving
  • WordPress
  • Exposure for photo-driven storytelling
  • Podbean for podcast hosting
  • Mailchimp and Constant Contact for email messaging
  • MS Office

The Brand and Communications Director will tell the story of the organization to all of its audiences through several communications, including, but not limited to:

  • Manual dexterity, visual acuity, hearing acuity, and flexibility
  • Able to sit for moderate periods of time, using a keyboard. Moderate walking; off-site events may require prolonged periods of standing or walking
  • Ability to travel throughout state using personal vehicle or rental vehicle; valid driver’s license and verifiable auto insurance required
  • Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. Some reaching and bending necessary
  • Staff members are encouraged to participate in outdoor retreats, which may involve more rigorous physical activity
  • Salary range: $80K–90K
  • 5% employer contribution to retirement
  • Health insurance with a 100% employer-paid option
  • Employer-paid life and disability insurance
  • 12 paid holidays + 4 weeks of paid vacation time
  • Parking permit for a lot near 75 Washington Ave.
  • Professional development opportunities  

Applicants are invited to apply by submitting a resume, cover letter, three references*, and a portfolio of work to Erica Leighton, Operations Manager, at eleighton@mitchellinstitute.org.

We aim to welcome the Brand and Communications Director to the Mitchell Institute community in July 2025. Applications received by June 18, 2025, will be reviewed, and applications will be accepted until finalists have been invited for interviews.

*References will be contacted at the finalist stage of the search and with prior notice to candidates.

About the Mitchell Institute

Through nearly three decades of experience and evidence-based research, we know that student success in college depends on more than money. Additional support and guidance during college increase Mitchell Scholars’ chances of attaining a degree, finding meaningful employment in Maine, and strengthening their communities long after college. The Mitchell Institute offers Scholars a broad range of wraparound supports and resources during and after college to help them hone leadership skills, find and pursue career exploration opportunities, and develop networks that are vital to finding satisfying and purposeful work.

Learn more about our signature programs and supports.

Learn about our founder, Senator George J. Mitchell.

Since 2000, we have conducted longitudinal scholarship research to learn about the experiences of Mitchell Scholars and Alumni. Our research on Mitchell Scholars demonstrates that our methods work: While 44% of recent Mitchell Scholars were the first in their families to attend college and 75% came from households earning less than Maine’s median family income, they graduate at a rate 27 percentage points higher than the national average. Over 50% achieved earnings early in their careers that were higher than their entire family household income at the time they applied for the Mitchell Scholarship.

Learn more about the measures of our impact.

Headquartered at 75 Washington Avenue in Portland, the Mitchell Institute’s nine full-time professionals are committed to the organization’s mission—to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education. We work with young people from every corner of Maine who face uphill battles on their way to college, and we level the playing field for them by providing financial resources and a broad range of supports. Through our work, we help Mitchell Scholars graduate from college at a rate that far exceeds the national average.

Learn more about the Mitchell Institute staff.