Manager Marketing and Digital Media

Organization: Food Forward, Inc. – a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit

Position: Manager, Marketing and Digital Media

Hours: Full-time, Exempt, hybrid 

Location: North Hollywood

Organizational Overview: Food Forward Inc. fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. Fruits and vegetables are collected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. This recovered produce is provided, free of charge, to hunger relief organizations that serve community members in various ways: food banks, homeless outreach agencies, domestic violence shelters, transitional youth homes, veteran services, family resource centers, LGBTQ+ teen/adult/senior services, college student assistance programs, programs serving people with disabilities, and many more. Since Food Forward’s inception, our staff and thousands of dedicated volunteers have rescued hundreds of millions of pounds of fruits and vegetables. This produce helps feed millions of people across thirteen Southern California counties and seven states and tribal lands. See our core values. 

Position Overview:  Food Forward is seeking a full-time Manager, Marketing and Digital Media, who has experience and passion for food justice and the communities we serve. The Manager, Marketing and Digital Media is a visual, data-driven, and big-picture storyteller with deep experience managing a successful paid media marketing and digital portfolio. This role is the organization’s point person in advancing the organization in the hunger relief and environmental spaces. The candidate is highly organized, results-oriented, proactive, an out-of-the-box thinker, and has experience developing and executing successful digital paid media marketing campaigns, pitching ideas, and delivering projects on time against rolling and tight deadlines. The Manager, Marketing and Digital Media is responsible for developing buzzworthy marketing and digital campaigns, focusing on PR-worthy messaging and partnerships to advance and elevate the organization’s impact while informing and inspiring audiences. They can conceive an idea and determine the steps to create a successful path to execute a vision with minimal supervision and manage the department’s annual outreach portfolio. They will be an integral part of the Communications team, reporting to the Director of Communications. The Manager, Marketing, and Digital Media work closely with team members, including Development, Community Programs, Agency Relations, and Wholesale Recovery.

What does success look like in this role?

• A digital advertising expert with extensive experience in paid media marketing, digital advertising, and PSAs.
• A generalist with a “can do” perspective and a sharp eye for creating on-target content that successfully elevates the organization’s voice and overall marketing, impact, audience, and donors through various successful and creative digital advertising and marketing campaigns.
• An excellent writer and storyteller who can capture Food Forward’s compelling story.
• Actively collaborates with departments and partners to brainstorm comprehensive and creative growth strategies and marketing pilots while launching high-quality paid media campaigns on time and within budget.
• Takes a solution-oriented approach to project and department-related challenges and thrives when there isn’t a clear path to the solution.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and simultaneously juggle and prioritize multiple projects.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Marketing and Digital Media

• Develops and executes the annual digital, paid media marketing, and advertising plan.
• Drafts and delivers marketing presentations/decks and presents to existing and prospective partners that maximize partner engagement, media placement, audience growth, and donor conversion.
• Develops creative briefs and the creative direction to meet objectives for all advertising and public-­facing communications, including print, digital, and video assets.
• Research promotions, partnerships, and advertising opportunities to build awareness for each Food Forward program. Establish budget guidelines and organize outreach processes and plans.
• Gathers and analyzes information to identify new marketing markets while expanding existing marketing campaigns and strategies.
• Develops digital content governance guidelines for tone, style, and voice for internal and external use.
• Remains up-to-date on current marketing trends and participates in marketing pilots and tactical groups.

Ambassadors and Outreach

• Cultivates a roster of like-minded content creators and potential ambassadors while stewarding current ambassadors and negotiating ambassador partnerships/packages for campaigns throughout the year.
• Corresponds and builds relationships with hunger relief agency partners and the produce industry through on-site visits and virtual meetings.
• Establishes and implements the produce industry media and outreach plan that results in securing at least 3-5 industry-related media coverage to build awareness year-round.
• Drafts media releases, presentations, influencer/partnership collateral, and story pitches.
• Manages department and organization events and steps in as the organization representative as needed.
• Research identifies and shepherds the organization’s strategy and submissions for annual conferences, speaking engagements, award opportunities, and annual nonprofit lists to place the organization in at least 3-5 conferences and 5-8 prominent nonprofit/”giving” annual lists.
• Gathers, tracks, and analyzes audience and market insights to inform outreach strategies and increase donor conversions.
• Collaborate across teams to determine and solve campaign objectives.
• Present ideas and final deliverables and communicate to the leadership team about marketing programs, plans, and strategies.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading, implementing, and executing paid media marketing campaigns, paid search, video campaigns, digital advertising, and PSAs across various paid media platforms (I.e. Amazon Ads, Meta Suite, Audioboom, etc.).
• A portfolio that showcases successful digital advertising and paid media marketing campaigns, media releases, creative briefs, presentations, influencer collaborations, and audience cultivation across various platforms.
• Bachelor’s degree in digital advertising, marketing, or a related field, as well as experience.
• Proven track record building an influencer and ambassador roster.
• Experience crafting media alerts and promotional material while communicating effectively verbally and in writing with clients, vendors, and internal departments.
• Strong collaboration skills across various stakeholder groups and managing events
• Solid knowledge of SEO and website analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Looker Studio, Meta Suite, etc.) and running A/B experiments.
• Proficient in Adobe Suite, Salesforce, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, WordPress, Asana, and Keynote, along with a willingness to learn new platforms.
• A valid CA driver’s license and ability to travel to office locations in Los Angeles and Ventura locations.
• Being available to work weekends and early or after hours occasionally is essential.

Department Core Competencies

• Organizational, time management, analytical skills, and independent judgment amongst shifting priorities and meeting deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of current marketing tools and strategies to lead integrated digital marketing campaigns from concept to execution.
• Ability to use data to craft a narrative that showcases the impact of the organization’s work across various audiences.
• Experience overseeing, creating, and implementing projects from conception to delivery.
• Mastery of the organization’s story and programs.
• The ability to maintain confidential information.
• Proficient in policies and data related to Food Forward to draft messaging.
• Excellent writing, researching, editing skills, and building presentations.
• Strong design eye: understanding of design elements and trends in digital marketing.
• Photography: a keen understanding of how to use photos to convey impactful messaging.
• Some experience working with designers and building accessible content.
• Executes additional communications department projects as assigned