Senior Associate, Postsecondary Communications

SaWhiteboard Advisors is a mission-driven communications, research, and consulting firm that supports organizations working to advance educational equity and economic mobility. Our clients include some of the most respected and impactful philanthropies, companies, nonprofit organizations, and investors working at the intersection of education and workforce policy and practice.

We are looking for an entrepreneurial communications professional to join our team as a Senior Associate, Communications who will play a critical role in supporting across higher education and workforce clients in our communications and PR practice. 

In this high-growth role, you’ll work side-by-side with senior executives to set strategy, execute effectively, and make an impact on behalf of our clients. Senior Associates provide excellent project management, and intuitive client service, and are comfortable operating across all aspects of strategic communications and PR. Successful candidates will be strong writers, creative thinkers, and savvy students of the news cycle—with an eagerness to build and maintain strong relationships with reporters and influencers. Senior Associates report directly to a senior manager at the firm who will prioritize your growth and seek opportunities to support your professional development and career advancement. 

Key Responsibilities

• Approach work with a learning mindset and be open to giving and receiving candid feedback.

• Operate with wisdom, accuracy, and speed in a fast-paced working environment.

• Develop and execute communications strategies co-created with senior executives.

• Provide outstanding client service.

• Create strong first drafts of press releases, op-eds, event proposals, talking points, and other written materials.

• Conceptualize and develop story ideas that resonate with the media.

• Identify strategic partnerships and speaking opportunities that accelerate our clients’ impact.

• Manage regular client meetings, create agendas and client-facing materials, establish clear next steps, and ensure timely execution on action items.

Qualifications

• Approximately 3-5 years of professional experience (Note: this is not an entry-level position but compelling candidates with less experience will be considered).

• Strong preference for experience in a communications agency or similar role balancing multiple client projects.

• Demonstrated success in media relations.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to successfully manage multiple tasks at once.

• A track record of successful client or project management.

• Strong relationship-building and communication skills.

• Experience managing basic scheduling and administrative tasks.

• Willingness to learn new skills and develop subject matter expertise.

• Familiarity with education, workforce development, or social impact strongly preferred.

Note: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive at Whiteboard Advisors to apply for this role. 

Benefits

Whiteboard Advisors offers a highly competitive salary and benefits package as part of our commitment to attracting, developing, and retaining top talent.

• Highly-competitive salaries and a firmwide performance-based incentive program
• Hybrid working environment, with regular in-person touch points at W/A office in Washington’s historic Georgetown neighborhood
• 401(k) retirement plan with generous employer match
• Paid health, dental, and vision insurance benefits for employees (100% paid premium for employees and 50% premium subsidization for dependents)
• Company-paid basic term life insurance equal to two times your annual salary
• Company-paid long-term disability insurance
• Unlimited/flexible vacation plan
• Extensive paid time off including 14 paid annual holidays and two week-long company recesses in July and December
• Monthly phone/data reimbursement
• Pre-tax employee payroll contributions for commuter transit benefits
• Monthly health and wellness stipend
• Professional Association and Licensing Fees reimbursement with manager approval

Location

Our organization believes in and supports remote work. For real. To this end, our team works collaboratively from our offices in Washington, D.C. and Boulder, Colo., with many employees who work 100% remotely from their home office locations in cities across the country. 

About Whiteboard Advisors

Whiteboard Advisors is a mission-driven communications, research, and consulting firm that supports organizations working to advance educational equity and economic mobility.Our work is truly multidisciplinary, sitting at the intersection of business, policy, practice, and the media. 

As a team, we care deeply about and work daily to address inequity at both the systemic – and service – level. But that doesn’t mean that we all agree on the means. 

Not just diversity, but the divergence of experiences and perspectives is core to doing our jobs well. We aspire to be a place where every member of our team can bring their authentic, whole selves to work. We strive to create a workplace that is equitable, just, and fosters a sense of belonging where every unique individual is celebrated.

Many of our team members started in entry-level roles and then moved into higher-level positions within the organization. The trajectory of individuals within the firm reflects a commitment to creating opportunities for individual contributors to learn-while-doing. It is grounded in the belief that every member of the team can make a significant contribution to our work. This is more than a philosophical commitment.  We have a record of not just promoting our team, but creating opportunities for them to develop new skills — and earn more.