About the job

Description

More than a billion people globally could see clearly with a simple pair of eyeglasses. Do you want to help us bring attention to this problem and solve it?

VisionSpring seeks a Social Media and Communications Associate to help tell and amplify our story. The associate will support content creation and development for our audiences, both creating original content directly and collaborating with teammates and freelancers as needed. Audiences include current and potential donors; foundations, governments, corporations, and venture philanthropists; media outlets; partners; and other key stakeholders.

The person in this role will manage VisionSpring’s social media channels, internal newsletter, and ad hoc communications needs.

As VisionSpring builds its marketing and communications capacity globally, the associate works in close collaboration with the program and resource mobilization teams across eight key markets—Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia—and other emerging and frontier markets. This position reports to the global manager of communications and may be located anywhere in the Eastern time zone of the United States.

About You

• You are an excellent writer and storyteller. You find joy in personal collaboration with internal stakeholders across time zones to uncover the colorful details that make your stories compelling, even if it means starting early some mornings.
• You shine when communicating with internal and external organizational stakeholders and your words inspire excitement about what we can do together.
• You have an eye for design and love generating distinctive messaging that allows mission-driven organizations to do good, better.
• You enjoy creating structure, have exceptional focus and follow-through, and prioritize before you act.
• You are flexible and thrive in environments where each day is unlike the next.

About Us

• As a social enterprise, social change motivates us first. Our focus on sales and revenue targets serves and advances our mission objective—to increase functioning, productivity, and income earning potential for our low-income consumers by correcting refractive error with eyeglasses.
• We are working to transform the systemic dysfunction of an optical market that has failed to deliver eyeglasses—a 700-year-old technology—to nearly a billion consumers in need of vision correction, most of whom live on less than $4 a day.
• We serve low-income consumers, not as beneficiaries but as customers. Our customers expect a high-quality and affordable product, and they will spend limited discretionary income for the immediate and tangible benefits of vision correction.
• By selling eyeglasses, we awaken new demand and seed a viable market. By selling new eyeglasses we are able to serve four times as many people per dollar input than the alternative of donating recycled ones. To efficiently scale, we must deliver each new unit with lower cost.
• We run our business on both sales metrics and social impact measures. We use a range of organizational forms and practices to get the job done.

What You’ll Do

Generally

• Master writing with the VisionSpring “voice,” and develop the capacity to tell our story to a variety of audiences.
• Create stories of impact for donor and B2B audiences by working with teammates in VisionSpring’s key markets to solicit customer stories from the field, and working with organizational leaders to develop narratives that highlight the successes and impact of VisionSpring initiatives globally.
• Help maintain VisionSpring’s brand throughout all content including appropriate use of logo, consistent look and feel, and messaging.

Content Creation, Development, and Oversight

• Spearhead and innovate VisionSpring’s social media channels to align with global strategy and broader messaging across channels (press, website, etc.).
• Own the production of VisionSpring’s weekly internal newsletter, InFocus.
• Work with global manager of communications to develop and implement the social media and InFocus calendars in harmony with broader strategies.
• Implement processes for making VisionSpring’s social media content more accessible to the visually impaired.
• Stay on top of social media best practices, new technologies and industry news.
• Help track communication metrics and contribute to reports.

Requirements

• Must be legally and permanently authorized to work in the United States.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of relevant work experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in writing-intensive field of study.
• Outstanding writing skills and the ability to proofread at an advanced level.
• Comfort with a flexible work schedule and working across multiple time zones.
• Domestic travel will be required.
• Enthusiastic experience managing social media channels.
• Advanced Microsoft Word skills, proficient in Microsoft PowerPoint, and familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Interest in social enterprise models and desire to learn how to articulate and share VisionSpring’s unique approach.
• Must meet the highest standards of ethics and personal integrity, with a demonstrated capacity for discretion and for handling sensitive information with care.
• Must be highly organized with follow through and a strong sense of accountability.

You Will Impress Us If You Have

• Master’s degree in writing-intensive field of study.
• Experience living in a low-income setting and/or working across languages and cultures.
• Experience, and a commitment to, working respectfully with a diverse team; experience collaborating with outside consultants to move projects forward.
• Experience crafting communications for social enterprises and/or nonprofits.
• Experience using project management software (especially Asana).
• Experience with email marketing platforms and developing email marketing campaigns (HubSpot and Constant Contact preferred).

Compensation

• Salary range is $58,000 - $65,000 per year, based on experience and education.
• We offer comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision, as well as 401(k) with match, pre-tax commuter plan, flexible spending accounts, and generous vacation/personal time.

To Apply

• We want to know more than just what you have done. We want to know who you are. What are the passions and talents that draw you to this role?
• Please update your CV/résumé to include a phrase or sentence describing the business of each organization where you have worked. Applications without this information will not be considered.
• Please submit your application, including a thoughtful cover letter and CV/résumé.
• If possible, please provide links to social media accounts you currently manage or have managed in the past.
• Please note, only candidates to be interviewed will be contacted.

At VisionSpring, diversity, equity, and inclusion are directly aligned with our core value to advance equity. Our mission is predicated on removing a fundamental barrier to full economic and social participation—uncorrected blurry vision. The values that underpin our mission energize our commitment to a diverse and inclusive team. A diverse team also allows VisionSpring to approach problems with nuance and develop unique insights that drive an outsized positive impact in the world. We actively recruit, develop, and retain talented people from diverse backgrounds and support everyone in being exactly who they are. VisionSpring is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes people from all experiences, abilities, and perspectives to apply.