Associate Director of Content-Managing Editor

National Association of Colleges and Employers; United States; Remote; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary $85k-$100k per year

37.5-hour workweek

401(k) plan with employer match

Medical/dental/vision insurance

Job summary

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) seeks a remote Associate Director of Content-Managing Editor to shape editorial voice and drive content strategy.

You will lead publishing across publications, nurture media relations, and oversee a small editorial team while collaborating with research, marketing, and executive leadership.

The role emphasizes turning data into stories, earning media coverage, and advancing NACE's national voice in higher education and workforce development.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in professional writing, editing, and PR/media relations.
• Portfolio with press materials, news releases, op-eds, and content for non-expert and business audiences.
• Proven success earning media coverage with demonstrable placements.
• Experience managing website content; familiarity with CMS platforms.
• Supervisory experience preferred.
• Experience in an association, higher education, nonprofit, or workforce development setting preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage the editorial calendar for member-facing publications, newsletters, articles, and web content.
• Oversee the full editorial workflow from ideation through publication with cross-functional teams.
• Lead content cleanup and migration for the new website launch.
• Manage article submissions and maintain quality standards across content.
• Build and maintain relationships with journalists and media outlets.
• Translate research, data, and career-readiness expertise into clear content for diverse audiences.
• Ghostwrite for the CEO, COO, and other leaders as needed.
• Supervise the Senior Editor and align content with organizational priorities.

Skills

Editorial management

AP style mastery

CMS platforms

Media relations

Storytelling from data

AI-assisted content creation

Project coordination

Writing for broad audiences

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, English, or a related field

Tools

Cision

Job description

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is looking for a remote Associate Director of Content-Managing Editor who can take bold, research-driven ideas and turn them into content that moves people to act. If you're the kind of writer who can make data tell a story, earn media coverage that expands an organization's reach, and help shape how a national voice shows up in the world, this could be your next chapter.

NACE sits at the intersection of higher education, workforce development, and employer practice. Our research is cited in journals around the world, and our voice carries weight with college career centers, Fortune 500 employers, policymakers, and the media. As part of a recent organizational restructuring, we're building a newly formed Thought Leadership and Career Readiness department, and this role is central to that vision.

This full-time, 100% remote role offers the chance to own NACE's editorial voice, lead our content and PR strategy, and help amplify our reputation as the go-to source at the intersection of college-to-career readiness. You'll report to the Director of Thought Leadership and Career Readiness, manage one direct report (our long-tenured Senior Editor), and collaborate closely with research, marketing, events, and executive leadership.

What You'll Do

Each day in this role looks a little different, but here is what you can expect to own:

Editorial Management & Content Strategy

• Own and execute the editorial calendar for NACE's member-facing publications, newsletters, articles, and web content
• Manage the full editorial workflow from ideation through publication, working closely with the Senior Editor and cross-functional teams
• Lead content cleanup and migration efforts in preparation for the new website launch
• Manage article submissions, coordinate with committee staff advisers, and maintain quality standards across all published content

Public Relations & Media Relations

• Build and maintain relationships with journalists and media outlets covering higher education, workforce, employment, and business
• Pitch stories, draft press releases, and earn media coverage that positions NACE as a thought leader beyond our existing community
• Support issues and reputation management as needed
• Manage press release distribution through platforms such as Cision

Writing & Editing for Broad Audiences

• Translate NACE's research, data, and career readiness expertise into clear, compelling content for diverse audiences, including members, employers, higher education leaders, policymakers, students, families, and the media
• Write and edit news releases, feature articles, op-eds, reports, web copy, and the Federal Update
• Ghostwrite for the CEO, COO, and other NACE leaders as needed
• Write with particular attention to engaging the employer audience, a key strategic growth area for NACE

Supervision & Collaboration

• Supervise, coach, and provide editorial direction to the Senior Editor
• Collaborate across departments (marketing, research, events, executive leadership) to align content with organizational priorities
• Partner with the Director of Thought Leadership and Career Readiness on vision, strategy, and execution

What You Need to Thrive in This Role

• 6+ years of progressive experience in professional writing, editing, and public relations or media relations
• A portfolio that demonstrates range: press materials, news releases, op-eds, feature articles, reports, and content written for non-expert and business audiences
• Proven success earning media coverage, with examples of placements and press materials you have developed
• Ability to translate research and data into clear, compelling stories that reach beyond the usual suspects
• Editorial management experience, including content calendars, editorial workflows, and production oversight
• Strong command of AP style (or similar), grammar, and proofreading
• Experience managing website content and familiarity with CMS platforms
• Competency with AI as an assistive tool in content creation, paired with a clear understanding of ethical use. At NACE, original writing and final writing are human; AI supports the process in between
• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, English, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• Experience in an association, higher education, nonprofit, or workforce development setting strongly preferred
• Supervisory experience preferred
• Established media contacts in higher education, workforce, or business press preferred

About NACE

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is committed to making a difference in the lives of the members we serve and the populations that are directly impacted by our members' work. Our members are responsible for the career development of college students on their campuses and the hiring of the next generation of the workforce. It is critically important to the future of the profession that our members understand and engage in leading practices effectively, and we are dedicated to supporting the education and professional development interests and needs of our members. Check out more about us here: https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/

What We Offer You

NACE employees receive a competitive salary and enjoy a work environment that values collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Additionally, employees receive an extremely robust benefits package, including:

• Salary in the range of $85,000-$100,000/year
• 37.5-hour workweek
• Generous paid time off and vacation time
• Paid holidays, including MLK Jr. Day, Juneteenth, and the week between Christmas and New Year's
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Generous medical insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance (no premium for employee-only coverage and extremely reasonable rates for family coverage!)
• Company-provided short-term and long-term disability
• Company-provided life insurance equal to two times annual salary
• Annual professional development allotment

NACE believes in a world that is inclusive in approach and where equal opportunities and equitable outcomes exist for all. The NACE community is committed to developing and supporting a robustly diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, where all members create and feel a sense of belonging. Through our collective deliberate efforts, NACE provides a basis for social justice.As the voice of professionals focused on the development and employment of the college-educated, it is critical for NACE to be explicit in the expression of our collective drive toward these ideals. As an equal opportunity employer, we stay true to that by ensuring that our place can be anyone’s place.