Communications and Outreach Specialist

Who We Are:

Shine Early Learning partners with states and local communities to accelerate child and family outcomes by providing professional development and other supports. Since its founding in 2011, Shine Early Learning has partnered with cities,states, and programs across the U.S. serving hundreds of thousands of students, families, and educators. Shine Early Learning’s experts have decades of experience in early child care education, training, and technical assistance. Montana selected Shine Early Learning as the state’s new regulatory and quality technical assistance services vendor.

The Montana based project, named SPARK Learning Lab Montana (SPARK), provides regulatory and quality technical assistance to child care programs and professionals across the state. We provide technical assistance and training with a focus on building relationships, using a practice-based model that includes self-directed, group, and one-on-one learning. We are seeking professionals who are eager to make a meaningful impact on the lives of young children by supporting quality improvement efforts for the child care providers who serve them. We are building a local, Montana based team of leaders, technical assistance staff, and other specialists, working across the state to ensure continued regional and community knowledge and engagement.

Job Summary:

The Communications and Outreach Specialist is responsible for supporting SPARK Montana’s mission to elevate early childhood care and education by driving internal and external communications. This role focuses on implementing outreach strategies, managing social media and website content, producing high- quality materials, and engaging stakeholders to strengthen the program’s visibility and impact.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Supports the creation, editing, and publishing of marketing materials, social media posts, and web content to promote SPARK Montana’s programs and initiatives

• Develops compelling and engaging messaging tailored to diverse audiences (providers, families, and partners)

• Coordinates SPARK content and marketing materials with the Shine Early Learning Marketing Department

• Builds and maintains strong relationships with key partners, child care providers, and community organizations

• Supports outreach efforts to increase program participation and engagement across Montana

• Ensures all communication materials align with SPARK Montana’s mission, values, and brand standards

• Trains team members on communication guidelines and basic marketing tools

• Coordinates SPARK branding with the Shine Early Learning Marketing Department

• Manages updates to the website and assists with analytics-based improvements

• Develops and executes social media calendars to enhance brand presence and audience engagement

• Supports the planning and promotion of community events, workshops, and webinars

• Engages in outreach campaigns to highlight program resources and success stories

• Tracks engagement metrics across platforms and provide regular updates to leadership

• Analyzes outreach effectiveness and adjust strategies as necessary

• Participates in assigned meetings, events and training as required

Job Specifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to carry out each essential duty in a satisfactory manner. The job specifications listed are representative of the education and experience, the physical

requirements, as well as the knowledge, skill and/or ability (KSAs) that are generally necessary for the role.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations or related field.

2. A minimum 2 years’ of experience in communications, marketing or community outreach.

3. Experience in early childhood education or non-profit sectors is a plus.

4. Physical exam and background checks are required for this position.

5. Travel required locally or long-distance up to 30% of the time for work-related meetings functions,

trainings and coaching.

6. Must have a valid driver’s license and/or reliable transportation.

7. Montana residency required

Application Closing Date : January 6, 2025

When/Where/How Much:

Start Date: Winter 2025

Location/Travel: Remote in Montana

Salary: Up to $55,000

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

Medical, Dental and Vision insurance  

HSA/FSA Accounts

Life/AD&D Benefits

Disability Benefits

401k with matching

PTO 

Wellness Programs

Additional voluntary benefits at no cost to you!

INTERESTED AND READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS? 

For more insights about our organization we encourage you to review our FAQs.

To access the FAQ, please click on the link

Email Talent Acquisition partner : aisling@shineearly.com

We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and healthy workplace.