Communications Officer, Youth & Young Adult Programs And Engagement

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The Global Content and Campaigns team is responsible for targeting and engaging priority audiences with compelling content to help advance our advocacy and programmatic goals and support the foundation’s brand. The team works on the development and implementation of integrated marketing campaigns and handling foundation brand channels in alignment with our priorities. The team includes Goalkeepers, gatesfoundation.org, The Optimist, the Discovery Center, and the channel strategy and social media management for the foundation and our leadership.

The Discovery Center serves as an impetus to educate, encourage, and inspire local and global awareness and action, working towards a world where all people are empowered to create positive change.

The Discovery Center is not readily described as one type of free, public space, but rather an intersection of visitor center, museum, convening space and action lab.

AS A VISITOR CENTER – Located at the global headquarters of the Foundation, the Center is a public space where all are welcomed to experience the vision and work of the foundation and the individuals and organizations it partners with.

AS A CONVENER – As a space for communities and all our audiences to come together through listening, sharing stories, and exchanging ideas, the Discovery Center leverages the power of individuals and groups to drive change.

AS A MUSEUM – The Discovery Center is a site that showcases ideas and stories and invites self-reflection and collective learning.

AS AN ACTION LAB – The Discovery Center is a place that inspires action and challenges visitors to make a difference in their communities.

As A SOCIAL IMPACT PRACTICE

We work across multiple platforms to achieve our visitor engagement goals of raising awareness, encouraging critical thinking, and fostering empathy in support of inspiring action.

Your Role

In partnership with the Senior Communications Officer, The Communications Officer for Youth & Young Adult Programs & Engagement, is responsible for developing, driving, executing, and evaluating an active and effective program and community engagement plan aimed at youth and young adults, working closely with foundation staff in several departments. This role will also develop, lead, and implement a cohesive group of programs that link youth and young adults and community audiences with the work of the foundation, the Sustainable Development Goals and being leaders for positive change. This position is responsible for coordinating a range of programs, as well as outreach, planning, teaching, and youth, and young adult programs. This is a newly created position and will report to the Senior Communications Officer for Interpretation and Visitor Experience. This position works closely with Marketing & Communications, Interpretation, and Visitor Services staff.

What You’ll Do

Out of School Youth Programs and Engagement (40%)

• Collaborate with other divisions across the Discovery Center and the Communications Division, including Curatorial, Exhibitions, Education, Visitor Services Public Programs and Communication to consider creative interpretive and programmatic approaches, ensure relevance to current issues and diverse constituencies,
• Implement ongoing assessment to improve programs.
• Develop ongoing youth program strategy with the Senior Comms Manager (SCO) and supervise the Youth Ambassador Program Cohorts which includes weekly and monthly agendas, outreach and youth mentorship focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals. In person and online cohorts
• Co-develop budgets for youth programs, tracking expenses and resource use in alignment with departmental priorities.
• Handle contractors and vendors as needed.
• Stay abreast of current and forward-looking practices in youth, and teen, programs, finding opportunities to share practices across the field of museums and youth organizations.
• Form relationships with external associates in arts, cultural, educational, community and civic organizations to provide relevant experiences with youth constituencies, working in partnership to expand the reach and accessibility of the Discovery Center’s programs and resources.
• Develop programs serving youth, with a focus on teens, ensuring alignment with institutional mission and strategic priorities in the years up to and beyond opening.
• Develop and coordinate the annual Teen Action Fair event Develop and be responsible for Teen Week, including summer workshops
• Work collaboratively across the division to champion youth voices and align engagement opportunities in- and out-of-school.

Young Adult Programs (30%)

• Lead a cohort of young adult community advisors in partnership with the Manager of Public Programs, ensuring that the young adult voice, experience, and interest are integrated within the Discovery Center’s experience.
• Handle contracts, vendors, and budgets, evaluations and assessments as needed.
• In partnership with the SCO, lead strategic vision to develop a robust program that offers a continuity of experience and learning for our audiences from youth to young adults and arrange a young adult public program series.
• Create a community engagement strategy that will lead to a range of diverse and engaging experiences including a quarterly public program for a young adult audience.
• Supervise programs that directly engage young adults with contemporary issues in global health, social impact, activism, and social justice that is culturally relevant, and rooted in both local and global relevant communities that the foundation engages with.

Youth and Young Adult Outreach and Community Engagement (20 %)

• Work with colleagues across the foundation to welcome youth serving orgs at the Center.
• Represent the Center in the community at meetings, events and online, in partnership with Marketing and Communications team, with a goal to encourage increased active participation at Discovery center programs on and offsite.
• Work to connect communities of youth and young adults with the Discovery Center, crafting a convening space that serves the community at large.
• Work with colleagues across the Discovery Center to coordinate advisory groups, including Young Adult Advisory Cohort, and the Youth Ambassador Program
• In collaboration with Discovery Center colleagues, work together to ensure that youth and young adult outreach and partnerships are ongoing throughout the year.
• In collaboration with Marketing and Communications, strengthen plans to actively engage target audiences with exhibition-related content and drive attendance at museum exhibitions and programs, on and offsite.

In Gallery (10%)

• Collaborate with the Visitor Services team to offer tours and manage the Discovery Center at different times.
• Collaborate with Discovery Center teams on creative content and engagement ideation.
• Administrative tasks as needed.

Your Experience

• Understanding of diverse audience needs in respect to free choice learning and or entertainment.
• Degree in education, museum education, youth development, cultural practice, or related field.
• A commitment to diversity equity and inclusion in all aspects of their approach
• 5 years or more years’ experience working with youth and young adults in a museum or cultural setting.
• Knowledge of current learning theories in creative youth development; object-based teaching methods; and visitor research for museum audiences.
• Ability to manage large groups in a positive and professional manner.
• Experience developing, coordinating, and implementing small and large events for young adult audiences.
• Experience in youth development and empowering youth, with strong facilitation skills and experience in conflict resolution strategies.
• Extensive experience working with community organizations in collaborative efforts.

Other Attributes

• Must be able to manage numerous projects simultaneously with strong organizational skills and attention to detail needed.
• Reliability and dependability must be able to attend sessions and work flexible hours (weekend and evenings required).
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Creative thinker and problem solver with much flexibility
• A commitment to interdisciplinary teaching, collaboration, and a contextual, cross-disciplinary practice
• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to write clearly, concisely, and creatively.
• A passion for the content of the foundation’s work
• Skilled in using Microsoft Office and other digital media tools.
• Excellent understanding of developing programs for diverse audiences, across multiple channels, and ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Ability to network, identify and cultivate program partners and resources in the community.
• Innovation, resourcefulness, sense of humor, and resilience.
• Knowledgeable in Microsoft office suite
• Excellent understanding and use of social channels and platforms.
• As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The typical salary range for this role is $114,600-$213,200 USD. The exact offer will be determined by a variety of factors such as the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications, and experience relative to the requirements of the role

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.