Sr. Manager, Content Development - The American Revolution Initiative

Job Description

PBS LearningMedia is PBS's flagship digital teaching and learning service for PreK-12 educators and students. We partner with PBS member stations and mission-aligned organizations to create, distribute, and engage Pre-K-12 teachers and students with thousands of free, standards-aligned resources including videos, interactives, teaching tips, and other media-rich learning experiences.

PBS LearningMedia is supporting a new multi-faceted programming and community engagement initiative surrounding Ken Burns's upcoming film, The American Revolution. The project will provide opportunities for individuals-including teachers and students-to participate in a national conversation about this period in US history. The project seeks to inspire diverse audiences across the United States to learn about how the Revolutionary era shaped our country's identity and to build understanding of how the ideals and contradictions of this era are essential for addressing some of today's most vital issues through civic participation.

Reporting in to both the Senior Director, Strategy & Operations, and the Senior Director, Content & Curriculum, this role will be responsible for the curation and creation of classroom content, in support of The American Revolution film and its initiative, for grades K-12. The position also will take a leading role in partnership management and the content distribution strategy for the initiative.

This role is also responsible for creating a content strategy for The American Revolution initiative, defining success metrics, partnership management, developing and curating high-quality content, ensuring editorial best practices, and identifying opportunities for collaboration and distribution across internal PBS teams, external partners, and PBS member stations.

A successful candidate will have a strong background in content strategy and editorial oversight, with an emphasis on writing and editing, as well as a deep understanding of social studies curricula for grades K-12 and experience with cross-departmental initiatives involving multiple internal and external stakeholders. They will have knowledge of the intersection of content, design, and user experience, targeting an audience of educators and their students. They will understand basic SEO principles and metadata best practices and will be expected to develop a deep knowledge of the PBS LearningMedia content management system.

Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
• Design and execute on a content strategy for The American Revolution initiative in collaboration with the Senior Director, Content & Curriculum, and the PBS LearningMedia Secondary and Early Learning Content & Marketing Teams.
• Develop and communicate a project pipeline and timeline, identifying launch dates, content areas in development, learning objectives to be met, and measures of success.
• Work collaboratively across PBS LearningMedia internal teams, PBS KIDS, General Audience, Station Services, Digital, PBS member station teams, and external partners to plan, prioritize, and shape the direction of new classroom content related to The American Revolution initiative.
• Liaise with departments across PBS to ensure initiative-wide alignment with PBS's Democracy, Civics, and Journalism initiative.
• Lead the development and creation of editorial, video, and interactive content for teachers and students related to The American Revolution initiative.
• Collaborate with the PBS LearningMedia marketing & engagement team to conceptualize, plan, and produce engagement strategies that drive usage with educators.
• Develop content aligned to PBS editorial and technical best practices and guidelines.
• Use data to inform content choices, success measures, and overall communications.
• Achieve a high level of understanding of the PBS LearningMedia CMS and be able to confidently publish within it.

Requirements for success:
• Bachelor's degree. Master's degree preferred.
• Preference for candidates with a background in social studies education and the American Revolution.
• 8-10 years working in a combination of social studies education and creative digital media industry as a senior editor, writer, content strategist, or producer.
• Proficient in social studies education, with a working knowledge of national and state-level social studies curriculum standards and effective practices in social studies education, especially related to US history and civics.
• Strong background in content strategy and editorial leadership.
• Excellent writing, proofreading, and editorial skills, as well as experience applying editorial and technical style guides
• Strong background and skills in project and partnership management, including the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives with multiple stakeholders.
• Commitment to developing content that reflects diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility standards and best practices.
• Experience with content management systems.
• Natural leadership skills with the experience and seniority to help define and represent team practices.
• Proven problem-solver, able to manage multiple projects, prioritize stakeholder needs, and meet deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written communicator, comfortable with frequent cross-functional and senior management contact.
• Experience in a publishing environment.
• Familiarity with communication and design tools, e.g., Slack, Google Suite, Figma, etc.
• Organized and able to meet deadlines.
• Curious, eager to learn, desire to collaborate with others but also comfortable owning specific projects.
• Passion for education and public service.

PBS is an Equal Opportunity Employer in accordance with the EEOC and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gm02z6-3-144-12-205-42 in your application.