Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications
Date: July 8, 2025
Classification: Exempt
Supervisor: Development Director
Location: New York, NY
Compensation: $68,000–$72,000, with benefits
Position Summary:
Do you believe in the power of poetry—and know how to sell a great story? The Academy of American Poets is looking for a Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications.
This is a front-line position promoting poetry to publishers, corporations, and cultural organizations that want access to one of the most engaged, diverse, and desirable cultural demographics in the country.
Your portfolio will include Poets.org (the largest poetry site in the U.S.), American Poets magazine, National Poetry Month, Poetry & the Creative Mind, and our flagship publication, Poem-a-Day—a daily poetry newsletter featuring over 250 new, previously unpublished poems by contemporary poets each year.
We want someone who is excited to pitch partnerships, close deals, and imagine new opportunities where poetry and commerce intersect. You’ll have the chance to grow advertising and sponsorship revenue, expand brand partnerships, and help bring poetry into unexpected places.
What You’ll Do:
- Drive sales: Secure advertising for Poets.org, Poem-a-Day, newsletters, and American Poets magazine.
- Build partnerships: Cultivate corporate, publishing, and cultural sponsors for National Poetry Month, Poetry & the Creative Mind, and other high-profile initiatives.
- Grow the market: Research new opportunities, industries, and platforms where poetry can thrive (podcasts, conferences, digital media, etc.).
- Champion our publication: Promote American Poets—a distinguished members’ journal—as a premium venue for advertisers and sponsors.
- Collaborate with a creative team: Work with content, development, and programming staff to develop new advertising products and marketing strategies.
- Deliver results: Meet annual revenue and sponsorship targets while ensuring top-tier customer service and benefit fulfillment.
- Be an ambassador: Represent the Academy at conferences, festivals, and industry events, positioning poetry as a powerful cultural connector.
What We’re Looking For:
- 6+ years of experience in ad sales, sponsorships, marketing, or communications, ideally with a track record of meeting and exceeding revenue goals.
- Strong B2B sales skills and the ability to open new markets with creativity and persistence.
- Excellent relationship-builder who thrives on making connections and closing deals.
- Experience with Salesforce, DoubleClick for Publishers, content management systems, and social media platforms.
- Superb communication, organizational, and presentation skills. A genuine passion for poetry and the arts—because you’ll be selling something you truly believe in.
Why This Role Matters
This is a chance to work at the intersection of art and opportunity. At the Academy of American Poets, we reach millions of teachers, students, and poetry lovers every year. By joining our team, you’ll help make sure poetry isn’t just preserved but that it’s amplified, celebrated, and brought to new audiences everywhere.
If you’re someone who wants to put your skills to work for a mission-driven organization with a national profile, this role is for you.
Compensation
This position offers an annual starting salary of between $68,000 and $72,000 depending on experience.
Benefits
At the Academy, we value the well-being and professional growth of our employees. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
- Health, Dental, and Vision
- Insurance
- Retirement Savings Plan (403(b) with company match)
- Paid Time Off (vacation, sick leave, and holidays)
- Life and Disability Insurance
- Hybrid Work
- Schedule Commuter Benefits
- Voluntary Benefits (Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, Accident, Legal Services)
- Wellness Programs
- Parental Leave
To apply, email your cover letter and resume as one PDF to [email protected], with the job title and your last name in the subject line.
Senior Programs Manager
Date: July 8, 2025
Classification: Exempt
Supervisor: Executive Director
Location: New York, NY
Compensation: $68,000–$72,000, with benefits
Position Summary:
The Senior Programs Manager organizes the Academy of American Poets’s live events, prizes, and work with the Board of Chancellors Poets Laureate Fellows, and Poetry Coalition.
Responsibilities:
- Organize live and online programming and events, including Chancellors Readings, Blaney lecture, and other special celebrations of poets—including curating, facilitating Q&As, handling logistics, serving as contact person for poets, venues, and other outside partners, and introduce some events
- Help lead weekly cross-departmental meetings of online programs team to prepare season
- Coordinate promotional deadlines with Marketing and Communications Manager on all event promotion
- Lead programmatic collaborations with other organizations
- Lead social media that promotes registrations, working with Marketing staff
- Lead the administration of twelve major awards: processing submissions; reviewing applications; coordinating nominating and voting; supervising readers; corresponding with entrants, judges, publishers, and donors
- Make final determinations as to prize eligibility in consultation with Executive Director as needed
- Oversee administration of University & College Poetry Prize Program: corresponding with donors and school sponsors, distributing contest materials and supervising uploading of winners materials to Poets.org
- Collect materials on all award winners and pass them on to content staff and membership
- Ensure that guidelines for all awards are up-to-date annually
- Ensure that prize winners and judges’ biographies are up-to-date on Poets.org (Academy page and the poets’ pages)
- Coordinate with Marketing and Content teams regarding social media about prize-winners
- Work with the Development Director to ensure Academy members receive prize-winning books, posting the winners’ poems online in coordination with content team
- Liaise with Chancellors and help plan and lead the annual Chancellors meeting
- Lead social media about Chancellors
- Ensure that present and past Chancellor pages on Poets.org are updated
- Coordinate with Content team to facilitate Chancellors’ participation in the Dear Poet project
- Lead planning for and facilitating Poetry Coalition meetings and programs
- Maintain Poetry Coalition pages on Poets.org Post about Poetry Coalition members on social media
- Lead the Poetry Coalition fellows pilot program and mentor fellows
- Attend Board Committee meetings as appropriate
- Respond to phone, email, and written queries about the awards and events
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications and Competencies
- 5+ years of professional programs experience
- Demonstrated passion for poets and poetry and connection to the literary field
- Expert project management skills and ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines
- Experience with Submittable, Microsoft Office suite, Google applications, email communication platforms; Salesforce a plus
- Excellent organizational, communication, writing, and interpersonal skills
- A passion for poetry; familiarity with the arts field and poetry community, a plus
Compensation
This position offers an annual starting salary of between $68,000 and $72,000 depending on experience.
Benefits
At the Academy, we value the well-being and professional growth of our employees. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes:
- Health, Dental, and Vision
- Insurance
- Retirement Savings Plan (403(b) with company match)
- Paid Time Off (vacation, sick leave, and holidays)
- Life and Disability Insurance
- Hybrid Work
- Schedule Commuter Benefits
- Voluntary Benefits (Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, Accident, Legal Services)
- Wellness Programs
- Parental Leave
To apply, email your cover letter and resume as one PDF to [email protected], with the job title and your last name in the subject line.
ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS
Founded in 1934, the Academy of American Poets is the nation’s leading champion of poets and poetry with supporters in all fifty states. Its mission is to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry.
The organization annually awards a total of $1.3 million to poets at various stages of their careers. The organization also produces Poets.org, the world’s largest publicly-funded website for poets and poetry; established and organizes National Poetry Month each April; publishes the popular Poem-a-Day series and American Poets magazine; provides award-winning resources to K–12 educators, including the Teach This Poem series; hosts an annual series of poetry readings, literary seminars, and special events; and coordinates a national Poetry Coalition working to promote the value poets bring to our culture. Taken together, the Academy reaches more than 18 million individuals anually.
In addition to its mission, the Academy staff is guided by the organization’s values, which include anti-racism, collaboration, diversity, equity, inclusion, innovation, and leadership.
The Academy of American Poets is based in New York, NY.