Brand Manager

ABOUT HOT BREAD KITCHEN

Since 2008, Hot Bread Kitchen has empowered New Yorkers who face barriers to economic opportunities through transformative careers in New York City’s food industry. We offer small business development programs, culinary skills training, and job placement, bolstered by individualized wraparound supportive services. Our small business program, HBK Incubates, supports entrepreneurs as they transform their food businesses into sustainable income sources. Culinary Fundamentals, our award-winning culinary training program provides access to high-quality jobs for those starting their careers in the food industry. Our upskilling programs enable incumbent workers to gain further skills leading to higher wages and career advancement. We work diligently alongside our network of over 200 food employer partners and more than 250 nonprofit and government partners to ensure our graduates are set up for success both at home and in their careers.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Reporting to the Director of Brand, the Brand Manager leads marketing campaigns, the editorial calendar, and key Brand events to effectively communicate Hot Bread Kitchen’s mission and engage target audiences. This role is ideal for a strategic and creative marketing professional who can translate mission-driven work into compelling campaigns, stories, and brand experiences. The Brand Manager plays a critical role in building community support and strengthening brand recognition through thoughtful storytelling, strong visual identity, and well-executed campaigns and events.

Working cross-functionally across the organization and with external consultants, including designers, photographers, videographers, and web developers, the Brand Manager ensures a consistent brand look, feel, and voice across all communications. This role manages the Brand Coordinator and collaborates closely with the broader communications and development teams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Thought Leadership:

  • Identify relevant awards and recognition opportunities and draft and submit nominations for programs or staff.

  • In partnership with the Director of Brand, develop and execute a strategy for executive communications, including LinkedIn, website content, and external thought leadership.

    Campaign Management

  • Project manage major annual campaigns including the End-of-Year Appeal and Impact Report, overseeing editorial, design, and production.

  • Support the Brand Coordinator in managing Women’s History Month campaign execution.

  • Facilitate internal planning meetings and coordinate consultants and freelancers as needed.

    Brand Design & Visual Identity

  • Manage external creative partners including photographers, videographers, video editors, graphic designers, and web developers.

  • Oversee brand photography and video production.

  • Ensure brand consistency across marketing materials, presentations, event design, and digital assets.

  • Maintain and update website design and visual identity in collaboration with developers.

  • Own office decor and its maintenance

  • Project manage design assets for the Annual Benefit.

  • Support staff with updated templates, one-pagers, and presentations.

    Editorial & Content Strategy

  • Maintain the organization’s brand voice, tone, and editorial guidelines, recommending updates as the brand evolves.

  • Manage a monthly editorial calendar for blogs, newsletters, and social media (organizational and CEO channels).

  • Lead content production including:

    • 2–4 Breadwinner stories per month

    • 2 monthly newsletters

    • 4+ social media posts per week per channel

    • 2 short-form videos per month (Reels/TikTok)

  • Assign, interview, write, and edit content as needed.

  • Partner with the Director of Brand to shape and evolve editorial strategy.

  • Analyze performance metrics including reach, engagement, and audience growth, and adjust strategies accordingly.

  • Maintain strong relationships with program members to support authentic storytelling.

  • Produce additional content including talking points, presentations, and internal communications.

    Press & Media

  • Support media outreach and respond to press inquiries.

  • Coordinate interviews, press tours, and media opportunities.

  • Manage talking points, photo shoots, and video production for media engagements.

    Events

  • Support planning and execution of special events including industry conferences, webinars, partner events, and site visits.

  • Provide brand oversight for event visuals, messaging, and experience.

    Team Leadership

  • Manage and mentor the Brand Coordinator, supporting content and social media execution.

  • Build strong relationships with staff across departments.

    Operations & Project Management

  • Help plan and execute the annual calendar of brand, marketing, and fundraising campaigns.

  • Support marketing strategy and collateral for Mission Bread.

  • Manage project management tools including Asana, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, and digital asset systems.

  • Track KPIs and support development of communications dashboards. Maintain alignment between editorial calendars, campaign timelines, and organizational priorities.


QUALIFICATIONS

  • Must have a commitment to equity and inclusion.

  • Must have a passion for Hot Bread Kitchen’s mission and programs.

  • Must have 4+ years of experience in brand, design, marketing, or related fields.

  • Experience managing design agencies or external creative partners is highly preferred.

  • Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop, and Illustrator preferred; Canva and Google Suite experience is a must

  • Must have Experience with social media content creation and strategy.

  • Strong understanding of food and/or non profit industry is strongly preferred

  • Must Have experience directing or producing photography and visual storytelling (food or mission-driven work preferred).

  • Must have excellent writing, communication, and presentation skills.

  • Must have strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

  • Must be able to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

    REQUIRED COMPENTENCIES

  • Strategic Storytelling- Ability to translate mission-driven work into compelling narratives across platforms.

  • Creative Campaign Development - Develops innovative campaigns and content that resonate with target audiences.

  • Project Management - Manages multiple timelines and deliverables while maintaining high quality.

  • Digital Fluency - Experience with social media platforms, email marketing tools, website CMS systems, and analytics.

  • Collaboration - Works effectively across teams and with external partners.

  • Adaptability - Comfortable navigating change and responding to evolving organizational priorities.

  • Problem solving - Exhibits resourcefulness and asks for support from peers or their supervisor. Anticipates problems, develops solutions, and course-corrects when needed. 

  • Detail oriented - verifies important details, ensures there are no surprises or gaps in needed information, has the ability to think a few steps ahead to answer potential questions about the data or project. Aims to leave things better than you found them.

  • Writing skills - Exhibits excellent writing and grammar skills, including the ability to write concisely, clearly and logically. Reviews writing for errors and inconsistencies.

  • Ensures Accountability - Holds oneself and others accountable for meeting goals. Takes personal responsibility for decisions, actions and shortcomings, acts with a clear sense of ownership and follows through on commitments.

OUR VALUES

We are driven by a feeling of commitment to support our members, teammates, and partners. Our culture of equity comes from the many cooks in our kitchen and the diversity of perspectives we each bring. We believe that respect goes a long way in making people feel welcome, accepted, and celebrated. We seek out opportunities for connection and become a stronger team by being in community and prioritizing candor over consensus. The pace of our work and velocity of change can be quick; our entrepreneurialism helps us take optimistic risks and pursue inventive solutions.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This is a full-time position. The salary range is $76,000-$79,950, commensurate with experience. Hot Bread Kitchen's comprehensive benefits package includes health/vision/dental insurance (eligible from day one), 401K contributions, paid office closure days  (including holidays and staff appreciation days, and a one-week holiday break at the end of the year), flexible and generous vacation and sick time, paid parental leave, and a sabbatical program (after 5 years of service). Our organizational culture is inclusive, entrepreneurial, flexible, and civically minded (learn more about our culture on hotbreadkitchen.org/careers).

WORK SCHEDULE & LOCATION

This is a hybrid position requiring in-office attendance 2–3 days per week, based on Brand Team and organizational needs. The standard schedule is Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support events and organizational priorities. 

To Apply

  • Please include a cover letter and experience-aligned resume including your pronouns. 

  • Apply here at Hot Bread Kitchen’s Applicant Tracking System

Due to the volume of applications, only complete applications sent via our Applicant Tracking System will be considered. Applications sent via LinkedIn or other third-party sites will not be accepted or reviewed.

 

Hot Bread Kitchen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It does not discriminate against applicants based on race, religion, color, disability, medical condition, legally protected genetic information, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), age, veteran status or other legally protected characteristics. Any applicant with a mental or physical disability who requires an accommodation during the application process should contact hr@hotbreadkitchen.org to request such an accommodation.