ABOUT HOT BREAD KITCHEN
Hot Bread Kitchen’s mission is to create economic opportunity for women and gender-expansive people, immigrants, and people of color through culinary skills training, high-quality job placement, food entrepreneurship programs, and an ecosystem of support, utilizing New York City’s vibrant food industry as a catalyst for change. Since our founding, we have served 1,800+ members, placed 650+ members in high-quality jobs, and supported 550+ entrepreneurs to launch small food businesses.
Hot Bread Kitchen offers small business development programs, culinary skills training, and job placement bolstered by individualized wraparound supportive services. Our small business program, HBK Incubates, supports women entrepreneurs of color as they transform their food businesses into sustainable income sources. Culinary Fundamentals, our entry-level culinary training program, provides access to high-quality jobs for those starting their careers in the food industry. In contrast, our Upskilling and Job Quality Initiatives program enables incumbent workers to gain further skills leading to higher wages and career advancement. We use an ecosystem approach to support our members by working alongside our network of 200+ food employer partners for job placement and 250+ nonprofit and government partners for member referrals and community engagement.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Reporting to the Director of Brand, the Brand Manager will lead marketing campaigns, the editorial calendar, and Brand events to effectively communicate our mission and engage target audiences. This position requires a deeply creative and strategic thinker, with a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. They will serve as a critical member of the team who will translate our mission into a cohesive brand experience while driving community support and brand recognition through well-executed campaigns and events.
The Brand Manager is integral to ensuring that all creative elements of Hot Bread Kitchen align with our mission and values, which involves collaborating across teams to ensure a consistent brand look, feel, and voice. This role will work closely with the graphic designer to develop impactful brand collateral and assets, including marketing materials, presentations, event decor and experience. They will also ensure that our facility visually reflects our organizational identity and commitment to our values. This position reports directly to the Brand Director.
General Responsibilities
- Be a Hot Bread Kitchen Design & Communications Leader: Drive concept development and manage execution in partnership with graphic designer, contractors, Brand Associate and Brand Director for marketing and brand campaigns that will translate across multiple channels: social media, website, email, and events. This work includes:
- Managing all photo shoots with contractors and cross-functional leaders.
- Managing design of key development materials such as End-of-Year Appeal Campaign, Impact Report, Annual Benefit design, and more.
- Managing video shoots and video editors.
- Managing website developers and graphic designer to maintain and update website look and feel.
- Partnering with Brand Associate to manage monthly editorial calendar, including social media and monthly newsletter.
- Support internal and external events onsite, assist with set-up and execution to provide brand look and feel.
- Ensure a holistic brand concept: Collaborate closely with the Brand Director to ensure alignment between the overarching Brand strategy (marketing & communications) and the execution of events, campaigns and style guides.
- Be a Mission- Minded Creative: The role requires conceptual and stylistic leadership through the creation of layouts, mockups, and pitch decks to communicate ideas effectively internally and externally. Ensure the internal brand and facility are aligned visually and on mission.
- Enjoy Collaboration: This position works collaboratively with other team leads, including Development, Programs, Strategy, Operations and the Executive Team. Manage contractors, such as graphic design and web developer consultants.
- Results Driven: The ideal candidate is a problem solver and conceptual thinker who thrives in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment. This individual must be organized, detail-oriented, and exhibit outstanding design judgment.
Qualifications:
- Intentionally committed to equity and inclusion.
- Passion and a commitment to Hot Bread Kitchen’s mission and core programs.
- Must have 3-5+ years of professional design experience such as graphic design or related field- portfolio & previous work product samples required.
- Experience managing design agencies or external partners.
- Ability to respond quickly in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
- Proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop and Illustrator. We also use Asana and Slack for our day-to-day work.
- Strong understanding of responsive/adaptive design.
- Ability to take direction and work collaboratively in a team environment.
- Excellent organizational skills with diligent follow-through.
- Exceptional written, communication, and presentation skills.
- Photo art direction experience, ideally in the food/mission space.
- Social media content creation, strategy, and execution.
Required Competencies:
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop long-term brand strategies aligned with business goals and market trends.
- Creativity: Strong creative skills to conceptualize innovative assets, campaigns, and ideas that resonate with target audiences.
- Project Management: Skills to manage multiple campaigns simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to budgets.
- Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for articulating ideas and collaborating with teams and stakeholders.
- Digital Proficiency: Familiarity with digital marketing tools and platforms, including social media, SEO, and analytics.
- Consumer Behavior Understanding: Insights into consumer psychology and behavior to tailor campaigns effectively.
- Adaptability: Flexibility to respond to changing market conditions and consumer preferences. Willingness to jump into new situations and support the team where needed.
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.
Location
This is a hybrid position, with flexibility to work remotely. Regular in-person attendance required each week for departmental needs and events. Our facility, located in Manhattan (Chelsea A/C/E/L), is open in line with city, state, and organizational guidelines.
