Program Manager (Marketing, Outreach, and Training Initiatives)

The Rust Foundation was formed in 2021 as an independent, non-profit organization to serve as a steward of the Rust programming language and its users, maintainers, and enterprise advocates. Since our work began, we have collaborated with Rust ecosystem leaders and corporate member organizations invested in Rust’s success. Through this close collaboration, the Rust Foundation has developed many programs that support the Rust language and its community.

Over the past several years, the Rust programming language has seen significant growth in usage and popularity in the open source space and beyond. The staying power of Rust can be seen across the tech industry; In the Stack Overflow 2023 Developer Survey, Rust was named the “Most Admired Programming Language” for the eighth consecutive year and has seen a nearly 92% increase in ranking on the TIOBE Index since 2012. Some of the world's largest and most established organizations are adopting Rust as part of their stack.

To support the growing and evolving Rust language ecosystem, the Rust Foundation is scaling its marketing and communication efforts, and seeking a passionate and knowledgeable Program Manager to help us realize our goals.

Objectives and Responsibilities

The current key focus areas for this role are:

Membership. You will work with the Director of Communications & Marketing to develop a program of communications that engage existing Rust Foundation members and attract new ones. We’re looking to promote our members’ work, and in turn, encourage members to support and participate in the Foundation’s events, initiatives and programs. We also need a well-researched dashboard of member prospects, and outreach materials, to help with member acquisition.

Events. You will support the design, development, and delivery of international Foundation events, both online and in-person. Occasional domestic and international travel will be required. We’re looking for someone who can carry out the day-to-day activities and project management necessary to execute events (including liaising with contractors, suppliers, program committees, delegates, and sponsors) and assist in the creation of event marketing materials (including web copy, marketing emails, and social media campaigns) to drive registration and engagement.

Training. The Rust Foundation is developing a training and certification program. You will play a key role in planning our approach to developing and delivering online learning materials, managing relationships and arrangements with suppliers/contractors, and supporting the development of the materials.

Alongside this, you will carry out a range of day-to-day marketing and communications activities.

Campaign Management & Execution:

• Check and update project timelines to ensure campaigns are on track.
• Monitor ongoing campaigns, making sure all elements (social media, email, content) are running smoothly.
• Coordinate with the design, content, and digital teams to ensure timely delivery of materials.
• Coordinate with external vendors/agencies to follow up on deliverables and ensure timely execution.
• Communicate with the Director of Communications and Marketing to provide updates on campaign status or any emerging issues.
• Update and manage CRM systems and dashboards, ensuring lead data and customer lists are clean and accurate.
• Segment email marketing lists for targeted campaigns.
• Monitor email campaign performance (opens, click-through rates, etc.).
• Analyze campaign performance data (e.g., website traffic, email open rates, social media engagement) to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Prepare performance reports for internal meetings or to share with senior leadership.
• Track campaign expenses and ensure budgets are being adhered to.
• Adjust ongoing campaigns based on data (e.g., shift focus on platforms or content types that are performing best).

Content & Social Media Management:

• Write, proofread, or edit marketing copy for blog posts, social media, emails, and ads.
• Update content calendars to ensure the right content is being delivered across platforms.
• Collaborate with designers to ensure visuals align with the content.
• Schedule social media posts for the day/week using tools like Buffer.
• Create or edit content for social media, blogs, emails, and other marketing channels.
• Respond to social media engagement (comments, messages, inquiries).
• Monitor social media trends and adjust content strategy accordingly.

Administrative Tasks:

• Attend internal meetings for campaign updates, creative briefings, or strategy sessions.
• Participate and help conduct team check-ins and brainstorming sessions to track progress on tasks, resolve any issues, and generate new ideas.
• Coordinate scheduling for team meetings, campaign approvals, or stakeholder check-ins.
• Handle administrative documentation like campaign briefs, contracts, invoices, and meeting notes.
• Ensure all marketing resources (content, tools, etc.) for relevant projects are being used efficiently.
• Help manage the forthcoming Rust Foundation merch store.

Skills and Experience

• 4+ years experience working in an external-facing marketing/communications role.
• Experience delivering a wide range of high-quality and professional marketing materials, content, and research.
• Demonstrable excellence in written and verbal communication, with a track record of developing effective content and messaging for a diverse technical audience.
• Successful background working in the events/communications space, with the ability to work independently, collaboratively, and with initiative to organize professional and engaging events/conferences.
• Comfortable operating in an international environment, understanding cultural differences and sensitivities, and ensuring events and communications are suitable for the target audience.
• Excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• Experience creating/contributing to marketing and research deliverables such as surveys, executive presentations, and publications.
• Demonstrable experience communicating complex ideas to a wide range of audiences
• Robust project management skills with demonstrated ability to meet campaign deadlines and juggle priorities in a fast-paced, asynchronous, and remote environment.
• Working knowledge of email marketing and social media platforms.
• Familiarity with technology marketing/communications (in particular, open source technology/communities) preferred.