Communications Associate bei DC Prep

Role Type: Full-Time, 12 month

Location: Hybrid, Washington, DC

FLSA Status: Exempt

WHO WE ARE

DC Prep is a high performing network of public charter schools serving over 2,100 preschool through 8th-grade students across six campuses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. We’re proud of  the high bar we set for ourselves to achieve results–our students deserve our best! We recognize that how we support our students to be successful is just as important as the results we achieve, which pushes us to reflect on questions such as: 

• How can we facilitate our students’ academic, social, and emotional development?  
• How can we support our team members’ professional growth and personal ability to do this work long-term? 
• How can we engage our students’ families as our own? 

While this work is hard, it’s worth it – we believe in the transformative power of education, the can-do-itness of our students and staff, and the joy that comes from engaging in meaningful work with people we care about and trust!  

Here’s how we drive results: 

• Rigorous academic focus.  Our Preppies receive the highest level of academic preparation through standards-based instruction, daily targeted interventions, and meaningful assessments.

• Social-emotional learning. We have always had a dual mission of academic and social-emotional skill development.  Our research-based SEL curriculum is integrated into daily instruction, helping students leverage their personal values to strengthen their self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision-making skills and create a school-wide culture of empathy and reflection.

• Commitment to reflection and refinement.  Our results tell us that we are moving in the right direction, but there’s further to go to ensure that every student receives a transformative education. As a team, we regularly reflect on our programmatic model to see what’s working and where we can get better.  

Are you interested in learning more about the DC Prep Way? If so, check out our website to find out more about what we’re working towards and how we’re doing it.

WORKING AT DC PREP

DC Prep's faculty and staff are passionate, talented, and uncompromising with a mission to make sure all students succeed at a high level. Every aspect of our organization and program is designed – and continually refined – to ensure that goal. DC Prep students spend approximately 25% more time in school than other DC public school students. DC Prep’s supportive, stimulating, and professionally rewarding learning environment continuously develops and motivates high-performing educators. DC Prep's staff and school leadership promote meaningful relationships between faculty and students, enable excellent teaching, and foster professional collaboration. The end result: great outcomes for students.

WHO YOU ARE

You are equal parts creative storyteller, collaborative partner, and data-informed marketer. You thrive on taking an organization’s mission and Values and transforming them into compelling stories that resonate across multiple formats and audiences. You work seamlessly with others to build trust and ensure consistent, aligned messaging, while leveraging insights and data to continuously refine strategies and amplify impact. You’re excited by the opportunity to shape how DC Prep’s community, families, and partners experience and connect with our work.

THE POSITION

Responsibilities

1. Brand & Marketing 

• Maintain brand consistency across all channels and materials.
• Create digital/print marketing materials (flyers, brochures, banners, video, etc.) independently or with vendor partners for student recruitment and fundraising.
• Track marketing materials spend and keep leadership updated.
• Evaluate swag designs against brand guidelines for approval
• Collaborate with internal teams to support the creation of brand-aligned materials when requested

2. Communications & Content 

• Create compelling content (e.g, email campaigns, newsletters, flyers, signage, direct mail) targeting prospective families and our donor community.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather success stories, data, and insights to support content creation.
• Keep the website accurate and up to date.
• Manage email campaigns and monitor performance to optimize email and web content.
• Coordinate with internal partners and external vendors to produce photography and video content for key events. 
• Maintain an inventory of all content produced with a focus on repurposing assets for use in future campaigns.

3. Digital & Social Media Management

• Manage social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn).
• Manage an editorial calendar to schedule engaging posts tailored to platform audiences.
• Lead a cohort of social media liaisons across the DC Prep network to source content.
• Monitor performance metrics to refine social strategy.

4. Other Support

• Assist with planning and promoting fundraising and recruitment events.
• Work with internal teams to create brand-aligned materials and communications, as needed.

Technical Skills

• Design: Experience with Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar
• CRM & Email Marketing Platforms: Experience with HubSpot, Marketing Cloud, Bloomerang, GovDelivery, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, or similar
• Content Management Systems:  Experience with Drupal, WordPress, Squarespace, or similar
• Social Media Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree 
• 3+ years of professional experience in marketing and communications, preferably in education, nonprofit, or mission-driven sectors.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with strong attention to detail.
• Strong project and time management skills; able to manage multiple deadlines.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills for nurturing internal and external relationships.
• Comfort working independently and collaboratively across diverse teams.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of the K–12 education landscape, especially public charter schools.
• Ability to engage inclusively with communities of color and economically diverse families.
• Experience maintaining performance reports and dashboards.
• Proficient in Spanish.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Report in person to any of DC Prep’s physical campuses, as needed.
• Additional responsibilities may arise during the school year.  This could include: promoting DC Prep at on or offsite events, providing classroom support at critical times of the year, or supporting school operations at a DC Prep campus, as needed. 
• This list is not exhaustive. DC Prep will communicate mandatory events outside of school hours with ample notice.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands and environmental conditions described below are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the role.  All of these physical requirements must be able to be performed with clarity, coherence and connectedness to DC Prep’s vision.  A reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals who have an ADA qualifying disability to perform these essential functions which include:

• Must be able to sit and work at a desk/computer for extended periods of time
• Must be able to spend the majority of the day standing or mobile throughout school buildings, as well as talk, hear, grasp, reach and lift up to 30lbs with or without accommodations
• Ability to concentrate in active and noisy environments such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, stairs and playgrounds, classrooms and large group professional settings
• Must be able to walk, stand and monitor crowded hallways, gymnasiums, cafeterias, stairs and playgrounds.
• Must be able to climb stairs throughout the day 
• Must be able to have repetitive wrist/hand/finger movement to work on computer and/or related office equipment
• Ability to handle potential high stress conditions

 COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Highly competitive salary
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance; maternity, paternity, and adoption leave; and a 403b retirement plan

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. They may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

JOIN US

Do you believe that Learning Has No Limits? Are you eager to join a supportive, innovative, and collaborative community of educators? Are you committed to growing your strengths as an educator through individualized professional development and coaching? Apply today!

We’re an equal opportunity employer and hire without consideration of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability. We strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply.