Director of Communications at undefined

Georgetown Day School opened its doors in 1945 as the first integrated school in a segregated city. Governed by a Board of Trustees elected by the parent body and administered by an appointed Head of School, it was founded by seven families who wanted to create a school committed not only to academic excellence and educational innovation but also to a value system emphasizing appreciation and respect for others. Believing that diversity was the ground out of which all deep and rich learning occurs, they established a school where all children would be welcome, celebrated, and challenged to be their best selves.
 
Today, the School's philosophy, programs, and position in the national educational landscape strongly reflect its roots. Having grown from 12 children in 1945 to 1075 students in PK-12 today, GDS is recognized as one of Washington, D.C.’s and the nation’s most dynamic educational institutions.

Since the school’s founding, GDS has called eight different locations home. In the fall of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools were all joined on one extraordinary campus.

About the Position

Department: Advancement
Reports To: Chief Advancement Officer
Location:  Georgetown Day School, Washington, D.C.
Schedule:  Full-time position
Compensation: $120,000 - 140,000 annually
FLSA Status:  Exempt

The Director of Communications reports to the Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) and supervises two Communications professionals. This position has responsibility for directing strategic brand messaging, media relations, public outreach, and online communications. The individual oversees daily activities of the communications team including budgets, staff, and project management as they engage all constituents including current families, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, students, faculty and staff, prospective families, friends, and the broader community. The individual forges strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a strategic marketing plan, as well as evaluate GDS’s brand and identity in the independent school market.

• Partner with the CAO on strategic initiatives designed to identify and enhance GDS’s reputation, identity, and core values, promoting the experience and the mission of GDS.

Marketing and Brand Management

• Develop and manage the execution of a comprehensive marketing and communications plan for the School.

• Generate an integrated marketing plan and communications initiatives that not only reinforce, but shape GDS’s place within the Washington, DC, community and the national education community, utilizing all communications vehicles and channels.

• Oversee the development of marketing materials, including digital and print, website content, and promotional piece.

• Manage and maintain the school’s brand, including logos, seals, and secondary marks, providing guidance on their appropriate usage.

• Ensure consistent and strategic messaging across all platforms, materials, and departments.

Content Strategy and Creation

• Maintain and execute an editorial calendar that aligns with departmental and institutional goals.

• Proactively source content by engaging with faculty, students, parents, and alumni to highlight school happenings and individual profiles.

• Build and maintain key strategic relationships with internal partners to establish and foster communication among all school community members including trustees, faculty and staff, parents, students, alumni, and volunteers.

• Provide editorial and writing support for community newsletters and other communication channels.

Communications Management

• Oversee internal and external communications to ensure alignment with institutional priorities.

• Build and maintain key strategic relationships with external partners to establish branding opportunities to increase the visibility of GDS.

• In partnership with the CAO and HoS, manage crisis communications, media relations, and public relations efforts to maintain the school’s reputation.

• Regularly update and maintain all communication vehicles, including email, website, and social media platforms.

• Create and implement metrics to assess the success of communication strategies.

• Oversee the Communications team as well as outsourced partners as necessary.

• Manage the coordination, planning, and production of publications for the institution, reaching across divisional and departmental lines.

• Engage in continual review of programs and strategies to ensure optimal efficiency, effectiveness, and quality.

• Create and maintain an overall messaging strategy for all online communication tools, including the website and official social media platforms, delegating content responsibility to department staff as needed.

• Monitor the impact of communications activities by analyzing the website, social media, and related survey metrics.

• Develop and maintain communications support materials (templates, style guide, branding elements, etc.) and work to ensure accuracy as well as editorial and visual consistency in all communications pieces.

• Design and implement strategic advertising campaigns as needed.

• Provide creative and hands-on support for a variety of school-wide events.

• Supervise and lead department staff members and manage the department's budget.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, public relations, journalism, or a related field

• Advanced degree preferred

• 7+ years progressive experience developing and managing comprehensive, integrated marketing campaigns for diverse audiences, including experience of direct responsibility managing a team, significant budgets, and vendors 

• Experience in developing and implementing social media marketing strategies

• Proven track record of working well with cross-functional teams and executive management

Skills

• Strong communication skills and experience, including drafting press releases, supplemental materials, social media communications and website content, as well as building and maintaining media contacts

• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to work within a diverse school and office environment

• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines

• Excellent written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills

Americans with Disability Specifications

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Additional benefits