Director of Communications and Engagement

Davidson; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Davidson is partnering with a leading independent school in Brisbane's southern growth corridor to appoint a Director of Communications and Engagement. Reporting to the Principal and CEO, this senior role shapes brand, marketing, enrolments and community engagement to support growth.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team, translate strategy into measurable campaigns, strengthen stakeholder relationships and drive philanthropy and partnerships.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading marketing, communications, brand or engagement functions.
• Proven ability to develop commercially focused marketing strategies that drive growth.
• Strong people leadership with talent development and accountability.
• Experience in digital marketing, campaign management, customer engagement and analytics.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder influencing skills.
• Collaborative and values-led leadership style with empathy and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Lead marketing, communications and brand strategy to strengthen positioning across a competitive education market.
• Drive enrolment growth through targeted campaigns and insights and exceptional prospective family experience.
• Lead, mentor and develop a multidisciplinary team, building capability and high performance.
• Oversee digital marketing, content, communications and stakeholder engagement.
• Provide strategic advice to the Principal and leadership on brand, reputation and communications matters.
• Strengthen relationships with families, alumni and the broader community, supporting philanthropy and partnerships.
• Identify opportunities to improve systems, processes and ways of working for efficiency and measurable value.

Skills

Marketing leadership

Brand management

Engagement strategy

Stakeholder management

Digital marketing

Campaign management

People leadership

Analytics & insights

Job description

• Shape the brand and future growth of a leading independent school
• Lead a talented team across marketing, communications, enrolments and engagement
• Strategic leadership opportunity with genuine commercial impact

About the organisation

Our client is a well-established and highly regarded independent school located within Brisbane's southern growth corridor, servicing families across southern Brisbane, Logan and the northern Gold Coast.

With a strong reputation for educational excellence, a vibrant school community and a clear vision for the future, the School is entering an exciting phase of growth and development.

With an established brand and a commitment to delivering an exceptional experience for students and families, the School is focused on strengthening its market position, extending its reach and building meaningful connections across its community.

The opportunity

Reporting directly to the Principal and CEO, the Director of Communications and Engagement is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, responsible for driving the School's brand, marketing, communications, enrolment and community engagement strategies.

This is a highly visible and influential role, combining strategic direction, commercial acumen and strong people leadership. With clear strategic priorities and a talented team already in place, the opportunity is to build on existing strengths, elevate performance and deliver measurable outcomes.

Leading a multidisciplinary team, you will empower and develop others, foster a collaborative and accountable culture, and bring fresh thinking, creativity and a continuous improvement mindset to the function.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the School's marketing, communications and brand strategy, strengthening its positioning and reach across a competitive education market.
• Driving enrolment growth through targeted campaigns, market insights, conversion strategies and an exceptional prospective family experience.
• Leading, mentor and develop a talented multidisciplinary team, building capability, productivity and a culture of high performance.
• Overseeing digital marketing, content, communications and stakeholder engagement, ensuring a consistent and compelling institutional narrative.
• Providing trusted strategic advice to the Principal and leadership team on brand, reputation and communications matters.
• Strengthening relationships with families, alumni and the broader community, while supporting the development of philanthropy and corporate partnerships.
• Identifying opportunities to improve systems, processes and ways of working, ensuring the function operates efficiently and delivers measurable value.

About you

You are an accomplished marketing and communications leader who combines commercial thinking, strategic capability and a genuine passion for people leadership.

You understand how to build and position a brand, engage audiences and translate marketing investment into measurable outcomes. Equally important is your ability to inspire and empower a team, build strong relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels.

You will bring:

• Significant experience leading marketing, communications, brand or engagement functions, ideally within a complex, customer-focused or service-oriented organisation.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing commercially focused marketing strategies that drive growth, engagement and measurable results.
• Strong people leadership experience, with the ability to develop talent, lift performance and foster a positive, accountable team culture.
• Experience in digital marketing, campaign management, customer engagement and performance analytics.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with the confidence to contribute ideas and respectfully challenge thinking.
• A collaborative, approachable and values-led leadership style, combining empathy and kindness with clear expectations and accountability.
• The ability to balance strategic thinking with practical execution, sound judgement and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Experience across the broader education ecosystem, including independent schools, higher education, vocational education and other purpose-led organisations, will be highly regarded.

This is an opportunity for a commercially minded and highly relational leader to make a meaningful contribution to a thriving school community, shaping its next chapter while working alongside a committed leadership team.

Why Join

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to a well-established independent school, working closely with senior leadership and an experienced team.

An attractive remuneration package will be negotiated for the right candidate.

Davidson acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work and live. We are also committed to equal opportunity and strive to promote diversity, inclusion, belonging, flexibility, and accessibility in all that we do.

Should you require assistance in your interactions with us or through a recruitment process, please let us know so we can provide adjustments for you.

Applications close at 5pm on Wednesday 2 December 2026.