Communication and Events Coordinator

St. Joseph Montessori School; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Joseph Montessori School in Columbus, Ohio seeks a Communications and Events Coordinator to tell the school's story, engage families, and support fundraising and admissions activities. This role focuses on consistent branding, content creation, and coordinating school events.

The ideal candidate has strong writing and organizational skills, comfort working with students and staff, and the ability to manage multiple projects, with occasional evenings and weekends required for events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, English, Journalism, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience may be considered.
• Previous experience in communications, marketing, social media, event planning, community engagement, or a related field preferred.
• Familiarity with Montessori education or a demonstrated interest in learning about Montessori philosophy and practice preferred.

Responsibilities

• Communications: Maintain a consistent voice and visual branding across school communications.
• Communications: Identify and develop stories that highlight people, experiences, and outcomes.
• Communications: Create and distribute weekly and monthly school communications, newsletters, announcements, and family updates.
• Communications: Develop content for the website, social media, email communications, and print materials.
• Social Media & Digital Presence: Manage social media accounts and develop a content strategy.
• Social Media & Digital Presence: Create and schedule posts, stories, videos, and other content.
• Social Media & Digital Presence: Monitor engagement and respond to comments and messages.
• Social Media & Digital Presence: Track analytics to evaluate engagement.
• Events & Community Engagement: Coordinate and support school events throughout the year.
• Events & Community Engagement: Develop event timelines, communication plans, and logistics.
• Events & Community Engagement: Manage event registration, invitations, reminders, and follow-ups.
• Events & Community Engagement: Coordinate volunteers and work with faculty, staff, families, and vendors.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications/Marketing/PR/English/Journalism or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Canva

Adobe Creative Suite

Photoshop

InDesign

Mailchimp

Constant Contact

Job description

Job Title: Communication and Events Coordinator

Reports to: Director of Operations

Organizational Overview:
St. Joseph Montessori School is a Catholic Montessori School located in Columbus, Ohio, serving students 18 months through 8 th grade.

St. Joseph Montessori School (SJMS) was established in 1968 as a preschool preparation program for St. Joseph Academy, operated by the Sisters of Notre Dame. The Academy consisted of grades one through twelve. Recognizing the value of the Montessori approach to education, parents requested and were granted the extension of the program into the elementary school.

Although declining enrollment forced the closing of the 100-year-old high school in 1977, a cooperative effort between the Sisters and the parent body resulted in the transition of SJMS into a private Pre-K-8 Diocesan Montessori school with nonprofit status and an elected parent Board of Trustees.

In 2021, SJMS opened its first Toddler program, accepting students as young as 18 months of age. In 2023, St. Joseph Montessori School became the first American Montessori Society Accredited Montessori School in Central Ohio and is 1 of 222 AMS accredited schools worldwide.

We offer an alternative educational program to families in Central Ohio, serving families from 44 different zip codes. Our school is located in a vibrant and historic residential neighborhood minutes from Downtown Columbus and The Ohio State University. We have made many additions to the school, such as adding a new library, a greenhouse, and multiple classrooms to accommodate our expanding population.

The Montessori Method allows students to learn and receive individualized lessons in small group settings with a low student-teacher ratio. Students learn to become independent, confident, and curious learners. They thrive in a peaceful environment while developing a responsibility for themselves and the natural world.

School Mission:
St. Joseph Montessori School provides a Montessori Catholic learning community that honors the whole child and their immense potential.

School Vision:
To be a school of choice sought out by Central Ohio families attracted to the power of the Montessori Method of educating children in a diverse, engaging, and compassionate community.

Position Overview:
The Communication and Events Coordinator at St. Joseph Montessori School plays an essential role in building connections, strengthening community, and sharing the story of SJMS. This position goes beyond communicating information and coordinating events, it is about bringing the spirit of SJMS to life. The Coordinator will help tell the story of our school, celebrate our students and faculty, engage our families and community, and help others understand what makes a Montessori Catholic education so meaningful and unique.

Specific Duties:

Communications:

Maintain a consistent voice and visual branding across school communications.

Identify and develop stories that highlight the people, experiences, and outcomes that make an SJMS education unique.

Create and distribute the weekly and monthly school communications, newsletters, announcements, and family updates.

Develop engaging content for the school website, social media, email communications, and print materials.

Create brochures, digital materials, presentations, advertisements, and other promotional content for school marketing, admissions, and fundraising purposes.

Manage and regularly update the SJMS website, ensuring information is accurate, current, and engaging.

Capture and share photos, videos, and other content that highlight daily life at SJMS.

Maintain a communications calendar to coordinate messaging across the school year.

Ensure communications are timely, accurate, professional, and aligned with the school's mission and brand.

Support faculty and staff in developing clear, professional, and engaging communications to families.

Social Media & Digital Presence

Manage SJMS social media accounts and develop a consistent content strategy.

Create and schedule engaging posts, stories, videos, and other digital content.

Monitor engagement and respond appropriately to comments and messages.

Track social media and website analytics to evaluate engagement and identify opportunities for improvement.

Events & Community Engagement:

Coordinate and support school events throughout the year, including community, family, fundraising, admissions, and special events.

Develop event timelines, communication plans, promotional materials, and logistics in collaboration with school leadership and volunteers.

Manage event registration, invitations, reminders, and follow-up communications.

Coordinate event volunteers and work with faculty, staff, families, and outside vendors as needed.

Help ensure that SJMS events reflect the school's mission, values, and Montessori identity.

Collect feedback and attendance data following major events to help evaluate their success and inform future planning.

Maintain an annual event calendar and coordinate communications to avoid competing or overlapping initiatives.

Position Requirements

Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail.

Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously.

Ability to work collaboratively and contribute positively to a team environment.

Warm, approachable, and enthusiastic when working with children, adolescents, families, faculty, and staff.

Ability to work independently while also seeking direction and collaborating effectively with others.

Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive student, family, employee, and school information.

Willingness to assist in classrooms or provide teacher coverage, as needed.

Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends in support of school events and activities.

Physical ability to work in a school environment, including sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, and working around young children.

Ability to lift, carry, or otherwise move up to 25 pounds on an occasional basis.

Willingness to sign and adhere to the school's confidentiality agreement and other applicable policies.

Required to complete FBI/BCI background checks, Protecting God's Children training, FEMA training, CPR/First Aid certification, and other professional development or compliance training as assigned.

Preferred Skills:

Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, with the ability and willingness to learn additional systems and software.

Experience with Canva and/or Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop and InDesign.

Basic photography, videography, and photo/video editing skills.

Experience managing and scheduling content across social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

Experience with email marketing platforms such as Constant Contact or Mailchimp.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, English, Journalism, or a related field preferred.

Equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience may be considered.

Previous experience in communications, marketing, social media, event planning, community engagement, or a related field preferred.

Familiarity with Montessori education or a demonstrated interest in learning about Montessori philosophy and practice preferred.

St. Joseph Montessori School is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity. We will recruit, select, promote, train, compensate and discipline individuals in full compliance with applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability in an effort to provide fair and equal treatment to all employees and job applicants.

Diversity and Inclusion:

St. Joseph Montessori School is committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse and inclusive environment not only enriches our company culture but also drives