Communications Director (SFPE)

Schott Foundation for Public Education; United States; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Schott Foundation for Public Education is seeking an experienced Communications Director to chart long-range communications planning and oversee operations across all platforms. The role emphasizes amplifying voices of grantees and driving narrative change in education justice through multi-channel campaigns.

We seek a strategic leader with strong writing, editing, and management skills who can work collaboratively with staff, grantees, and partners to advance Schott’s mission.

Qualifications

• Seven+ years of communications and managerial experience.
• Knowledge of education justice issues is desirable.
• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in designing and implementing communications plans, including social media campaigns.
• Excellent writing and editing skills.
• Ability to segment audiences and tailor outreach to grow engagement and drive narrative change.
• Ability to translate complex issues into compelling social media content for targeted audiences.
• Deep understanding of changing communications dynamics and trends.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and implementation of a multi-channel, multi-media communications vision and strategy to achieve Schott’s mission.
• Manage team of communications professionals, including Schott staff and external consultants.
• Ensure messaging supports narrative change for education justice and conveys Schott and partners’ initiatives.
• Lead rigorous communications evaluation and use metrics to refine strategy.
• Monitor communications trends across platforms.
• Create and manage the communications budget and ensure grant compliance.
• Work with grantees to assess needs and provide coordinated supports.
• Coordinate webinars, trainings, and promote grantee voices across platforms.
• Oversee internal infrastructure and consultants’ day-to-day operations.
• Oversee creation of compelling multimedia content and strategic dissemination across platforms.

Skills

Communications

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Writing & editing

Audience segmentation

Social media content

Media relations

Tools

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

YouTube

Job description

Want to have an impact? Are you a skilled communications strategist with at least seven years’ experience driving multi-platform, multi-media campaigns? Are you creative and visionary, ambitious about taking communications reach to scale, and knowledgeable about the communications trends and changing social media platforms that are creating unprecedented opportunity for racial and education justice narrative change and wins?

Position Overview

The Communications Director will chart the course of long-range communications planning and manage the implementation of communications operations across all platforms. In the dramatically changed media environment, we are especially looking for someone who can creatively amplify Schott’s messages and the voices of our grantees through multi-channel social media. In addition to communications savvy, the position requires leadership, management skills, and ability to working collaboratively with our staff, grantees and partners.

Reports to:

SVP of Advancement

Responsibilities

Communications Planning and Management

• Lead development and implementation of a multi-channel, multi-media communications vision and strategy to achieve Schott’s mission
• Manage team of communications professionals, including Schott staff and external consultants
• Ensure consistent, compelling messaging to support narrative change for greater education justice and to convey Schott and partners’ initiatives and advocacy campaigns
• Lead rigorous communications evaluation; track engagement/results across all platforms—and use metrics to fine tune communications strategy and tactics
• Monitor communications trends
• Create and manage communications budget; ensure compliance with all grants

Grantee/Partner Communications

• Work closely with Schott grantees to assess needs, develop coordinated communications strategies, and provide supports from communications team
• Coordinate webinars, trainings, and promote grantee/partner voices across all platforms
• Oversee the goals, strategy, and day-to-day operations of internal infrastructure and consultants.

Content Creation and Promotion

• Oversee and assist in the creation of compelling multi-media content—digital, video, audio, print
• Implement strategic dissemination on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms that emerge in the future

Qualifications

• At least seven years of communications and managerial experience
• Knowledge of education justice issues desired.
• A strategic thinker with a proven track record in designing and implementing successful communications plans, including social media campaigns
• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Ability to segment audiences and tailor communications outreach—to grow their engagement and drive narrative change
• Able to synthesize complex issues and policies and translate them into social media savvy content and materials for targeted audiences
• Deep understanding of changing communications dynamics, social media trends and tools
• Able to sequence and coordinate multiple communications campaign rollouts; can prioritize competing priorities and manage the relationships associated with each
• Works well under pressure and with short deadlines
• Ability to take initiative and work independently, as well as collaboratively, inclusively, respectfully with multiple partners and grantees
• Experience with communications training is a plus
• Deep demonstrated passion for racial and education justice and understanding of communications advocacy to accelerate impact of grassroots organizing

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at the Schott Foundation for Public Education, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.