Manager, External Affairs - Governance & Communications

Uncommon Schools; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 93,000 - 107,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Training & development

403(b) retirement and employer match

Paid leave

Job summary

Uncommon Schools is seeking a Manager, External Affairs - Governance & Communications in Brooklyn, NY. This role supports governance, communications, and partnerships across NYC, working with the Board of Trustees, school leaders, and external partners to craft audience-centered messaging.

The position emphasizes data-informed storytelling, project management, and cross-team collaboration to advance external affairs initiatives and regional engagement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Marketing, Communications, or a related field.
• 5–6 years of relevant experience in program or project management, communications or marketing, development, public policy, or related areas.
• Experience managing or supporting organizational social media accounts, including content creation and planning.
• Strong project management and implementation skills with attention to detail and systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills tailored to diverse audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to use data to inform work and communicate findings clearly.
• Ability to build relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders across levels.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work independently, and navigate ambiguity.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate governance and board partnership activities, including Trustee relationships, communications, meeting content, and onboarding of new Trustees.
• Manage regional social media accounts, develop content, edit, plan, and engage with comments and messages.
• Collaborate with school-based social media contacts to source stories and coordinate cross-region communications.
• Develop and maintain project management and accountability tools for governance, communications, and stakeholder engagement.
• Support the NYC External Affairs team’s annual planning process with senior leadership.
• Use data platforms to pull reports and translate data into clear narratives for diverse audiences.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing public charter schools dedicated to providing an exceptional K-12 education in economically disadvantaged communities. Operating in Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester, we are committed to closing the college completion gap and preparing every student for college and beyond. Our students consistently exceed national benchmarks, reflecting our dedication to their success. We invest deeply in our educators, offering weekly coaching, feedback, and professional development to ensure excellence in teaching and leadership. Join us to work hard, do good, and make a lasting difference!

Job Description

The Manager, External Affairs - Governance & Communications supports the work of Uncommon Schools’ NYC External Affairs team by helping strengthen governance and compliance, communications, and both external and internal partnerships across the region. This role coordinates key work with the Uncommon NYC Board of Trustees, manages regional communications channels, and helps ensure important external affairs projects move from planning through execution. The Manager works closely with school leaders, external partners, Trustees, and colleagues across Uncommon to develop clear, audience-centered communications and maintain the strong relationships necessary to move this critical work forward. They also use data and project management systems to organize complex work and communicate progress and insights to stakeholders. Through this work, the Manager helps Uncommon NYC tell its story, and sustain the relationships and systems that support our schools and students.

Responsibilities

Governance & Board Partnership

• Coordinate the management of the Uncommon NYC Board of Trustees, including Trustee relationships and communications, meeting content, storytelling, and onboarding of new Trustees.
• Coordinate annual Trustee visits to school campuses, including scheduling, Trustee communications, and preparation with school leaders.
• Monitor changes in state, local, and charter authorizer policy and support appropriate responses.
• Manage regular charter reporting and compliance, and the charter renewal application process with Uncommon NYC’s authorizer.

Communications & Stakeholder Engagement

• Manage Uncommon NYC’s regional social media accounts, including content development, editing, planning, event coverage, and engagement with comments and direct messages.
• Partner with school-based social media points of contact to source stories and content, provide ongoing support, and coordinate communications and expectations across schools.
• Collaborate with social media leads across Uncommon regions and manage the work of a part-time external digital media consultant.
• Manage website updates, coordinate school visits from external stakeholders, and craft a monthly region-wide family newsletter featuring school highlights and stories.
• Represent Uncommon NYC with key external stakeholders and partners as needed and collaborate with internal teams on governance and external affairs special projects.
• Partner as needed with external affairs colleagues on advocacy, and family and community engagement workstreams - this may include attending community events, or project management and communications support.

Planning & Project Management

• Develop and maintain project management and accountability tools for governance, communications, and stakeholder engagement work, including complex and long-term projects.
• Coordinate with colleagues and partners across levels and teams to ensure assigned deliverables are completed and project goals are met.
• Support the NYC External Affairs team’s annual planning process in partnership with the Senior Director.
• Help develop and maintain team-wide systems, including meeting agendas, processes, surveys, templates, and tools that support External Affairs workstreams.

Data Analysis & Storytelling

• Use internal data platforms and dashboards to pull reports and conduct analysis.
• Translate existing reports and data into clear narratives tailored to different audiences, such as Board-facing presentations and school leader communications.
• Use qualitative and quantitative data, including stakeholder feedback and surveys, to inform future work.
• Use data analysis and project management tools to support routine work, projects, and planning.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Marketing, Communications, or a related field.
• 5–6 years of relevant experience. Relevant backgrounds may include program or project management, communications or marketing, development, public policy, community organizing, digital media, school or regional operations, or other work that builds transferable skills for this role.
• Experience managing or supporting organizational social media accounts, including content creation and planning.
• Strong project management and implementation skills, with attention to detail and the ability to build and maintain effective systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor communications to different audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to inform work and communicate findings clearly.
• Ability to build effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders and coordinate work across levels and teams.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work independently, take initiative to build systems where they may be lacking, incorporate feedback, and navigate ambiguity.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• Experience in education, fundraising or board management, and/or demonstrated alignment with Uncommon Schools’ mission.

Physical Requirements

This role involves frequent local travel within Brooklyn to school campuses, typically once per week and occasionally up to three times per week. The role may require standing or walking for prolonged periods during community-wide or school-based events, setting up equipment or materials, and carrying objects weighing approximately 20–40 pounds.

Additional Information

Our people are what make us Uncommon. We offer competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits that support the personal health, wellness, and finances of our staff and their families. Our compensation philosophy values equity & fairness and attracting & retaining top talent.

Compensation

The full compensation range for this role is $91,300-$107,400.

Typically, new hires who fully meet the qualifications and experience expectations for the role will start at or near $94,000.

Starting compensation below this reflects candidates with less experience or qualifications. Offers near the top end of the range are reserved for candidates who significantly exceed the qualifications, bringing extensive experience and specialized expertise beyond what is listed.

Compensation determinations consider relevant experience and tenure with Uncommon Schools. Additionally, because we value internal growth and tenure, current staff members are not subject to salary caps within this range.

Work Environment

Uncommon is an in-person organization. This role is based in Brooklyn and requires working in person at least three days each week, with additional in-person days as needed based on the needs of the role. The role also requires regular local travel to Uncommon Schools Brooklyn campuses and other locations across NYC.

Benefits

• Regional staff will have the same holidays and sustainability days as school-based staff in their region, and flexible summer PTO
• Extensive, best-in-class training and development
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans + pre-tax flexible spending (FSA), dependent care (DCFSA), and health saving accounts (HSA)
• Financial Planning
  • 403(b) retirement savings program + employer match
• Paid leave of absence options (parental, medical, disability, etc.)
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

At Uncommon, we believe that a supportive and welcoming environment helps our students, staff, and community thrive. We are dedicated to building a team that brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences, reflective of the communities we serve---with over 70% of our staff identifying as people of color. Our organization values respect and open dialogue on important topics that shape our school culture.

As an equal opportunity employer, Uncommon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email [e-mail].