Marketing + Communications Director

San Luis Obispo Classical Academy; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

San Luis Obispo Classical Academy is seeking a Marketing + Communications Director to drive enrollment growth through multi-channel campaigns, digital marketing, and events. You will lead a creative team and collaborate with admissions to align messaging with our mission.

The role requires a proven track record in marketing leadership, excellent design sensibilities, strong communication skills, and hands-on management of WordPress and email automation.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of marketing and communications experience.
• 3+ years of managing direct reports.
• Strong design sensibility aligned with the SLOCA branding.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Proficient with WordPress and automated email marketing.
• Knowledge of digital marketing trends.
• Familiarity with classical education is a bonus.
• Willing to be hands-on in this director role.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and teams.
• Strong interpersonal skills with faculty and staff.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee a full marketing plan aligned with enrollment goals.
• Lead enrollment marketing across channels: word-of-mouth, digital, print, social, events.
• Coordinate publications and ads including recruitment pieces and videos.
• Develop and manage marketing budget and report ROI to ELT and finance.
• Create and maintain social media content for all channels.
• Collaborate with Admissions to promote recruitment.
• Lead and develop marketing, communications, and business team members.
• Ensure clear school-wide communication and branding guidelines.
• Attend school events and staff trainings.
• Prepare quarterly reports for the finance team.

Skills

Marketing experience

People management

Brand alignment

WordPress

Email marketing

Digital marketing

Written communication

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing or related field

Tools

Marketing automation

Job description

The Marketing + Communications Director (MCD) is responsible for strategically growing SLOCA's income across multiple channels, including business revenue, and for driving marketing efforts to increase inquiries. This includes collaborating with management teams at the bookstore and online math video subscription team to increase revenue, and managing the creative team to develop, lead, and oversee marketing initiatives that drive enrollment growth.

• Exempt, 40 hours/week, salaried/hourly
• Monday-Friday, year-round
• Reports to the Chief Advancement Officer

qualifications

• 5+ years of marketing & communication experience
• 3+ years of managing direct reports
• An excellent eye for design and alignment with the SLOCA brand
• Demonstrated strong people skills
• Technology: Highly computer literate and quick tech study; knowledgeable with WordPress as well as automated email marketing systems preferred
• Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills without use of AI
• Knowledgeable concerning the latest developments in digital marketing communications
• Familiarity with Classical Education is a bonus
• Willing to learn about and support the mission of SLO Classical Academy (to be a community that forges character, fosters wisdom, and nurtures a lifelong passion for learning!)
• A willingness to happily be in the trenches; this is a hands‑on director position
• Demonstrates a passion for learning and classical education
• Demonstrates skills in the area of instructing others
• Able to take guidance, be service‑oriented + a team player, and work independently
• Shows initiative, flexibility, and a commitment to excellence
• Ability to prioritize and carry out tasks in a timely manner
• Strong sense of ownership for work, assignments, and results
• Strong interpersonal skills; the ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with faculty, staff, and administration, both verbally and in writing
• Ability to foster and maintain a high level of morale between employees and volunteers

duties + responsibilities

• Develop and oversee a full marketing plan that accurately reflects SLOCA’s culture, image, mission, and vision and reaches SLOCA enrollment goals.
• Lead enrollment marketing through word‑of‑mouth campaigns, digital marketing, print‑based marketing, social media, and event‑based marketing.
• Develop and implement effective campaigns through the above channels that align with the marketing plan and report on the effectiveness on inquiry growth.
• Coordinate all publications and advertisements, including recruitment pieces, short videos, targeted emails, invitations to special events, parent meeting information, and other communication materials.
• Develop and manage the marketing and advertising budget, reporting on ROI’s of each investment to the ELT (Executive Leadership Team) and finance team.
• Create content for and maintain all social media channels for the school (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), updating regularly with consistent messaging that aligns with the school’s mission
• Work closely with the Director of Admissions to create marketing and communications strategies that promote and enhance recruitment.
• Lead and develop marketing, communications, and business team members.
• Ensure a smooth, effective school‑wide communication process to reduce repetition and ensure clear, accurate communication.
• Prepare quarterly reports for the finance team for areas overseen.
• Oversee and monitor the school’s brand guides, ensuring publications adhere to the organization’s branding and messaging guidelines.
• Manage media relations by identifying newsworthy events, writing press releases, and cultivating strong collaborative partnerships with local media.
• Serve on the Broader Leadership team at SLOCA, and engage with team learning throughout the year.
• Attend various school events, staff trainings, and team meetings.
• Read weekly staff and school email updates.
• Engage in professional development opportunities (Summer Reads, Beyond Great Books program, etc.)
• Adhere to all administrative directives and applicable SLOCA Policies, including those expressly outlined in the Employee Manual.

P H Y S I C A L D E M A N D S

• Able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds on an occasional basis. Able to stand and move around for extended periods of time.

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 the essential functions.

“THE TASK OF THE MODERN EDUCATOR IS NOT TO CUT DOWN JUNGLES, BUT TO IRRIGATE DESERTS.” —C.S. LEWIS

At SLO Classical Academy, we are in the business of irrigating deserts. And this vision of education is less about firehosing students with facts and more about sustainably and patiently digging up wells within students to awaken their own curiosity and excitement for learning. We take this task of joyful and playful education seriously, and we’re looking to expand our team to others who want to join us in this vision.

The pay range for this role is:

70,000 - 85,000 USD per year (Lower School Campus)