The Director of Communications oversees all school messaging, including the development of weekly school emails, website management, social media content, and branding/style guide management. The Director of Communications supports the Head of School’s office, the academic directors, operations, and all advancement endeavors (marketing, development, and enrollment management).
Essential Functions
- Manage regular school-wide communications through Constant Contact.
- Maintain the integrity of the school’s brand and style guides, including promotional items and spirit wear.
- Manage the school’s website and ensure regular updates, including SEO optimization.
- Create social media content across various platforms and collaborate with the advancement team to maintain a consistent online presence.
- Support community event planning from invitations, event registration, and post-event communications.
- Coordinate the design of the annual magazine and other design projects, including collaboration with outside designers and vendors as needed.
Other Responsibilities
- Collaborate with enrollment management, development, and academic directors to ensure the student information system database and alumni records are up-to-date and accurate.
- Support department directors and teachers with written communications, including copywriting, proofreading, and communications timelines.
- Create seasonal communications, including art design, for holiday cards, event invitations, graduation announcements, etc.
- Use Adobe InDesign or Canva to produce marketing materials to support enrollment management and development.
- Collaborate with the advancement team to develop marketing campaigns and track trends through our online marketing software, currently AiMS.
Job Requirements
- The ideal candidate has a degree in communications or marketing (or a related field) or has relevant professional experience.
- The candidate should be knowledgeable about social media platforms, content development, and the associated best practices.
- They will be invested in developing a detailed understanding of James River’s school culture, curriculum, faculty, students, and programs.
- The position requires competence in written communication with excellent writing skills, including the ability to proofread for spelling and grammar errors.
- This candidate should prioritize relationship-building and community-building.
- The position also requires basic photography skills.
Status: Exempt, Full-time Contract: Twelve-Month
Reports to: Head of School and indirectly to the Associate Head of School for Finance and Operations
