Associate Director of Marketing & Communications

The Associate Director of Marketing & Communications (Advancement) leads all facets of Advancement marketing and communications – alumni and parent engagement, annual fund, and leadership giving. The Associate Director provides strategic thinking behind, management of, and execution of fundraising and engagement communications including print, digital, and social media in close partnership with the Director of Advancement and the Director of Marketing & Communications. He/she is a functional partner to the Director of Alumni & Parent Engagement, the Director of Annual Giving, the Director of Donor Relations, and the Director of Leadership & Planned Giving. He/she is responsible for developing and executing an integrated and strategic communications effort which builds support for the Academy and its strategic and ambitious funding priorities, and strengthens and deepens the Academy’s relationships with its alumni and parent community. While the Academy is in the With True Courage campaign, he/she will ensure that all messaging supports the campaign priorities and initiatives. In addition, the Associate Director has responsibilities for supporting the marketing and communication efforts of other Academy offices/departments such as college counseling. To be successful, the Associate Director will establish and nurture strong relationships with all other offices/departments including Admission, Advancement, Academics, Athletics, College Counseling, Dean of Students, and Technology. In addition, the Associate Director will ensure consistent and cohesive branding across all communications from all offices/departments.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the creative direction, content creation, and production of the Academy’s alumni magazine (print, bi-annual), Head of School (campaign) newsletter (print, bi-annual), and alumni newsletter (digital, monthly).

• Collaborate on the strategy and lead the creative direction, content creation, and production of fundraising communications including feature stories and appeals with Director of Annual Giving, Director of Leadership & Planned Giving, and Director of Donor Relations.

• Collaborate on the strategy and lead the creative direction, content creation, and production of engagement communications including invitations, programs, social media posts, memory books, and event webpages with the Director of Alumni & Parent Engagement. Participate in the speaker briefing process to ensure effective, strategic, and on-brand presentations. 

• Maintain a comprehensive calendar of Advancement communications for engagement and fundraising.

• Develop protocols for coordinating communications planning and execution with key stakeholders within Advancement.

• Develop content for websites and social media to strategically engage constituent groups.

• Work in collaboration with external freelance writers, designers, photographers, videographers, and printers to produce print and digital publications.

• Use data to drive recommendations and decisions about communication strategies and tactics.

• Other duties and nights/weekends as assigned/needed by Director of Marketing & Communications.

Qualifications and Skills Required for the Position

• Excellent project management and organizational skills that enable the employee to manage a high volume of detailed work in a fast-paced environment.

• Comprehensive understanding of best-in-class communications programs, media, and platforms.

• Strong interpersonal, and verbal and written communication skills.

• Experience briefing and providing creative direction to designers and writers.

• Ability to establish priorities, meet deadlines, and juggle multiple projects concurrently.

• Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently.

• Ability to interact professionally with all members of the Academy community including faculty, staff, students, parents, and external vendors.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel), G Suite, and digital communication tools (WordPress, Adobe Creative Suite, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Vimeo, YouTube)

• Prior experience working in or a deep understanding of Advancement function at independent school or college is strongly preferred.

• Successful completion of a criminal records background investigation.

Physical Demands

• Occasional lifting, bending, and climbing stairs.

• Frequent talking, listening, walking, sitting, and standing.

• Ability to perform multiple concurrent tasks and function in a fast-paced work environment.

Minimum Education Requirement

• A bachelor's degree with 5+ years of relevant experience. 

Work Environment

• The Marketing & Communications Office is a busy work environment that requires a significant amount of personal interaction.

• The Associate Director must be flexible, enthusiastic, hard-working, and responsible.

• This is an exempt position and the Associate Director must be available to work a minimum of 40 hours a week to complete his or her work.

• The Academy is a non-smoking campus.