Career Center

REPORTS TO: Head of School

Sidwell Friends, a coeducational Quaker day school with campuses in Bethesda, MD and Washington, DC, seeks an experienced Chief Communications Officer (CCO) to manage the strategy, content, and consistency of all-School communications. The CCO is responsible for planning, initiating, and managing School-wide communications; managing the design and content of all-School print, digital, and social media; and determining and implementing, in a manner consistent with the values of the School, the strategic direction of the School’s communications and marketing plan.The CCO reports to the Head of School and collaborates routinely with the Administrative Team and Board of Trustees.

Strategic Communications

• Listens attentively to and communicates effectively and authentically with all members of the School community: faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, trustees, prospective parents, donors, neighbors, etc.
• Collaborates regularly with the Head of School, the Assistant Head for Academic Affairs, the Assistant Head of School for School Advancement, and the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, to advise on strategic matters and to create and edit appropriate communications.
• Designs and implements internal (for current families and staff) and external communications plans (for Admissions and School Advancement) to deepen constituent understanding of and appreciation for the School, its educational philosophy, and strategic objectives.
• Utilizes digital, website, and social media analytics.

Print and Digital Communications

• Partners with faculty, students, department heads, principals, the Athletic Director, the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, the Director of Equity, Justice, and Community, and School Advancement to create materials that convey the unique strengths of the School to current and prospective families and assists with attracting students who will be well served by its program.
• Advises and coordinates with the Advancement Office to develop materials that will educate the community about the importance of philanthropy, build relationships with parents and alumni, strengthen engagement, and assist the School in meeting its fundraising goals.
• Prepares, in conjunction with the Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs and Head of School, crisis communications and public relations materials as needed.
• Demonstrates and maintains a thorough understanding of best practices and emerging trends in the field, especially regarding the use of video and other electronic and social media; develops and implements strategies for integrating these media into the communications and marketing
• Oversees production of and consistency of all-School publications, including the Sidwell Friends Magazine, website, parent newsletters, admissions, and development materials.
• Manages and coordinates the selection process for relevant outside vendors and consultants (e.g., website design companies, direct mail vendors, videographers, photographers, etc.).

Communications Team Leader

• Supervises and provides leadership to the Communications Office staff and builds strong relationships with all constituencies.
• Creates and monitors compliance with the all-School communications calendar.
• Develops and manages the departmental budget.
• Attends Administrative Team meetings and Board of Trustee meetings.
• Attends meetings and events, which may be scheduled on evenings and weekends, and maintains a presence in and awareness of the day-to-day life of the School.

A bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public/Media Relations, English, Business or closely related field and 5-7 years of experience in the management of communications at the college or secondary level are required. A master’s degree is preferred.

This 12 month, full time position begins January, 2022 and offers a highly competitive salary and benefits package.

As a condition of employment, all employees hired after August 1, 2021 are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and able to provide proof of such vaccination. To make application for a medical or religious exemption, please contact the Human Resources Department.

To apply for this position, please use our online application to upload your resume, a cover letter, and contact information for three professional references.