Career Center

St. Catherine's School is an Episcopal day school in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 1890 enrolling 946 girls age 3 through grade 12.  Located on a 16-acre campus in the western part of the city, St. Catherine's core values include pursuing academic excellence, developing character, nurturing spiritual growth, celebrating individuals, and building community. St. Catherine's School provides a rigorous education that prepares girls with diverse perspectives for a lifetime of learning, leadership, and service in a global community.

POSITION OVERVIEW

This highly visible, senior member of St. Catherine’s School’s administrative team serves as the leader of all communications, marketing, branding, and public relations and is responsible for sharing the story of the School. The ideal candidate will be an enthusiastic, creative and flexible team player who embraces challenges, anticipates marketing needs for upcoming events, and looks for new opportunities to advocate for and market the School. St. Catherine’s seeks a senior communications professional with significant communications experience in either the non-profit or for-profit field.

Working closely with a small team of communications professionals, as well as colleagues and outside vendors, the Director of Communications will develop a strategic, data-driven communications plan that addresses immediate, annual and long-term objectives consistent with the School’s mission, vision, core beliefs, enrollment management and fundraising goals.

Supervisor:  Head of School
Supervisory Responsibilities:  Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications, Publications Manager/Designer, and Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
Position Status:  Salaried, exempt, full-time, regular, 12-month
Hours of Work:  Standard work week.  Evening and weekend work may be required.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and the admissions and development teams to ensure consistent, strategic, and accurate messaging.
• Develop and implement a communications plan grounded in research, data, and best practice for independent schools that promotes programs of the School and the accomplishments of its students, faculty, and alumni, to a targeted audience of constituents both regionally and nationally.
• Collaborate with the Director of Admissions, Enrollment, and Community Engagement in identifying and engaging prospective families and developing recruitment strategy and collateral materials, both digital and print, to increase the pool of qualified applicants.
• Partner with the Director of Development and the Assistant Director of Development in developing campaign materials to support achievement of capital, endowment, and annual giving goals.
• Work closely with the School’s divisional and departmental leadership and faculty to promote the outstanding work of students and faculty in the classroom, the arts, athletics, in service, and more.
• Professional experience and/or a personal commitment to increasing understanding of topics and initiatives related to diversity, access, equity, and belonging.
• Serve on the Administrative Team as the School’s chief media relations contact, crisis management advisor, and communications leader. The Director provides content serving the Head of School, Division Heads, the admissions staff, the development staff, and others, as needed.
• Serve as point person for emergency or crisis communications, including weather-related communications, with all constituents.
• Supervise and lead the School’s communications staff, whose responsibilities include but are not limited to strategic communications planning, graphic design for print and web, identity management, all magazine and annual report production, photography, videography, website content management, social media, digital publications, media relations, community relations, advertising, writing, and editing.
• Identify and engage videographers, photographers and other professionals for services related to communications from inside and outside the School community. Oversee photography and video shoots on site or at remote locations.
• Manage all advertising.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications or a related field, and at least 7-10 years of management experience that reflects increasing responsibility coupled with relevant work experience with institutional communications, marketing and brand management.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated project management skills; highly proficient in the use of technology with thorough understanding of digital media tools, integrated media campaigns, social media and web design.
• Must have acute attention to detail combined with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a deadline-driven environment.
• Thorough understanding of compelling and effective website design, content management and maintenance (Blackbaud K12 experience preferred but not required).
• Experience in Adobe products and Google platforms (Drive, Docs, Calendar, Gmail); ability to learn new tools, software and web-based systems.
• Interest in coaching a sport or leading a co-curricular activity is desired. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT 

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle and feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch and crawl; talk and hear; engage in moderately strenuous physical activity both indoors and out; and smell. The employee may occasionally lift or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.  Ability to become CPR and First Aid Certified.

TRAVEL

Travel is not a requirement for this role. 

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT 

St. Catherine’s School does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its hiring practices. St. Catherine’s School is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment. We actively engage students, families, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our School community respects the differences in ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. Consistent with the School’s mission, St. Catherine’s fosters in our students, and experts from all others, respect for the dignity and wholeness of every person. For more information about the school’s Access, Equity and Belonging please follow this link https://www.st.catherines.org/about/access-equity-and-belonging.

BACKGROUND CHECK STATEMENT

Each employee’s employment and continued employment is contingent upon the authorization for and completion of a successful background check – in the School’s ultimate opinion. The background check may involve criminal, credit, abuse and neglect and/or driving records. The School may request authorization for a background check at any time. Failure to authorize the School to conduct a background check may result in an applicant not being considered for a position and an employee to be terminated. As a result of their contact with students, employees may also be required to provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19 in accordance with the school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate or request an accommodation.

Note:  This position description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work to be performed by employees within this classification.  This position description should not be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities required or assigned to an employee in this position.  Nothing contained in this position description restricts St. Catherine’s School’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this position at any time.

To apply for this position, click here https://apply.workable.com/st-catherines-school/j/8151A951B8/. Candidates interested in this position should submit a cover letter, resume, three writing samples, and reference contact information.