Job Summary

Reporting to the Head of School, the Director of Marketing and Communications (DMC) is responsible for designing and implementing strategies and tactics aimed at enhancing the reputation and visibility—both externally and internally—of the school. The DMC works in close collaboration with the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid and the Director of Advancement. The DMC is expected to be “on call” to address critical questions or problems on weekends and/or evenings.

Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

The Director of Marketing and Communications will:

1. Supervise the Assistant Director, Marketing and Communications (ADMC).
2. Support the public communications needs of the Head of School, Board of Trustees, and senior WIS administrators. These include: writing speeches and correspondence; drafting content for publications, the website and messages to the community; developing presentations for special events/meetings; and other projects as needed.
3. Serve as School spokesperson in the Head’s absence.
4. Work with the Head of School, Board of Trustees and members of the senior management team to execute the School’s Strategic Plan.
5. Partner with the Admissions team to plan and execute marketing strategies in support of enrollment goals.
6. Oversee development of the WIS academic calendar.
7. Provide editorial/proofreading and writing support to the WIS administrative team.
8. Establish and maintain a visual identity and graphic standard for WIS.
9. Consult with members of the WIS Parent Association Board to understand WISPA priorities and plans, and to support all parents’ information needs.
10. Create and send routine and “emergency” broadcast communications to community members.
11. Manage the editorial process for WIS’s print publications (admissions materials, handbooks, brochures, impact report, flyers, invitations, etc.) including writing and editing text. Ensure the look of these publications is consistent with the WIS brand and tells the WIS story.
12. Work with ADMC to plan content for @WIS, the school’s electronic newsletter.
13. Create website content that is strategic and SEO-driven, using concepts derived from inbound marketing and other best practices in marketing. Refine website content to meet community needs.
14. Conceive and produce (with support of staff or consultants) video content for the website and other purposes.
15. Choose social media channels and oversee ADMC’s development of content for these channels.
16. Conceive and execute research projects in order to achieve enrollment goals and gauge satisfaction with WIS programs, as well as to meet the information needs of the greater WIS community.
17. Work with team members to develop strategies and tactics for outreach to external and internal audiences. This includes earned media placements and responses to media inquiries.
18. Assist Advancement team in creating campaign and fundraising strategies, as well as materials to support these efforts.
19. Manage the Marketing and Communications budget.
20. Execute work online when directed and needed to include deliverables: meeting and collaborating online with team members and supervisor(s), fulfilling duties and responsibilities via approved online platforms, meeting assignment goals in a timely fashion, and maintaining a positive online presence in representing the School.
21. Undertake other tasks and duties as assigned by the Head of School.

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, English, or journalism; advanced degree is a plus.
• Five to eight years’ experience in organizational communications.
• Prior experience working with a website CMS (UBIQ, Finalsite, Blackbaud, etc.).
• Prior experience working for non-profit organizations and/or independent schools is preferred. 

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Superior writing skills, including the ability to write in multiple “voices”
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Expertise in Word (including advanced formatting) and facility with Excel
• Facility with Photoshop, InDesign
• Familiarity with inbound marketing and SEO
• Digital photography/videography skills
• Willingness to learn computer applications 
• Ability to multitask and prioritize
• Knowledge of French, Spanish or Chinese is useful, but not essential

Flexibility and a sense of humor 

About Washington International School

Founded in 1966, Washington International School is a private, non-profit, Preschool-12 school profoundly committed to its mission: to be an exemplary learning community—enriched by differences, informed through inquiry, global in reach. Serving its full community of 900 plus students on two campuses, the school is multinational, multicultural, and multilingual. The school’s challenging international program draws on classroom-based research on pedagogical practices and curriculum design from renowned organizations such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Project Zero, based in the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. From Preschool through Grade 5 students follow the inquiry-based IB Primary Years Program; in Grades 6-10 they continue with a multidisciplinary and inquiry-based approach designed to enhance understanding and develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the prestigious IB Diploma Program (DP). All students in Grades 11 and 12 are enrolled in the DP, which prepares them to take exams to receive the International Baccalaureate Diploma in addition to a WIS diploma. IB Diploma results are well above the worldwide pass rate, and WIS gra...duates attend highly selective colleges and universities in both the United States (about two-thirds in a typical year) and abroad. Commitment to the intensive study of a second language is a core principle, with Pre-School, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classes taught entirely in French or Spanish. All instruction in Grades 1-5 is “dual language” in English and either French or Spanish. Chinese is an option beginning in Grade 6. Typically, one half to three-quarters of WIS graduates earn the Bilingual IB Diploma, demonstrating fluency in two languages. The entire school community – alumni, parents, students, teachers, administrators and staff – are ardent advocates for international education. WIS has played a prominent role in setting a standard for a global perspective that many schools now emulate. The school culture is highly egalitarian, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and understanding differing points of view. There is no typical WIS family: some households consist only of U.S. passport holders, others are all non-U.S. passport holders and many are a mix of nationalities. In addition to this global diversity, WIS also strives to achieve economic diversity: 14% of the students receive financial assistance.

Show more

Show less

Connections working at Washington International School