The Director of Communications serves as the strategic lead for all coordinated communications efforts across St. John’s School, shaping a clear, consistent, and mission-aligned voice for the institution. Reporting to the Director of Advancement and working in close partnership with the Head of School and Director of Admission, the Director of Communications develops and executes comprehensive communications strategies that strengthen the School’s brand reputation, deepen community engagement, and advance institutional priorities.

The Director brings exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling narratives, develop cohesive institutional messaging, and represent the School confidently in public settings. They demonstrate initiative based project leadership, managing multiple projects with independence, clarity, and follow-through.

Success in this role requires strong relationship-building abilities; cultivating trust, collaborating effectively with colleagues, and navigating complex or sensitive issues with professionalism and discretion. The Director demonstrates a deep commitment to the School’s mission and understands how strategic communications can elevate and advance the School’s vision for its students and community.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead marketing strategy. Serve as the School’s chief marketing strategist, partnering with Advancement and Admission to design and implement comprehensive branding and marketing plans.
• Coordinate institutional communications. Meet regularly with the Head of School, Advancement, Technology, Admission, and the Senior Administrative Team to align and execute School-wide communication strategies.
• Develop executive messaging. Support messaging from the Head of School and lead writing, editing, and refinement of all-school communications.
• Guide crisis communications. Partner with the Head of School and Director of Safety, Facilities & Physical Plant to coordinate crisis-response messaging and protocols.
• Manage media relations. Serve as the School’s primary media contact under the direction of the Head of School.
• Oversee marketing execution. Direct and contribute to the development of print, web, and social media marketing initiatives for Admission, Advancement, and other School programs.
• Steward website strategy. Collaborate closely with the Technology Department, Head of School, and Senior Administrative Team to address website needs and ensure accuracy, usability, and alignment with brand standards.
• Uphold brand integrity. Provide oversight and guidance on graphic design standards, ensuring consistent and appropriate use of School logos and visual identity.
• Collaborate on institutional planning. Participate in Senior Administrative Team meetings and work with administrators to develop the School calendar.
• Supervise communications staff.  Manage and mentor the Associate Director of Communications and the Communications Associate.
• Oversee budget management. Review, monitor, and ensure compliance with the Communications budget.
• Engage in professional development. Pursue ongoing learning to benchmark best practices and bring innovative ideas to St. John’s.
• Support School events. Attend key School events outside standard operational hours as needed.

Requirements/Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in communications, marketing, journalism, or a related field preferred.
• Seven or more years of progressive experience in communications, marketing, brand strategy, or related disciplines, with strong preference given to candidates with experience in education-focused organizations.
• Ability to serve as the go-to grammarian and language stylist. Possesses strong organizational, time-management, and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated success in stakeholder engagement, including collaboration with senior administrators, faculty, staff, volunteers, vendors, and community partners.
• Analytical and financial acumen with the ability to interpret data, manage budgets, and assess the impact of communications strategies.
• Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and familiarity with social media platforms, Blackbaud, Adobe Pro, and Canva; ability to learn new systems quickly.

About www.sjs.org

St. John's is an independent, co-educational day school presenting a 13-year sequence of college preparatory training. A non-profit institution, it was founded in 1946 to provide the community with a school of exacting standards in the development of individual, spiritual, ethical, intellectual, social and physical growth. While the means to achieve that purpose may change, it remains the basic mission of the School. Located on a forty-one acre urban campus, the School has 1450 students supported by 340 faculty and staff members. The School seeks to develop the whole person in preparation for a lifetime of personal fulfillment and contribution to society. In particular, it is dedicated to the enhancement and the expansion of future leadership for Houston and the country. The School offers talented, motivated and energetic students a genuine challenge for academic accomplishment and for development of a sense of self-worth and of personal responsibility. The School in turn holds itself responsible for providing that challenge. Accreditation St. John's is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS), recognized by TEA.

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