Job description

Director of Marketing & Communications

Background
LEARN (learncharter.org) is a Network of college preparatory elementary schools with the mission of providing children with the academic foundation and ambition to earn a college degree. Our schools provide a rigorous educational program that is built upon an intimate understanding of each student’s individual learning style and academic needs. We are guided by five core values which include: high expectations; mutual respect; the development of a safe and nurturing environment; active family involvement; and the positive development of the Whole Child.

Founded in 2001, LEARN creates measurable, transformational change in the lives of its students. We currently educate 4,000 students, a majority low-income, minority student population (88% and 98%, respectively), across 11 campuses in Chicago and Lake County, IL, and Washington D.C. LEARN alumni graduate college at 2x the rate of their peers, exceeding city, state and national averages. Our college graduation rate is 8 points above the national average for all students regardless of socio-economic status or ethnicity. We are proud to be closing the achievement gap.

Job Description
We are seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial and proven marketing leader with excellent written, verbal, and strategic thinking skills to join our team as a Director of Marketing & Communications. This individual will report to the Chief Development Officer and will play a critical role in planning, developing and executing marketing strategies that will generate greater brand awareness, increase student and staff application volume, and support LEARN’s ambitious strategic plan.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy and Planning

• Ownership of the research, identification, development, and execution of the LEARN brand as a whole with the objective of generating awareness of LEARN as a high-quality school choice option in Chicago, North Chicago, Waukegan, and Washington DC
• Responsible for strategic marketing efforts with the goal of achieving 100% enrollment at LEARN campuses, as well as secondary and tertiary annual marketing campaigns including fundraising and staff hiring
• Lead the process of identifying annual communications and public relations objectives in partnership with C-Suite coworkers to grow LEARN’s presence in the media and among the communities we serve
• Create and execute an internal communications strategy that encompasses crisis communications, campus updates, all staff updates, and key messages to build affinity among staff and increase staff retention
• Develop and implement annual strategies for LEARN’s national organic social media platforms, including identification of audience segmentation and creation of content deliverables; oversee the creation, distribution, and execution of corresponding social media content to campus-level administrators to ensure holistic branding and messaging at all levels
• Oversee annual budget segmentation and tracking for annual marketing and communications expenditures, including planned budget and/or requesting additional funding
• Responsible for reporting out performance and metrics of current campaign initiatives on a regular basis to showcase work and strategy to key business partners

CEO Communications - Internal & External

• Partner closely with LEARN’s CEO on a regular basis to address internal and external messaging needs that align with organizational objectives
• Lead the thinking around CEO tone, key messages, and how to use voice to encourage brand affinity and increase support for LEARN (external) and staff retention (internal)
• Write, edit, and send content on the CEO’s behalf via email marketing system to different audience segments, including all staff, donors/supporters, and industry leaders
• Think creatively about ways to amplify CEO’s voice among new and existing audiences, outside of email marketing and towards platforms such as town halls, quick videos, or podcasts
• Work closely with third-party marketing and communications agency to cascade key CEO objectives and determine media or op-ed opportunities on a regular basis

Internal Communications

• Develop, implement, and train key stakeholders on crisis communications plans to address various tiers of potential emergency situations and how important messages will reach staff and families involved
• Develop, implement, and showcase the logistics around distributing crisis communications, working closely with business partners to determine the most efficient communications platform in the event of crisis at the campus or org-wide level
• Alongside CEO communications, partner with Chief of Talent/Human Resources to send biweekly messages to all staff regarding important organizational updates including but not limited to salary, benefits, and survey requests
• Lead the development, editing, and sending of a monthly staff newsletter to share the good news across the organization

External Communications

• Manage the national LEARN social media pages, including content creation, design, and posting on a regular basis across all channels
• Serve as the responsible party for editing external-facing webpages via Wordpress, including campus pages updates, blog/media content additions, and important compliance information for recruitment and enrollment purposes
• Gather content, write, and edit quarterly email marketing memo to LEARN donors and supporters, showcasing progress and great work taking place across the organization to encourage fundraising efforts
• Identify unique stories or messages at the campus or org-wide level and work with third-party marketing and communications agency to pitch stories to media and increase positive media coverage throughout the year

Marketing

• Design, copy write, and coordinate printing of all marketing materials across student recruitment, staff hiring, and fundraising efforts
• Field requests from campuses to determine appropriate platform for marketing materials including flyers, signage, event support, and direct mail
• Partner with Director of Talent and third-party marketing and communications agency to determine appropriate platform for digital lead marketing campaign that will support the org-wide goal of 100% roles filled
• Coordinate design, printing, and photography vendors as needed to complete marketing and collateral projects or requests
• Think outside of the box to identify marketing tactics, events, or resources that could help support student recruitment, staff hiring, or fundraising in partnership with key stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications or relevant field
• Minimum of 5+ years of prior experience in marketing and/or communications in a fast-paced work environment, charter or education field preferred
• Experience working with and managing a third-party agency to address marketing and communications needs
• Exceptional writing and communication skills, emphasis on marketing recruitment copywriting and CEO communications messaging
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with children, families, professionals and other personnel from a wide range of cultural, social and economic backgrounds;
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects, adhering to strict timelines
• High degree of initiative and independent judgment
• Detail oriented and highly organized

Required Competencies

• Mission & Culture Fit – Believes that all students can achieve college success and exhibits an unwavering determination to do whatever it takes to help LEARN students achieve their goals.

• Entrepreneurial – Exudes a self-starter mentality and workstyle. Independently owns departmental work streams and projects and takes initiative to solve organizational issues proactively.
• Collaboration – Initiates, builds, and manages cohesive partnerships and professional relationships both internally and externally.
• Strategic Thinking - Ability to think and plan at a high level regarding the holistic LEARN brand, including annual internal and external messaging strategies, staff and student recruitment marketing campaigns, and donor communications initiatives
• Communication with Stakeholders – Gears communications towards the target audience and is able to influence stakeholders in the interest of meeting organizational goals and values. Communicates at a high level in both written and verbal form with a focus on customer service and relationships.
• Organization & Project Management – Keeps track of upcoming, ongoing, and past work product. Quickly adjusts to shifting priorities and deadlines and can juggle multiple and varied projects simultaneously. Develops realistic action plans and utilizes the team effectively to achieve department goals.
• Data Analysis & Analytical Thinking – Ability to build and create data, analyze statistics, identify trends and make balanced, objective recommendations in a proactive manner to achieve maximum results.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location

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