KIPP NYC Director, Marketing & Communications, External Affairs

Company Description

KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of free, public charter schools that prepares students for success in college and life. In 1995 we started our first middle school, KIPP Academy, in The Bronx.  Our goal was to graduate students with the strength of character and academic abilities needed to succeed in high school, college and beyond – and in so doing, to prove what is possible for all students.  Today, our New York City network is comprised of eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, one high school, and KIPP Forward, a comprehensive support program for our alumni. KIPP NYC Public Schools currently serves more than 9,350 students and alumni and has a staff of more than 850. KIPP NYC is continuing to grow and opened two new middle schools and an elementary school August 2021!

Job Description

Position Overview 

The Director, Marketing and Communications (DMC), is an essential member of the Marketing and Communications, critical to the mission of KIPP NYC and the External Affairs Team. The Director will support and lead the KIPP NYC brand stewardship to drive our regional student enrollment, staff recruitment, development and advocacy goals. This position is ideal for a candidate who embraces continuous learning innovation, values spending meaningful time in our schools, and relishes the challenge of finding ways to bring our community together. In collaboration with the External Affairs leadership team, the Director will create the Marketing and Communications strategy including content creation, digital platforms, and social media with direct support from the Marketing and Communications Associate. The Director, Marketing & Communications (DMC) will report directly to the Senior Director, Marketing & Communications (SDMC).

This role is based in NYC and will require travel to our schools. Cadence and frequency of travel to schools is determined by your leadership team. If you relocate outside of a commutable distance or out of the state of NY, your employment will be subject to review, which may include separation from KIPP NYC. It is important that you notify HR if you move or have plans to relocate.

Due to the nature of the department’s work, this position may require time outside of general working hours, including, but not limited to, event coverage, social media management, and/or communications distribution. 

General Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Communications Strategy

• Design and execute KIPP NYC’s regional marketing and communications strategy for student recruitment, staff recruitment, donor engagement, internal communications, public relations, and advocacy efforts, in collaboration with the SDMC and External Affairs Team leadership
• Support the SDMC in cross functional project leadership and management across departments; serve as central intake and assessment for all Marketing & Communication requests
• Serve as content expert on marketing and communications strategies, messaging, and branding, including thought partnership with regional and school leadership in annual planning, campaign ideation and program-specific marketing asset needs
• Support press inquiries with writing, data collection, media prep and coordination of logistics

Content Creation

• Manage media strategy from schools and regional events to support the development of stories about our students, teachers, and families
• Design and create brand-aligned materials for social media campaigns, student enrollment, teacher recruitment efforts, and school events and signage, using software such as Canva
• Collaborate on KIPP NYC’s annual report and other collateral to support our development efforts and capital campaign
• Design and create email newsletters and measure the effectiveness of messaging
• Produce and edit video and photo content (and/or manage outside vendors) to support student enrollment, staff recruitment, and fundraising activities

Digital Management

• Oversee KIPP NYC’s social media through planning, creating, posting, and measuring engaging content daily on our platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube), as well as interactions with user comments
• Develop and implement social media campaigns that grow our audience and deepen engagement with educators, families, students, alumni, and supporters
• Advise  schools’ management of their individual social media accounts and content through thought leadership and best practices
• Support SDMC in website management, including agency management of complex updates
• Manage agency partners and project vendors (Digital, PR, Consulting, and Media) to deliver against SOWs, including briefings, status revie