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 position is based out of the KIPP NYC office in New York, NY and requires frequent travel to KIPP NYC schools located in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem, and Washington Heights. 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 reviews, tracking, and feedback
Brand Stewardship
- Organize and catalog media – photos and video – generated by the schools and regional staff in a central repository
- Create and manage KIPP NYC’s logos, colors, templates, and fonts for use in internal and external communications, as well as with external vendors for uniforms, signage, and swag
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree required, Master’s Degree preferred in functional expertise area(s)
- Minimum 7 years of experience, with 3+ years of senior experience managing multiple complex projects simultaneously in internal/external agency or client service environment
- Functional Expertise Areas:
- Demonstrated experience with creative design, including software such as Canva
- Demonstrated experience with media production, including video and photo editing
- Expertise in social media account management, strategy and marketing, including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube
- Experience with CMS, analytics programs, and digital newsletters, including WordPress, Google Analytics, and MailChimp
- Excellent creative writing skills for marketing materials and communications, including pitch decks, social media posts, and internal emails
- Spanish-language ability a plus
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop productive working relationships with multiple stakeholders across functional and organizational lines
- Meticulous attention to detail with an ability to produce high quality work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
- A demonstrated passion for and commitment to the core values of our mission, public education and social justice with a desire to create a work environment that embraces and appreciates diversity.
Additional Information
Compensation and Benefits:
KIPP NYC offers a competitive salary ranging from $115,000 to $130,000 per year. Salary ranges at KIPP NYC are standardized based on role level and role function. Individual salaries are determined through a lens of equity, accounting for years of experience relevant to the role and scope of responsibilities, and are benchmarked against others within the same salary band. Starting salaries typically fall in the lower half of the salary range, however they are ultimately determined by scope of the position, the candidate’s relevant experience, and internal equity.
KIPP NYC offers a generous benefits package including, but not limited to, the following:
- Robust benefits that include medical, dental, and vision.
- 403(b) retirement plan with 50% match after 6 months.
- Generous Time-Off aligned with school calendar
- Up to 12 weeks 100% parental leave.
- Bright Horizon Back-up Child and Elder care.
- Employer paid Life Insurance and Short term/Long term disability.
- Employee incentives including 8 Weeks paid Sabbatical after 10 years, annual professional development funds, and tuition reimbursement.
This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.
KIPP NYC LLC is an anti-racist organization that believes in the importance of being diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We are committed to creating a welcoming environment that includes employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe that enables us to better meet our mission and values while serving students and families throughout New York City. BIPOC, women, gender expansive, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
KIPP NYC LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP NYC LLC is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.