Director of Communication and Digital Engagement

JOB DESCRIPTION

Director of Communications and Digital Engagement

Reports to: Chief Strategy & Growth OfficerFunctional Area:Advancement

FLSA Status:  Exempt  

Job Classification Category: Director

Position Overview: 

The Director of Communications and Digital Engagement is primarily responsible for leading the development and implementation of Academy of Hope Adult PCS (AoH) strategic communications and digital engagement plan. This role will lead, manage, and supervise daily communications, marketing, and digital engagement efforts of AoH along with providing direct supervision of the communications team. This role reports to the Chief Strategy & Growth Officer. This role will play a critical role in leading AoH’s external and internal communications, developing and executing digital initiatives to enhance AoH’s online presence, expanding the reach of our programs, and fostering meaningful connections with our adult learner community. If you are passionate about leveraging digital tools to promote education and engagement, this is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact in the adult education landscape.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Enrollment, Advancement, & Organizational Growth

• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive and cohesive external and internal strategic communications plan that contributes to both annual and long-term organizational priorities, in service of AoH’s mission, vision, and values.
• Ensure communications strategies and communications-specific performance measures are aligned with Academy of Hope’s Strategic Plan, organizational KPIs, enrollment targets, fundraising priorities, and programmatic goals.
• Lead the communications and marketing components of integrated campaigns supporting learner enrollment, workforce pathways, fundraising, donor engagement, advocacy, partnerships, alumni engagement, and institutional growth.
• Partner with Enrollment and program leadership to develop audience-specific recruitment campaigns and digital conversion pathways, including audience strategy, messaging, landing pages, paid and organic promotion, and campaign-performance analysis.
• Oversee the development, integration, and execution of a results-driven digital marketing/communication strategy that is aligned with the AoH’s organizational goals and priorities.
• Partner with the Development team, which retains responsibility for fundraising strategy and donor relationships, to develop donor communications, fundraising campaign materials, cases for support, sponsorship materials, stewardship content, annual reports, and segmented donor engagement communications.
• Actively collaborate and integrate strategies across departments that help to ensure effective communications and digital engagement to internal and external audiences.
• Enhance AoH’s external visibility, image, and influence while educating the public about key adult education, workforce development, and advocacy issues
• Establish protocols and procedures for managing crisis communication both internally and externally, ensuring the school's reputation remains protected during challenging times.
• Support communications budget creation, management, and alignment with CARES values and strategic priorities.

Internal Communications

• Develop and implement a robust internal communication strategy to foster a cohesive and informed school community.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and department heads to disseminate important updates, announcements, and organizational initiatives effectively.
• Oversee the creation of newsletters, emails, and other internal communication materials that convey key messages, achievements, and relevant information to staff, faculty, and learners.
• Organize and lead staff meetings, town halls, and other internal events to encourage transparency and open communication.
• Establish institution-wide communication best practice guidelines and processes. 

External Communications

• Develop and execute an integrated external communications plan to raise the AoH’s visibility and reputation in the DC Metro area. 
• Direct and manage the development and implementation of a strategic communication and digital engagement strategy that effectively supports organizational priorities across messaging, awareness, growth, and engagement for targeted AoH stakeholders, including prospective and current learners and donors, alumni, volunteers, and staff.
• Serve as the primary contact for AoH, responding to media inquiries and cultivating positive media relations.
• Maximize media opportunities by developing and maintaining relationships with media members, influencers, and community leaders to generate coverage of programs, services, and key activities
• Craft compelling press releases, articles, and op-eds to highlight the AoH’s achievements, milestones, and unique programs offerings.
• Oversee the management of the AoH’s website, social media channels, and other digital platforms to engage with various audiences effectively.
• Oversee digital marketing, engagement, and social media strategy, including ensuring the publishing of consistent, timely content and engagement activities. 
• Direct and assist in the creation of digital, video, audio, and print content. Determine and optimize rich and creative content for search engines and advertisements.

Digital Communications Platforms and Product Ownership

• Serve as the business and content owner for AoH’s public-facing digital communications properties, including the website, content management system, campaign landing pages, email marketing platforms, communications-managed SharePoint content, and communications analytics. Partner with Enterprise Services/IT on hosting, security, system administration, access controls, backups, and other technical infrastructure.
• Lead communications requirements, content strategy, vendor coordination, user-experience improvements, search-engine optimization, accessibility, content governance, and performance goals for website redevelopment and digital improvement projects. Partner with Enterprise Services/IT on hosting migrations, domains, cybersecurity, integrations, backups, and technical performance.
• Establish clear, accessible digital pathways for prospective learners, donors, alumni, partners, staff, board members, and community stakeholders in partnership with the departments that own the underlying services and processes.
• Coordinate communications requirements for the use and integration of platforms such as Mailchimp, Salesforce, website forms, social media platforms, and analytics tools to strengthen audience segmentation, campaign measurement, and stakeholder engagement. Enterprise Services/IT and designated data owners retain responsibility for technical administration, integrations, data governance, privacy, and security.

Brand Management

• Ensure all content reflects an engaging and consistent voice that aligns with AoH’s brand, including collaborating across departments to ensure style and editorial consistency.
• Develop and enforce communication guidelines to ensure all communication aligns with the school's values and messaging.
• Collaborate with design and marketing contractors to create visually appealing and impactful communication materials.
• Create and review all communication material, including overseeing or executing all copy and messaging intended for public consumption. 
• Prepare presentations, speeches, introductions, internal communications, and other remarks.
• Monitor and leverage trends with current technologies in adult education and communication, design tools, and applications. Recommend and implement new features and functionality to grow brand awareness and support organization wide priorities. 

Owned Media and Institutional Storytelling

• Direct AoH’s institutional storytelling strategy across written, digital, photographic, video, audio, documentary, podcast, print, and event-based platforms.
• Oversee the development of annual reports, newsletters, podcasts, documentaries, learner and alumni profiles, blogs, executive content, campaign materials, and other institutional publications as organizational priorities and resources support.
• Establish and maintain an organized communications story and profile library documenting learner, alumni, staff, donor, volunteer, and partner narratives, usage history, permissions, and campaign opportunities, consistent with AoH’s consent, privacy, accessibility, and records-retention requirements.
• Ensure storytelling is learner-centered, accurate, respectful, consent-based, accessible, and aligned with AoH’s values.

Analytics and Reporting

• Establish key performance targets and expand the use of digital analytics to evaluate and refine the communications team’s content creation strategies and practices.
• Monitor the effectiveness of communication strategies and campaigns through data analysis and feedback.
• Provide regular reports to senior leadership on the impact of communication efforts and make data-driven recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Research, analyze, and incorporate learner and prospective learner insights, program and market landscape, and outcomes into strategic communication plans. 

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Work with Chief Strategy & Growth Officer to build capacity of communications team as budget and organizational growth allow
• Responsible for providing employees timely, candid, and constructive performance feedback.  
• Have substantial knowledge of leadership, teamwork, and management 
• Manage relationships with communications-related vendors or consultants.

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, Digital Marketing, Public Relations, or similar degree required.  Master’s Degree preferred.
• Proven experience (7+ years) in strategic communications, public relations, ,digital marketing, social media management, and content creation, preferably in the education or nonprofit sector.
• Strong understanding of digital trends, social media platforms, and emerging technologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a flair for storytelling and engaging content creation.
• Proficiency in using social media management tools and digital analytics platforms to measure and track performance.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and lead digital initiatives from concept to execution.
• Experience serving as a business or content owner for website redesigns, digital platforms, or cross-functional systems projects preferred.
• Experience in adult literacy is preferred.
• Experience with public charter schools is a plus.

OTHER NECESSARY SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to set strategic direction and execute such strategy effectively
• Strong oral and written communications, as well as strong analytical skills.
• Strong existing relationships with DC-based education, policy and political media and influencers.
• Demonstrated ability to develop communications plans that are ambitious and achievable, and that both deepen public understanding/awareness about critical issues and promote organizations. 
• Strong project management skills. 
• Proven staff management skills
• Demonstrated ability to work with a wide range of people and provide support, guidance, and mentorship.
• Ability to understand and articulate complex human service policy issues.
• Ability to work independently and take initiative while accepting supervision.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Ability to travel to meetings (by public transportation and/or car) and to get around DC comfortably.
• Ability to work in a small team environment.
• Strong computer skills and command of the Internet and researching skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Sitting, standing and walking for extended periods of time.
• Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate assigned equipment and a computer keyboard. 
• Hearing and speaking to exchange information in person and on the telephone. 
• Reaching overhead and above shoulders to retrieve files and materials. 
• Bending at the waist, kneeling or crouching to file materials. 
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25lbs
• Must be able to withstand extended viewing of computer screens
• This position will sit in an open/shared office environment with moderate noise levels.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: AoH is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not allow discrimination with respect to employment or any of the terms or conditions of employment because of actual or perceived race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, (or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to lactation), physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil  union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer-related or HIV/AIDS-related), genetic information, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.