Director of Communications, Marketing & Enrollment

Riverdale School District 51J

$88K — $105K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Education, or related field; Master's degree or professional accreditation preferred.
  • Minimum 3 years managing communications, public relations, or marketing, ideally in K-12 education or public agency.
  • Expertise in Content Management Systems (CMS), web development, email marketing, survey tools, and graphic design software.
  • Strong analytical skills to design and interpret data collection tools and marketing metrics.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with cultural competency for diverse communities.
  • Experience in leadership roles, including staff management and supervision.

Responsibilities

  • Act as the district's public information officer, managing crisis communications and public safety notifications.
  • Create and edit executive messages and multimedia content for district leadership.
  • Oversee communications channels and publish newsletters for school communities.
  • Coordinate public notices for School Board and related meetings.
  • Manage the live hosting of School Board meetings via online platforms.
  • Design and administer district-wide surveys to gather and analyze community feedback.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to build communication resources and public messaging.

Benefits

  • Leadership role impacting community engagement and district identity.
  • Opportunity to work directly with executive leadership and influence strategic decisions.
  • Access to advanced tools and platforms for communications and marketing.
  • Ability to shape recruitment and retention strategies for K-12 enrollment.
  • Professional development and networking opportunities within public education.
Full Job Description
JOB TITLE: DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION, MARKETING & ENROLLMENT

LOCATION: District Office

CONTRACT DAYS: 220 days

FTE: 1.0

SALARY: TBD

FLSA: Exempt

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Director of Communications, Marketing & Enrollment serves as the strategic communications leader, brand strategist, and enrollment manager for the school district. This position is responsible for designing, executing, and maintaining a comprehensive communications strategy, data-collection infrastructure, student recruitment and retention initiatives, and the district's public identity.

As a key advisor to the Superintendent and leadership team, this role ensures transparent community engagement, leads the administration of district websites, coordinates district-wide branding, and designs enrollment workflows that drive measurable growth. This position is confidential and supervisory.

REQUIRED Qualifications, Licenses, Skills & Experience
  1. Education: Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Education, or a closely related field required. Master's degree in a relevant discipline or professional accreditation (e.g., APR) preferred.
  2. Experience: Minimum of 3 years of professional experience designing and managing institutional communications, public relations, or marketing systems, preferably within a K-12 public school system or public sector agency.
  3. Technical Proficiency: Advanced experience with Content Management Systems (CMS), web development, automated email marketing software, survey administration platforms, graphic design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite), and digital video/photo production.
  4. Data Literacy: Ability to design data-collection instruments, interpret analytics, analyze ad campaign metrics to refine marketing strategies, and synthesize enrollment trends for executive leadership.
  5. Core Competencies: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to establish operational infrastructure from the ground up; capability to remain calm and authoritative under pressure; and cultural competency to communicate effectively with diverse communities.
  6. Supervisory and Leadership Skills: The ideal candidate will have experience working within an entity's leadership team, including experience managing and supervising staff.


ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Communications, Public Relations & Community Engagement (50%)
  1. Serve as the district's primary public information officer; manage crisis communications, emergency alerts (FlashAlert, weather closures, facilities emergencies), and public safety notifications.
  2. Draft, edit, and collaborate on high-level executive messages and multimedia content for the Superintendent, school board, and site principals.
  3. Establish content channels to gather, draft, and publish weekly and monthly community newsletters across the District, High School, and Grade School.
  4. Coordinate and schedule public notices for School Board meetings, executive sessions, policy subcommittees, and Site Council meetings.
  5. Manage live hosting of School Board and Budget Committee Meetings using GoToWebinar Software.
  6. Design, administer, and analyze a robust district-wide survey and data-collection infrastructure to track community feedback, evaluate program needs, and guide administrative decisions.
  7. Collaborate with building principals, the Equity Director, food service providers, PTC, Foundation, and other stakeholders to design surveys, manage community communications, build web resources, and align public messaging.
  8. Assist the District's leadership team on drafting, formulating, and delivering communications related to all aspects of labor relations and collective bargaining, including assisting in gathering information, formulating, drafting, and communicating internally and externally regarding the district's collective bargaining proposals and status of contract negotiations.


Strategic Marketing & Branding (30%)
  1. Administer the Finalsite CMS platform, overseeing content strategy, site navigation, search engine optimization, digital maintenance, and mobile responsiveness for the District, GS, and HS websites, alongside the internal staff portal.
  2. Lead the district's transition toward strict web accessibility guidelines (ADA and ODE standards), coordinating audits, mobile indexing, and required state education postings.
  3. Document core district events (first day of school, pep rally, Senior Exhibition and graduation) through high-quality photos and videos.
  4. Design and implement year-round social media campaigns (Instagram, Facebook) to promote Riverdale's enrollment events, high school applications, International Baccalaureate (IB) identity, academic distinctions, and community highlights.
  5. Direct the design, professional printing, and shipping of district materials, including the district Annual Report, promotional postcards, neighborhood mailers, and campus signage.
  6. Establish and maintain consistent district-wide branding, style guides, and visual identity across schools, creating original graphics and digital images for newsletters, web pages, and marketing platforms.


Strategic Enrollment Management & Onboarding Systems (20%)
  1. Lead the strategic design of student recruitment, registration, and onboarding processes; build online application forms and inquiry workflows to efficiently guide prospective families through the enrollment pipeline.
  2. Direct the strategic timeline, promotional marketing, and public positioning of high school admissions programs (such as shadow days and open houses).
  3. Delegate in-person school tours to site principals and day-to-day student records processing and parent inquiries to front office staff.
  4. Develop targeted marketing, outreach campaigns, and transition communications (in coordination with GS principal) aimed at current 8th-grade students and families to maximize retention and boost enrollment at Riverdale High School.
  5. Plan and promote district-wide enrollment events (partnering with building principals and front office staff), such as Kindergarten Roundup, school choice showcases, and neighborhood information sessions.
  6. Analyze feeder K-8 schools, local demographics, and historic enrollment trends to forecast future enrollment numbers and identify areas of vulnerability.
  7. Supervise enrollment and marketing staff, including the exercise of independent judgment related to the evaluation, discipline, hiring, and dismissal of enrollment and marketing staff.


PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

A moderate degree of physical stamina with occasional lifting of 10 to 50 pounds. Ability to move freely to various locations within the classroom and other supervisory settings (cafeteria/playground). Frequent standing, walking, sitting, and bending. Frequent repetitive activities include hands, arms, and legs for clerical-related work. Exposure to noise and activity in a school setting. Exposure to outdoor weather conditions.

NOTE: This is not necessarily an exhaustive or all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, functions, or working conditions associated with the job. This job description is not a contract of employment or a promise or guarantee of any specific terms or conditions of employment. The school district may add to, modify, or delete any aspect of this (or the position itself) whenever it deems advisable.

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