Assistant Director of Communications - 2026-27

Porter-Gaud School•Charleston, SC

About The Position

Assistant Director of Communications (to begin with the 2026-27 school year) Porter-Gaud School, an Episcopal, independent, coeducational day school of 1,650 students, is seeking a full-time Assistant Director of Communications beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, ideally a July 1, 2026 start date. This successful candidate will support the overall objectives of the School's Communications Department by ensuring consistent, high-quality written and visual communications across all platforms, including social media channels, email, newsletters, print publications, and the website, using established brand guidelines. The Assistant Director will serve as a key part of the School's creative team and oversee day-to-day project management to support the timely completion of deliverables that will help advance the School's mission, enrollment priorities, and philanthropic goals. In addition, the Assistant Director will promote the athletics, fine arts, and auxiliary departments as vital aspects of the School's program and will interact with teams, clubs, coaches, students, and parents. This position reports directly to the Director of Strategic Communications and works closely with multiple school directors and stakeholders. This is a 12-month, full-time non-exempt position with benefits including health insurance, paid leave, school-provided lunch, and availability of 403(b) retirement plan.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required, preferably in a field such as social media, digital communications, public relations, communications, or journalism.
At least three to five years of experience within a communications or writing team, ideally in an independent school, higher education, or nonprofit setting.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to deliver creative content and proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Canva, InDesign, and Adobe Illustrator, as well as familiarity with UBIQ, Blackbaud, or similar content management and email marketing tools.
Knowledge of best practices for social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Excellent attention to detail and organizational abilities.
Analytical and multitasking skills.
Ability to engage a variety of constituents of the school.
Ability to work nights and weekends as needed.
Desire and willingness to contribute to the life of an independent school.
Frequently lifting 5-10 pounds, rarely lifting 20 pounds.
Continuously demands vision, hearing, fine motor skills, and speaking.
Frequently sitting, standing, walking, and carrying.
Occasionally bending, lifting, crouching, and climbing.
Manipulating equipment, such as a camera, video camera, computer, and smartphone.

Responsibilities

Produce strategic content with the goal of elevating the Porter-Gaud brand, expanding the School's reach, and reinforcing its mission.
Provide leadership for all of the School's social media accounts, including PG Cyclones and all satellite accounts, to promote branding and messaging consistency.
Optimize content for the intended platform and audience.
Manage a content calendar using an analytics-driven approach, adjusting schedules, strategies, and tactics as needed to optimize post performance and reach.
Report key metrics to leadership on a consistent basis and ensure alignment and coordinated execution across all communications platforms.
Promptly and professionally respond to inquiries and monitor comments on social media, as well as all online mentions of Porter-Gaud on external websites.
Collaborate closely with stakeholders to leverage communications strategies to meet organizational needs.
Capture and curate compelling, high-quality photography and videography in classrooms, on campus, and at school events that authentically represent the mission, vision, and values of the School, and maintain an archive of images.
Design and develop on-brand graphics, signage, and banners using Adobe InDesign and Illustrator.
Create custom logos, graphics, signage, and templates as needed.
Support the Communications Team with internal and external communications, including the Porter-Gaud magazine, athletics and arts programs, parent communications, and other initiatives as needed.
Edit and proofread materials developed by other members of the Communications Team for clarity, consistency, quality, and brand adherence.
Stay informed about the latest marketing and communications trends and adjust strategies as needed to achieve optimal performance.