Manager of Development & Communications

KIPP St. Louis Public Schools•St. Louis, MO

About The Position

The Manager of Development and Communications is responsible for the high-quality execution of KIPP St. Louis's fundraising and communications strategy. This role ensures that grant submissions, donor systems, events, marketing campaigns, and communications production are delivered with excellence, accuracy, and timeliness. The Manager owns execution, while the Director owns outcomes. This is a full-time, exempt, 12-month position reporting to the Director of Development and Communications, with no direct reports.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
Minimum 3-5 years of experience in development, communications or non-profit operations
Experience supporting fundraising efforts (grant writing, donor communications, events)
Strong written communication skills (donor-facing materials, family-facing, reports, emails)
Ability to manage projects and timelines across multiple stakeholders
Team player with strong interpersonal, stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
Ability to develop and execute content across channels (email, website, social media)
Experience creating or supporting storytelling that advances fundraising or organizational priorities
Managing complex cross-functional projects with precision and follow-through
Leading projects to drive results
Clear, compelling, concise written and verbal communication
Self-starter with the ability to juggle multiple priorities with great attention to detail, and deliver consistent and timely results.

Nice To Haves

Experience writing or supporting grant proposals and reports
Experience coordinating fundraising events or campaigns
Familiarity with CRM systems and donor tracking
Experience in education or mission-driven organizations
Exposure to major gifts or donor stewardship processes
Experience managing or contributing to social media strategy and execution

Responsibilities

Manage the regional communications calendar aligned to fundraising and enrollment priorities.
Produce and deploy content aligned to the Director’s narrative strategy.
Manage network social media, website updates, and marketing materials.
Create and maintain template libraries for schools and regional teams to streamline messaging.
Ensure all regional communications are accurate, polished, timely, and aligned to brand standards.
Coordinate closely with graphic designers and external creative vendors to ensure brand alignment and high-quality execution.
Develop and maintain template libraries for schools and regional teams to streamline print and digital communications.
Execute the Director’s internal communications strategy, ensuring clarity, consistency, and impact across the region.
Draft grant proposals and reports aligned to the Director’s funding strategy.
Gather programmatic data, budgets, and outcomes in partnership with schools and Finance.
Maintain a grant submission calendar and tracking system.
Ensure timely submission of grant applications and reports.
Maintain disciplined CRM updates and donor data hygiene.
Track donor touches and engagement activities.
Produce routine development reports and pipeline summaries for Director review.
Monitor fundraising progress toward goals and elevate risks proactively.
Lead logistics and operational execution of cultivation and signature events.
Manage vendor contracts, including photography, videography, design, and event production.
Track event budgets and provide post-event ROI analysis.
Execute recruitment marketing campaigns aligned to enrollment priorities.
Ensure that the website and marketing materials reflect current campus configurations and the regional strategy.
Support storytelling efforts that align directly with fundraising and external positioning priorities.

Benefits

$0 deductible healthcare plan option, including medical, vision, and dental.
Employer Paid Short-Term Disability.
$50,000 life insurance policy at no cost to the employee.
Retirement plan through PSSRSSL with an employer match up to 14% and an optional 403b as a supplement to our pension program
Employee Recognition: When we succeed together, we celebrate together with our annual gala award ceremony, holiday party, and more!
Public Service student loan forgiveness program qualified employer.
Ongoing professional development.
Generous time off: Paid leave for illness, personal days, bereavement, jury duty, and military-related leave
Paid parental leave for new families
Paid holidays, as well as a one-week Thanksgiving break, a two-week winter break, a week-long spring break
Wellness days provided throughout the year