Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

Denver Scholarship Foundation•Denver, CO

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) is seeking a passionate, driven individual to join their team. DSF was named one of Denver’s Top Workplaces for seven consecutive years, reflecting a positive and inclusive work environment. DSF's mission is to inspire and empower DPS students to pursue and complete postsecondary education by providing essential resources. The organization values equity, innovation, leadership, learning, relationships, and integrity. The Senior Director of Marketing & Communications will serve as the strategic leader for DSF’s brand, storytelling, and communications, and is a key member of the Growth and Engagement leadership team. This role will oversee the development and implementation of marketing, communications, public relations, and media strategies to enhance DSF’s visibility, deepen engagement, and support organizational goals. The ideal candidate is a visionary, creative, energetic, and strategic professional responsible for all aspects of communication and marketing, leading a multifunctional team. This role collaborates closely with other leadership teams to ensure communications effectively reach and resonate with donors, partners, students, and the community. Successful candidates will demonstrate strong leadership, project management, collaboration, and public speaking skills, with experience in staff supervision, media, public relations, and professional development.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, preferably with a concentration in advertising, marketing, business administration, or communications.
A minimum of 10 years in successful marketing and management experience.
Experience using digital and social advertising platforms, tools, and campaigns to support fundraising initiatives and increase brand awareness.
Experience creating high-quality content for consumption, including writing for the web, print, and social media, and editing and proofreading to ensure a high level of quality control.
Overarching brand ownership and storytelling expertise for an organization of our size.
Translating data and organizational performance metrics into storytelling.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy aligned with DSF’s strategic plan, organizational, and Growth and Engagement Team goals.
Serve as a strategic partner to the Chief Growth & Engagement Officer and Growth and Sr. Director of Individual Philanthropy to ensure communications directly support fundraising outcomes, donor acquisition, and engagement strategies.
Align messaging, storytelling, and campaigns across fundraising, programs, and community engagement.
Participate in Growth and Engagement planning, contributing to revenue strategy, campaign planning, and audience segmentation.
Partner with Executive Leadership to align strategic communications with organizational priorities and external positioning.
Develop strategic, creative marketing, content, and campaigns across diverse media channels to increase target audience participation in and support of key initiatives.
Oversee research and interpretation of customer and audience information.
Define and steward DSF’s organizational narrative to ensure clarity, consistency, and emotional resonance across all audiences.
Ensure all communications reflect DSF’s mission, values, and impact while supporting both fundraising and programmatic priorities.
Oversee development and approval of high-quality content including campaigns, digital communications, publications, program-facing materials, and leadership communications.
Maintain and evolve DSF’s brand standards, ensuring consistency across all materials and platforms.
Create and share talking points with DSF Board members and staff.
Lead DSF’s media and public relations strategy to increase visibility and strengthen public positioning.
Build and steward relationships with key media outlets and partners.
Serve as spokesperson as needed and prepare organizational leaders for media engagement.
Collaborate and lead joint messaging, media and PR opportunities with partner organizations.
Collaborate with Sr. Director of Individual Philanthropy to design and execute messaging and engagement in support of integrated fundraising campaigns, including annual giving, Colorado Gives Day, major gift storytelling, and event-related communications.
Develop messaging strategies that support donor acquisition, retention, and upgrade across giving levels.
Ensure communications effectively support donor stewardship, cultivation, and engagement experiences.
Collaborate with the Events team to align communications with event strategy and outcomes.
Partner with Program teams to ensure clear, accessible, and effective communications for students, Scholars, families, and partners.
Ensure messaging reflects DSF’s impact across the full student journey and community ecosystem.
Work with external partners including college partners, funding, and community partners on joint messaging opportunities.
Define and track key performance indicators for communications effectiveness, including engagement, reach, conversion, and fundraising impact.
Use data (digital analytics, campaign performance, audience insights) to inform strategy and decision-making.
Continuously refine audience segmentation and channel strategies to improve engagement and outcomes.
Provide oversight, supervision, and mentorship to the Communications Manager, Digital Marketing and Social Media Coordinator, and Creative Design Manager.
Establish clear systems for prioritizing communications requests across departments, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.
Create and manage editorial calendars and campaign planning processes that support organizational goals.
Implement workflows that improve efficiency, clarity, and cross-team coordination.
Build and manage an annual budget to achieve marketing and communications goals.
Provide oversight to outside agencies, vendors, and consultants.

Benefits

$114,000 to $142,000
401(k) plan with $ for $ match of up to 5%
Group health, dental, and vision insurance, low-cost premium plans offered. DSF pays for 90% of employee only and 70% of dependent plans.
Life Insurance that provides 2 Times Your Annual Salary
Free Annual Eco RTD Bus Pass
Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance
Short Term Disability Supplement (Based on Years of Service)
Paid holidays (includes Winter Break and Summer 1/2 Fridays in June and July) and 2 Floating holidays each year
Trusted Time Off (unlimited vacation policy following 90 days)
Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave (Based on Years of Service)
ID Theft Protection and Will Preparation Assistance
Reduced cost for Legal Counseling
Free Financial Counseling
Four Professional Wellness Sessions and $300 annual wellness reimbursement
Free Employee Assistance and Confidential Counseling Services