Senior Director, Strategic Communications & External Relations

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS • Washington, DC

1d • $140,000 - $160,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director of Strategic Communications and External Affairs leads efforts to strengthen the NAIS brand and thought leadership within the independent school sector and the broader P-20 education ecosystem. The responsibilities of this role include developing a cohesive communications strategy, aligning executive messaging with the NAIS brand, supporting member and public outreach, enhancing internal information sharing, and advancing advocacy narratives to promote the value of independent schools and NAIS’ expertise.
The position reports to the VP of Marketing, Communications, and Membership (MCM) and works cross-functionally with the President, COO, VPs and other key stakeholders in the development and execution of strategic communications efforts.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, public relations, journalism, or related field.
• 10+ years’ experience in a similar media and public relations role, ideally in an association or non-profit setting.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills, with demonstrated experience in strategic and executive communications.
• Demonstrated experience managing and coordinating external partners or agencies to advance strategic communications goals; experience supervising or developing staff is a plus.
• Highly observant and analytical.
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to make difficult decisions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to work efficiently, independently, and as part of a team; to communicate regularly; and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to travel occasionally during the year.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; able to adapt and learn new software and web-based systems.

Nice To Haves

• K-12 education experience and/or experience in Independent Schools highly desirable.
• experience supervising or developing staff is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manages external PR/media agency or consultants to develop PR/media plans aligned to the NAIS brand strategy and strategic communication goals and objectives.
• Serves as liaison to external PR/media agencies in executing media strategies and facilitating incoming media requests by coordinating with NAIS subject matter experts, providing research, information, and statistics, drafting responses, and engaging additional resources as needed. Working with external agencies, develops talking points for the president and/or NAIS leaders in advance of media interviews.
• Works collaboratively to shape and execute the president’s communications strategy, maintaining the president’s voice/tone/key messages as part of the overall organizational communications and brand strategy.
• In conjunction with the president and the editorial director, plans and aids in the production of regular written communications and content for the president, including regular communications with the membership, blogs, articles, etc. Works with president and media team to establish schedules and oversee the proofing/production/delivery of final product.
• Collaborating with the president, develops speeches, talking points, and presentation materials for the president’s appearances at NAIS conferences and events.
• In collaboration with marketing and membership teams oversees the development of and reviews the Annual Report.
• Supports board communications by helping produce the president’s reports to the board and preparing remarks for the board chair and senior leaders as needed.
• Coordinates presidential messaging for new NAIS initiatives, research, and services to ensure consistency with external audiences.
• Provides onsite support at NAIS’s national events, assisting with speaker preparation, stage management, and presentation execution.
• Collaborates with the COO and HR Team, helping communicate with the staff about key organizational initiatives. This could include messaging and materials related to staff orientation, internal goal setting, employee culture, etc.
• Leads and manages relationships with external partners and agencies to execute communications strategy, and may also manage and develop a small internal team, providing direction, prioritization, and coaching to support organizational goals.
• Assumes other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

• Equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, personal appearance, marital status, family responsibilities, political affiliation, matriculation, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior