Director of Marketing & Communications

Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School

Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School seeks a visionary, experienced and creative Director of Marketing & Communications to enhance communications with all constituencies, raise the school’s visibility and enhance its brand.

Bernard Zell is an independent Jewish Day School for the 21st century where academic purpose, collaborative learning and a deep commitment to humanity develop engaged, confident learners and compassionate leaders for a stronger, more vibrant community and world.

Bernard Zell is located on Chicago’s near north side and currently serves over 500 students, pre-school through grade 8.

https://www.bernardzell.org


Position Details

Director of Marketing & Communications
Job
Full-time
2/14/2019
Chicago Illinois
Chicago, IL

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer and working with the senior leadership team, the Director of Marketing & Communications will lead, plan, direct and implement the school’s marketing and communications strategy and programs which are critical to generating new enrollment, maximizing student retention, enabling successful fundraising, and engaging all stakeholders.

This position is responsible for raising the school’s visibility, advancing its brand and articulating clear messaging to internal and external constituencies. The Director will oversee and actively participate in the creation, design and production of school programs, school publications, advertising, publicity, as well as the school’s website and social media presence.

The primary objective of the Director of Marketing & Communications is to create and communicate a compelling story about Bernard Zell.

This is a tremendous opportunity for a creative and innovative person who is driven to enhance brand investments, develop strategic partnerships and facilitate relationships with all constituencies. The Director of Marketing & Communications will oversee and collaborate with one staff member focused on school communications.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Marketing and Communications will be expected to:

  • Design, create and implement a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy that incorporates all audiences and stakeholders. Develop a work plan, based on the strategy, for each school year that includes a calendar of events, activities, communications and publications.
  • Partner with leadership and all academic departments to ensure brand and message quality and consistency across all media, programs and channels.
  • Develop and sustain active relationships with lay leadership.
  • Partner with the Director of Admissions and Enrollment to develop and execute anadvertising strategy to engage prospective families, increase student applications, and support student recruitment. 
  • Partner with the Director of Development to design donor communications,solicitations and engagement opportunities to promote fundraising revenue. 
  • Oversee the publication of all print and digital communications, including newsletters, brochures, advertisements, direct mail, and promotional materials. Produce communications and materials for key school events and programs. 
  • Plan and deploy all digital marketing activities including oversight of the school’s website, online marketing efforts, SEO tools, digital content production and social media engagement. 
  • Develop meaningful relationships with the local, Jewish and education media. Develop a portfolio of news and feature stories to place on a regular basis. Manage all messaging on behalf of the school in the media. 
  • Oversee the work of graphic designers, print vendors and other external partners in the production of materials. Manage the department budget to maximize the investments in marketing and communications. This includes securing competitive bids for services when appropriate. 
  • Review and revise an effective crisis communications plan and ensure understanding across all departments and stakeholders. 
  • Oversee school photography and videography, including the storage of all photo and video content. Manage the production of all videos that are developed with internal resources or external partners and develop a strategy to maximize these assets. 
  • Oversee the physical representation of the brand inside the school facility. 
  • Manage market research initiatives and oversee all surveys and feedback initiatives. 
  • Engage in professional development in order to remain current in best practices of independent school communications, emerging social media technologies, and effective marketing strategies, as well as the changing interests of prospective audiences and the changing competitive landscape. 
  • Provide staff leadership within department including the hiring, management and motivation of marketing staff. 
  • Participate actively in the work and success of the leadership team and advancementdepartment to provide support for all school events and activities as appropriate.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE

The Director of Marketing & Communications will have the following types of experiences:

  • Minimum eight years related professional experience in marketing and communications. 
  • Bachelors degree required, Masters degree preferred. 
  • Exemplary communications skills with particular emphasis on writing and editing. 
  • Deep knowledge of the principles of marketing and communications and fluency using digital marketing channels and social media effectively. 
  • Strong creative, strategic, interpersonal and organizational skills. 
  • Demonstrated success in bringing regular, positive media attention to an organization. 
  • Demonstrated success in managing multiple projects with shifting priorities and competing deadlines, demonstrating quantifiable results. 
  • Ability to demonstrate the return on investment of key marketing programs. 
  • Ability to develop, monitor and adhere to budgets and production schedules.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate should be:

  • Committed to supporting Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School’s mission is required. 
  • Knowledge of Jewish community, culture, heritage and traditions is desirable. Knowledge of education and related areas is helpful. 
  • Strong, effective, high-energy team player displaying confidence and competence, as well as strong skills in management and leadership. 
  • Driven, self-motivated and entrepreneurial spirit with an appreciation for working hard in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a diverse group of personalities and work styles. A willingness to work hands-on in developing and executing a variety of activities. 
  • Display a strong customer service ethic and exceptional judgment. Emotionally mature with a good sense of humor. 
  • A good listener and strategist, comfortable receiving input from many sources and able to analyze and formulate disparate information into a sound, well-organized plan.


« Back