Development and Community Relations Director

Posting Date: 4/12/2024

Position Title: Development and Community Relations Director

Reports to: Superintendent

Service Area: Santa Fe NM

Employment Term: 12 Months; Exempt

Salary/Wage Range: $79410 $127723 Dependent on qualifications and experience

Deadline for Application: Open until filled

Summary

The Director is central to all activities of the Development & Community Relations Office and its primary function of increasing awareness and visibility while promoting the New Mexico School for the Deafs programs and statewide services. Duties include but are not limited to marketing; media relations; website and social media postings and maintenance; special event planning and implementation. The position requires interacting facetoface by email and phone with community stakeholders including civic groups donors legislators VIPs business owners vendors agencies (Commission for Deaf & Hard of Hearing COPD HLAA etc. parents alumni and retirees. Additionally this position includes a variety of Development (fundraising) activities and donor cultivation and stewardship efforts. This position also supports intraschool community development and collaboration. It is anticipated and expected that all functions of this position will be performed in a positive and respectful manner with a strong focus on advancing the mission and vision of New Mexico School for the Deaf. The duties and competencies listed are comprehensive yet not all inclusive of this position.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (Other duties may be assigned

• Development (Fundraising)
• Research write coordinate and manage all aspects of grants.
• Lead Capital Campaigns from conception to delivery.
• Oversee development and implementation of annual fundraising campaign.
• Develop monitor and adjust strategic and ongoing action plans for identifying cultivating soliciting and stewarding donors.
• Develop and strengthen partnerships with Foundations resulting in funding streams.
• Manage/track donor funds housed at NMSD and endowments housed at the Santa Fe Community Foundation.
• Coordinate and track all inhouse funding requests that provide financial support to students staff and families.
• Provide guidance for other fundraising efforts originating from student groups and so forth.

• Community Relations: Develop and implement proactive community relations strategies keeping the community informed about NMSDs Vision/Mission and its accomplishments. The director oversees the following departmental responsibilities which include but are not limited to:

• School Publications: including but not limited to the Annual Report the NM Progress Marketing Materials and Greeting Cards
• Website & Social Media
• Media Relations: Promote and maintain relationships with media personnel and outlets including but not limited to the preparation and coordination of press releases program coverage and interviews.
• Civic & Community Groups: Maintain relationships with local Civic/Community Groups.
• Stakeholder Correspondence: Maintain stakeholder relationships by writing thank you notes letters sympathy messages and so forth on behalf of the school.
• General Obligation Bonds for Education: Serve as NMSDs liaison on the Bond Committee and implement strategies to promote the Bond within the NMSD and greater community.
• Special Events: Assist with the planning and implementation of special schoolcommunity events (e.g. Senior Awards appreciation events and ribbon cuttings)
• Photographs & Digital Assets: This includes archives and current photographs and media of various events and individuals.
• NMSD Museum: Ensure the organization and maintenance of museum storage files artifacts collections and displays.
• Schoolwide community development: Support ongoing efforts to maintain and expand upon NMSDs deeply integrated sense of community and collaboration within the schools programs.
• Superintendents Office Support: Assist with the scheduling of and preparation for speaking engagements and with various legislative efforts.

• DirectorSpecific Responsibilities
• Oversee and supervises all contracted and fulltime employees within the department.
• Maintain all daytoday operations and office organization
• Perform other duties as assigned

Competencies

• Possession of excellent planning organizational and implementation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects set priorities and meet deadlines in a fastpaced environment.
• Proactive goaloriented and able to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Strong attention to detail problemsolving skills and adherence to data governance standards.
• Ability to work independently and effectively within the collaborative nature of a teamwork environment.
• Ability to deal effectively and pleasantly with the school corporate professional and public communities exhibiting excellent interpersonal skills in person and on telephone.
• Excellent oral/signed and written communication skills with diplomacy and good judgment with possession of professional writing and exceptional proofreading and editing skills.
• Sense of humor creativity kindness flexibility and patience; understanding and recognition that this work is centered on building and cultivating relationships.
• High respect for confidential nature of all work.
• Ability and high level of skill in using various Microsoft Office and Multimedia Programs.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Minimum of a bachelors degree in one of the following fields: Communications business public relations or marketing from a fouryear College or University; or nonrelated degree(s) required. Masters degree preferred. Administrative experience preferred. At least five years experience in a field related to Development and Community Relations or in a field related to Deaf Education required. Knowledge of Deaf education Deaf culture and community highly preferred.

Language Skills

Ability to read analyze and interpret general periodicals professional journals technical procedures or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports correspondence and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers and the general public. Conversational Spanish skills are helpful in this position but are not required.

Sign Language

The applicant must have fluency in American Sign Language or a willingness to acquire this fluency. Applicant will be required to demonstrate progressive sign language acquisition and if needed participate in sign language classes offered at NMSD.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add subtract multiply and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers common fractions and decimals. Ability to compute rate ratio and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written oral diagram or schedule form. Ability to think independently problem solve and work with the whole team.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully an individual should have a high level of working knowledge of: Microsoft Office programs. Adobe Creative Suites (Illustrator Photoshop and InDesign); iMovie Media Encoder and Adobe Acrobat Pro. Knowledge of Dreamweaver HTML & CSS a plus. Must be comfortable working on the PC platform.

Physical Demand

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and sit. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds. The employee must be able to answer the phone and respond to callers. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision distance vision and peripheral vision.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Required Experience:

Director