Temporary Director of Communications

Title: Temporary Director of Communications

Reports to: Director of Enrollment Management

Department: Administration

FLSA: Exempt

FTE: 1 Temporary Year-Round

Who We Are:

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Enrollment Management the Director of Communications partners with senior leadership on developing the schools overarching communication strategy. The Director leads the tactical execution of the strategy for UPrep. The Director plans executes and oversees all internal and external school communications to elevate UPreps profile advance its brand and consistently convey clear messaging to internal and external audiences. The Director is responsible for planning and content development for the schools website social/digital medial channels weekly school newsletter crisis communications and maintaining consistent branding schoolwide. The position directly supervises department staff and interns manages the department budget and serves as a strategic communications partner to school leadership. The Director draws on strong verbal and written communication skills as well as digital technical and visual skills to communicate the mission and work of the school to diverse audiences (alumni faculty staff parent/guardians students and the public).

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategy Leadership & Operations

• In collaboration with the Director of Enrollment Management develops and executes an annual communication plan that is reflective of the values mission and culture of the school as well as the schools overarching communication strategy and ensures consistent accurate and professional messaging across the school.
• Mentors and supervises Senior Writer & Editor and Marketing & Communication Intern to ensure high quality of work support job satisfaction and effectively distribute responsibilities within the office.
• Provides communications support to the Head of School Division Directors program directors department heads and Board of Trustees.
• Maintains the schools crisis communication plan.
• With support and approval from the Director of Enrollment Management plans and manages the department budget to maximize the effectiveness of all communications.
• Oversees external contractor relationships to support the production needs of the Communication Office.
• Engages actively in professional development in order to remain current in best practices related to independent school communications emerging social media and effective storytelling strategies.

Web & Digital Content Planning

• In partnership with the Director of Enrollment Management and Director of IT maintains an overall web and digital content strategy for UPrep that aligns with and supports the schools mission brand and priority messaging for key distribution points including the public website internal Veracross portals and social and digital media channels.
• Conceptualizes designs authors and produces digital communications and digital media primarily for the website and social media while considering events or campaign objectives audience budget and timeline.
• Maintains a social media calendar for UPreps priority channels (Instagram LinkedIn and YouTube) and posts regularly.
• Ensures best practices and quality standards in digital communications and media including techniques content branding and format both within the Communications Office and throughout the school.
• Manages and designs the digital content displayed on the TV monitors located throughout campus in partnership with our third-party service provider (Rise Vision).

Website Support

• Regularly refreshes website content partnering with various departments to update section materials.
• With support from the Director of Enrollment Management develops a website content strategy that optimizes headlines and keywords to support SEO.
• Manages email drip campaigns to prospective families through the website.
• Monitors SEO/SEM Google Analytics metrics and social medial insights to inform future content production.
• Analyzes web traffic metrics and suggests solutions to boost web presence.
• Maintains the Veracross Family Faculty/Staff and Student Portals and updates content as needed.

Social Media & Email Communications Support

• Collaborates with colleagues across UPrep including Enrollment DEIB Development College Counseling and classroom teachers to identify new sources of content.
• Supports the Brand and Digital Communications Manager in generating editing publishing and sharing engaging content across our social media channels including Instagram LinkedIn and YouTube.
• When appropriate and in line with our best practices communicate with followers respond to queries in a timely manner and monitor constituent sentiment.
• Oversees the Marketing and Communications Interns production and distribution of UPreps weekly all-school email via Veracross by collecting content proofreading analyzing weekly engagement rates enhancing the overall look and design and seeking feedback to ensure it meets audience needs.
• Partners with the Director of Enrollment Management to design communication strategies and tactics to increase prospective student inquires and applications and maintain prospective student and family interest within a competitive dynamic independent school dynamic.
• Partners with Director of Development to support the Puma Fund community events (i.e. State of the School and UPrep Together) capital campaigns and all collateral (including the annual report invitations and micro websites) to strengthen a culture of philanthropy.
• Designs and manages paid campaigns through Meta.

Digital Analytics

• Collects data and reports on impressions engagement page views and sessions to help inform digital marketing and communications strategy.
• Interprets data analyzes results and provides ongoing reports to school leadership.
• Measures and reports performance of digital content and assesses against goals.
• Identifies trends and insights and optimizes spend and performance based on the insights.

Visual Design Photos and Video

• Produces small-scale visual products in collaboration with school partners including Development Enrollment College Counseling and our division directors teams to advertise and raise awareness of UPrep community events (logos postcards explainer graphics presentations etc.).
• Produces design elements for the UPrep website social media and print collateral.
• Partners with the Senior Writer and Editor to generate design concepts for UPrep Magazine.
• Adheres to UPrep brand guidelines and ensures content produced throughout the school is on brand.
• Project manages external freelance designers and printers.
• Takes and selects photographs/video for print publications and social media channels.
• Project manages external photographers for all on-campus photoshoots.
• Manages Vidigami the school-wide system for photo organization and management.
• Works with video production company (Shootsta) to create video content for social media and events.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelors degree in communications or a related field required
• Five or more years of successful experience in communications web and digital strategic leadership roles
• Experienced in digital technology analysis and platform expertise across social medial ecosystems
• Experience with content management systems (our school uses Finalsite and Veracross)
• Experience with Adobe Illustrator InDesign and Adobe Photoshop
• Hands-on experience with SEO web traffic metrics and web analytics tools like Google Analytics
• Experience working in an education setting preferred

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Deep knowledge of strategic communications principles within independent school or non-profit structures
• Professionalism innovative ideas and ability to express UPreps work creatively to improve audience engagement through digital communications
• A strategic thinker with an in-depth understanding of how technology can help increase brand awareness and elevate UPreps story
• Strong attention to detail and ability to balance independent work/self-management with collaborative environment
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines maintain confidential information and communicate effectively with all levels of faculty staff students and families
• Management skills to direct department staff plus external vendors for multiple projects with competing deadlines and production schedules
• Flexibility maturity a sense of humor and a sincere commitment to diversity equity and inclusivity

Compensation & Benefits:

This is a 8-month position (October 1 2026 - May 31 2026). Salary is $52693 - 62400 for the full 8-month term and is based on education and years of experience. Temporary employees are not eligible for enrollment in our benefits or 401(k) plan.

Click on Apply Now complete our online employment application and upload your résumé and a cover letter telling us why you are interested in and qualified for this position.

Position open until filled. No phone calls or drop-ins please.

University Prep does not discriminate on the basis of race color national or ethnic origin religion creed age gender marital status sexual orientation gender identity veterans status disability use of a trained service animal or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws. This policy applies to admissions and administration of all its programs as well as to all areas of employment.