Position Type:
ADMINISTRATOR-COMMUNICATIONS/DIR-COMMUNICATIONS

Date Posted:
8/27/2021

Location:
ADMIN BLDG 1 (GMA)

Days per Year: 226
Min: $140,217
Mid: $168,935

JOB TITLE: Chief Communications Officer

REPORTS TO: Superintendent of Schools

WAGE/HOUR STATUS: Exempt

PAY GRADE: AM 11

PRIMARY PURPOSE:

Reporting to the Superintendent of Schools, the Chief Communications Officer is responsible for the stewardship, planning, and development of communication strategies to support the strategic direction, recognition and understanding of Spring Independent School District. This individual is responsible for fiscal oversight and strategic decision-making on all planned communications, partnerships, and family and community engagement efforts. He/she is also responsible for developing and implementing strategies that promote two-way communication internally and externally, enhance marketing of district-wide programs/initiatives, and increase understanding of the district's initiatives and performance results.

The Chief Communications Officer is responsible for providing strategic communications support, oversight, and consultation to multiple areas (digital print, media relations, district website, television/video, district print publications, social media, crisis communications, translation services, bond communications, printing, graphics, mail services, records management, district partnerships, volunteers in schools, special events, community outreach, and family engagement) within the school district.

In addition, the Chief Communications Officer, creates compelling and successful marketing communications campaigns, programs and efforts that support the strategic direction of the district. This individual further ensures that district-wide goals and priorities are communicated and ensures that policies for brand stewardship, compliance and adoption are adhered to in the form of licensing and trademarks for Spring Independent School District (Spring ISD) assets. The Chief also provides strategic direction and oversight to the employees within the Office of Communications.

The Chief Communications Officer serves as a trusted advisor and a member of the Superintendent's Cabinet. The Chief Communications Officer must act with integrity, support organizational goals, demonstrate the ability to inspire, grow and motivate others and commit to championing the needs of the students, employees and overall District.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Required:

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in communications or a related field
• At least seven (7) years of experience in communications or a related field, with at least five years of executive level supervisory communications experience
• Expert knowledge and understanding of all aspects of communications, including strategic planning for various media venues, technical aspects and requirements, and most appropriate or effective applications
• At least seven years of experience in strategic communications, crisis management, marketing, and brand management with a successful track record and examples of result-driven campaigns and efforts

Preferred:

• Experience in the PK-12 public, private or charter education setting
• Graduate degree in communications, organizational development or a related field from an accredited college or university
• Fluency in Spanish, both spoken and written

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

• Demonstrated experience in managing a school district's brand and reputation - articulation, visioning and re-visioning.
• Demonstrated experience in multiple mediums of communication, including but not limited to social media, printed materials, videos, TV, radio, internet and intranet.
• Exceptional ability to cultivate relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Exceptional ability to create and organize the timing and execution of surveys, focus groups and interviews to gather input and feedback from stakeholders and analyze the results
• Strategic and creative thinker with strong attention to detail
• Exceptional ability to build trust and interact with stakeholders with confidence and credibility, proactively driving communications outcomes and providing insightful counsel
• Exceptional ability to prioritize and deliver high-quality work with limited guidance in a fast-paced, changing environment
• Deep knowledge of Spring ISD, including its mission, vision, values, and goals; expert knowledge of current PK-12 affairs and issues in public education
• Superior ability to speak effectively before groups of students, families, employees or the public
• Expert skills to create, develop, and implement effective long and short-term internal and external strategic communications plans
• Expert written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills; and political acumen
• Expert knowledge and skills in financial and personnel administration and management
• Expert management skills to select, train, lead, direct, guide, and motivate professional and support staff to produce high quality work; skill to take corrective action as required
• Expert analytical, critical thinking, project management, problem recognition, avoidance, and resolution skills
• Expert skills to direct work to ensure the creation of high-quality deliverables within budget and time constraints
• Deep experience in brand development for complex, large-scale centralized organizations
• Demonstrated experience with internal and external communications, including crisis communications
• Demonstrated experience with gathering and evaluating quantitative and qualitative data to assess return on investment (ROI) of marketing and communications efforts
• Demonstrated experience in district event planning and management
• Demonstrated experience in strategic consulting and planning to ensure that the district has its pulse on the community and spotlights accomplishments and achievements
• Proven ability to adapt to changing communications needs, adjust the pace of work, and tolerate ambiguity as well as to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Proven ability to lead, guide, and monitor implementation of comprehensive strategy for family and community engagement initiatives within and on behalf of Spring ISD

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

• Serve as the guardian of company culture, values and beliefs. Also work tirelessly to ensure these beliefs are visible and consistent across external marketing channels, as well as internally amongst employees.
• Cultivate strong relationships with media representatives as the information liaison between the school district and the public. Serve as the district spokesperson and coordinate media coverage, including preparing press releases and publishing articles and photos in local media, social media venues and other publications.
• Work with the Superintendent's Cabinet to anticipate, mitigate, leverage and respond to public relations issues and opportunities. Ensure articulation of Spring ISD's desired image and position, assure consistent communication of image and position throughout the district, and assure communication of image and position to all internal and external constituencies.
• Responsible for leadership and guidance of the following departments: Media Relations, Public Relations/Strategic Partnerships, Multimedia (web, television, creative services), Administrative Services (fee for service printing, graphics, and mail services), Bond Communications, and Family and Community Engagement.
• Share and discuss leading practices in establishing standards that will positively impact internal and external communications with the Superintendent's Office. Work closely with the Superintendent's Cabinet to develop communication stratagies, district partnerships, and family engagement needs.
• Responsible for creating, implementing and measuring the success of a comprehensive marketing, communications, and public relations program that will enhance the district's image and position within the marketplace and the general public, and facilitate internal and external communications.
• Design and implement high-quality, innovative multimedia initiatives that support the strategic priorities and business imperatives of Spring ISD through the use of newsletters, press releases, email announcements, planned publications, intranet, internet, video, social media, etc.
• Support and coordinate messages from across district departments to communicate with staff and external stakeholders. Create specific messages for target audiences such as community partners, parents, city officials, state officials, employee groups and union communities.
• Plan, coordinateand execute major district special events and community meetings in collaboration with members of the Superintendent's Cabinet.
• Direct and implement research-based family and community engagement strategies that support student achievement.
• Ensure district coordination of partnerships with business, civic, community, faith-based, and philanthropic leaders and organizations to support the district's strategic plan and major initiatives.
• Oversee district volunteers in the schools program and district advisory committees.
• Represents the Superintendent of Schools as an official of the District.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead management in the development, deployment and ongoing management of key initiatives covering multiple major disciplines with direct accountability for results in terms of effectiveness, costs, methods, and employees. Establish operational objectives and assignments for multiple disciplines/functional areas and possibly departments. Evaluate recommendations of others, deciding on course of action in ambiguous situations, and oversee the deployment of innovative solutions. Collaborate with executive leadership to develop strategies and broad departmental objectives; establish methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for projects, programs and people in the achievement of strategic objectives.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The usual and customary methods of performing the job's functions require the following physical demands: physical mobility, standing and prolonged sitting. This position will also require both traveling within the district and state wide. Mental demands: ability to solve problems and deal with a variety of situations; ability to interpret a variety of data; ability to interpret policy; ability to apply knowledge of current research and theory, ability to be effective in both oral and written communication; ability to maintain emotional control under stress.

The foregoing statements describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this job and are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties that may be assigned or skills that may be required.