Website Head-Royce School
Join our innovative and exciting school in the Oakland Hills as the Communication Manager – a key member of the Communications team that serves the varying communications needs of a vibrant K–12 independent school. This opportunity is a great self-starter position working with a small hard-working coms team.
The Communications Manager serves as one of the main storytellers on campus: conceiving, reporting, and writing stories that highlight our Strategic Plan for various channels. The Manager may serve as the managing editor of our semi-annual alumni publication Head-Royce Magazine and regular digital publications—such as Jayhawk Journal and Belonging. The Communications Manager also coordinates the School’s two primary e-newsletters, a weekly digest for parents and a bi-weekly newsletter for the internal professional community.
This position also supports the CommunityEd speaker’s series, maintains the annual editorial calendar, and in partnership with the Digital Media Specialist, develops a social media strategy and stays abreast of emerging trends and practices that impact the Head-Royce website.
Job Responsibilities
Identify and pursue story and photo opportunities; work collaboratively to conceive content that authentically tells the story of the School, its mission, and values.
Produce weekly parent e-newsletter, aggregating and editing news from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools; produce bi-weekly internal employee newsletter.
Project-manage print and digital publications, hiring and working with outside vendors to maintain production schedules and deliverables.
Oversee and manage annual editorial calendar.
Monitor and manage communications email inbox and respond to other requests for communications support.
In collaboration with administrators, serve as key communications contact for the CommunityEd Speaker Series.
Provide ongoing support for written materials and message development as needed by the Communications Director.
Help to manage the workflow of the part-time Digital Media Specialist.
Assist Digital Media Specialist with strategic social media presence for Head-Royce via established channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn).
Participate in school-wide events, meetings, and committees as appropriate.
Train and support content owners outside of communications to create and post content consistent with guidelines.
Partner with Technology team to ensure appropriate communication tools are being used, including best practices in digital communications.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
At least four years in a marketing or communications role. Previous experience in an independent school and/or non-profit setting is a plus.
Bachelor’s Degree required—specialty in Journalism, PR, marketing or communications preferred.
Comfort and knowledge of social media systems.
Comfort with photography/capturing video and still shots for storytelling purposes.
Familiarity with CMS system or working with website content or marketing platforms a plus.
Sensitivity to, and commitment to promoting equity and inclusion for our constituents, including working with diverse racial, ethnic, gender, cultural, as well as disabled populations.
Ability to provide proof of COVID vaccination (including booster) and TB clearance.
Attributes of the Successful Candidate
All candidates must have proven experience in a communications role, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and be able to prioritize multiple demands. A successful candidate will:
Be a strategic and creative thinker who enjoys digging into concepts, telling a good story, and writing engaging content for a variety of constituencies.
Be a seasoned editor who can mold the contributions from disparate people into a more unified voice for the brand.
Have very strong interpersonal and organizational skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced and deadline-oriented setting with high attention to detail.
Possess an appreciation for collaborative, collegial teamwork and resonance with the School’s mission of scholarship, diversity, and citizenship.
Be a self-starter who can demonstrate initiative and motivation to do your best work with professionalism, diplomacy, and discretion.
Be flexible and pivot as needed to respond to competing priorities; have an openness to and interest in growing your skillset.
Have an interest in or eye for graphic design, photography, and/or videography.
Strong skills in a Mac environment and with Google-based applications, including Gmail, Google Drive, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (or Keynote).
Head-Royce School Overview
Located on a 22-acre campus in Oakland, California, Head-Royce is a pre-eminent, co-educational, independent, K-12 day school with a 134-year history. Our mission is to inspire in our students a lifelong love of learning and pursuit of academic excellence, to promote understanding of and respect for diversity that makes our society strong and to encourage active and responsible global citizenship.
Head-Royce enrolls 900 students in the three separate divisions — Lower, Middle and Upper Schools — and provides a dynamic, whole-child education to every student. With our Strategic Plan, Bridge to 2022, the school’s current initiatives include advancing an innovative, student-centered program, promoting an inclusive community, driving deeper civic engagement, sustaining a culture of balance and well-being and carefully stewarding our resources.
Other Considerations
Compensation: Full salary and benefits, competitive with comparable schools
Location: Oakland, California
Travel: Occasional
Office requirements: Full-time, on campus
Education: Bachelor’s degree required
Start Date: July 2022
Website: www.headroyce.org
To Apply
Applicants should send a resume and cover letter outlining how they meet the specific requirements. Application materials should be submitted through our website.
Head-Royce School is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We want to have the best available person in every job. School policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on age, color, creed, disability, gender, marital status, national origin or ancestry, race, religion, registered domestic partner status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, a medical condition including genetic characteristics, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. Head-Royce School seeks to be a community in which every individual is treated with sensitivity, courtesy and respect.
