Job Description

Who We Are

RePublic Schools is a network of high-performing public charter schools based in Nashville, TN and Jackson, MS with a mission to reimagine public education in the South and prepare all of our scholars to graduate from college. In addition to providing a world-class traditional academic curriculum, we empower our students to be change-makers by teaching them to code – starting in the 5^th grade.

Despite the fact that our scholars come from traditionally underserved communities (approximately 85% identify as low-income, and nearly 95% as students of color), we have seen them defy the odds to achieve outstanding results. RePublic’s schools have scored in the top 5% of all open-enrollment public schools across the state of Tennessee for both student growth and absolute achievement – making ours the first (and only) charter schools in state history to achieve this dual distinction.

At RePublic, we cultivate a cohesive community of families, staff, and scholars committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure our scholars succeed. We are looking for a dynamic, determined Director of External Affairs in Nashville, TN or Jackson, MS to lead our network efforts in student recruitment, marketing, and communications. Candidates must share our unwavering belief that all children can achieve at high levels and change the world. Sound like you?

What You’ll Do

Overview

At RePublic, we have a compelling story to share with our stakeholders about the work we’re doing in our communities and its effect on the future of public education in the South. The Director of External Affairs is charged with communicating that narrative through engaging, high quality communications and marketing materials, crafting the strategy and pipeline for student recruitment, and building key relationships with external stakeholders. Reporting to the Director of Network Operations, RePublic’s Director of External Affairs will ensure that RePublic schools are fully enrolled, community stakeholders have the opportunities to learn more about the transformative work we’re doing, and our brand is constantly present in the work we do.

Responsibilities

• Craft and communicate the story.
  • Monitor coverage of RePublic in the press and on social media and develop and execute response strategies as needed.
  • Build brand awareness, donor, teacher, and student prospect pipeline, and community advocates through social media campaigns, attending events, and community canvassing.
  • Manage external affairs  budget, to include setting priorities and negotiating vendor contracts.
  • Create, disseminate, and analyze digital and print communications and campaigns, and handle day-to-date communications operations.
  • Develop press relationships, create and disseminate press releases, promote positive publicity for RePublic (earned media), and monitor and respond to press and social media coverage.
• Utilize data to drive decision making and win on strategy.
  • Craft clear metrics for student recruitment, marketing, and communications using historical data that meet organizational priorities.
  • Manage outreach campaigns for student recruitment through creating informed strategy, using strong tracking systems, and team coaching.
  • Create a data-driven communications operation by setting up and streamlining communications management tool(s) (e.g. Sprout Social, EMMA, Trello) and tracking and analyzing KPIs.
• Lead, inspire, and motivate a team.
  • Directly manage and develop two Associate Directors of Student Recruitment.
  • Create a wider network of interns, community volunteers, and parents to participate in regular community engagement and student recruitment activities such as canvassing, phone banking, mailer production, and social media initiatives.
  • Lead by example!

Who You Are

Our ideal Director of External Affairs  will have an unwavering belief that all our students can achieve at an exceptionally high level and that the work we do is transformative and worthy of sharing. Beyond that, a successful candidate will be:

• A serial optimist. You’ve got a deep, personal commitment to the mission of RePublic Schools, and a genuine belief that all students can achieve academic excellence, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. You’ve got a “healthy rage” about the state of public education in the South – and you want to be a part of a team that is doing something about it every single day.
• A driver of results. You’ve demonstrated ability to drive results in the pursuit of an ambitious vision and strategy, and you combine your exceptional strategic, analytical, and critical thinking skills with your penchant to use data to drive decision-making to achieve impressive outcomes.
• A systems builder. You’re comfortable with ambiguity, and thrive in situations where you get to build something out of nothing, or create order out of chaos. You choose start-up over bureaucracy any day – even if it can be beautifully messy.
• An organizational mastermind. You appreciate big picture, but you know it’s all in the details. You manage projects fluidly, fiercely prioritize, and track timelines, data, and information in an organized and systematic fashion.
• An entrepreneurial learner. You are a self-directed go-getter. You take initiative, generate ideas/solutions to problems, operate with a growth mindset, and seek opportunities for feedback.
• A storyteller. You are a word wizard, and love to craft a compelling narrative. You understand the importance of storytelling – and know how to leverage stories to address an individual’s unique motivations and barriers, and ultimately compel them to take action on the behalf of our kids.
• A hustler. You are doggedly persistent. You know that it takes time to cultivate strong relationships, and you’re not afraid to put yourself out there to make the ask.
• Other qualifications and certification:
  • Minimum of 3-5 years of experience serving scholars who are traditionally underserved, in an urban public school or charter school setting preferred;
  • Previous experience and demonstrated track record of results in marketing, strategy, campaign management,  and/or communications strongly preferred

Salary is competitive and commensurate based on experience. Compensation at RePublic includes a comprehensive benefits package.

How to Apply

To Apply

• Submit your resume and an optional cover letter online: http://www.republiccharterschools.org/careers.

Bureaus: Tennessee. Job Categories: Full-Time. Job Types: School Network Staff.