Marketing and Communications VP of Strategic Commnunications
Job Description
About the Role
New Classrooms is looking for a highly strategic communication leader to continue to build New Classrooms as one of the nation’s top thought leaders in both innovative learning models and secondary mathematics. This is an entrepreneurial role that requires a unique mix of bold creativity, a highly-skilled ability to communicate, and deep knowledge of the education sector in order to drive new thinking across the K-12 landscape around the power of innovation and new learning models.
The VP of Strategic Communications will partner with New Classrooms’ co-founders and leadership team to spearhead the organization’s efforts to influence federal, state, district, and school-based educational leaders around the power of innovative learning models. To achieve this, he or she will bring their significant communication savvy, optimism, energy, and creativity to imagine, create and execute on all external communication and brand awareness strategies and work streams for New Classrooms.
About You
- You are a compelling and credible advocate of academic innovation and excited about the opportunity to drive the awareness and adoption of personalized learning and Teach To One: Math.
- You understand the political context that underlies K-12 education policy and reform and how best to navigate within it.
- You deeply understand beliefs and motives across the education stakeholder spectrum: from teachers and parents to district leaders and policy wonks.
- You have a track record of creating opportunities for deep and strategic engagement in the education space that drives change at scale.
- You are an idea generator who is able to create compelling ways to illustrate, communicate and talk about unique concepts.
- You are a patient collaborator who deeply listens to a range of perspectives before identifying the best action to take (or the best words to use).
- You have high standards for your team but can dive in to actively shepherd work as well as roll up your sleeves when your individual contribution is required.
- You are able to nimbly navigate and prioritize across multiple shifting workstreams.
- You are unfailingly optimistic about what is possible for kids, the reimagining of the classroom, and ultimately the transformation of the U.S. education system.
What you would do
Communications
- Build and implement a sophisticated communications strategy to ensure consistent, high-impact messaging–including the ongoing development of a high level compelling narrative about what New Classrooms does and what Teach To One: Math is.
- Partner with leaders internally and externally to create and execute on opportunities to position New Classrooms as a thought leader in personalized learning and accountability approaches friendly to meeting students where they are and getting them to where they need to be.
- Identify and execute on region-specific communication strategies for driving awareness and adoption regionally.
Brand & PR
- Strategically raise the visibility of personalized learning and the organization itself through both national and local media outlets and key education stakeholders.
- Identify ways to leverage co-founders and key leadership team members externally.
- Lead the creation of thought pieces and articles for publication that highlight both New Classrooms as well as the broader movement toward personalized learning.
- Conceptualize and execute public events that strengthen New Classrooms’ brand, deepen public understanding of our mission and work, and create opportunities for growth (including regionally).
- Collaborate with Deputy Director of Communications to ensure that all content is on-brand, consistent in style, quality and tone of voice, and optimized for search and user experience for all channels of content including online, social media, email, mobile, video, print and in-person.
Program Marketing
- Drive planning and support execution of marketing plans and the development of marketing materials and events that support our growth and expansion (sales) team as they build a pipeline of potential school partners.
- Provide thought partnership and support to our external relations (fundraising) team to create high impact presentations, events and targeted campaigns.
- Explore and oversee testing new channels to acquire top of funnel leads for both growth and expansion and external relations teams.
Leadership
- Serve as a member of the leadership team participating and providing direction for key organizational initiatives.
- Partner with leaders across the organization to develop integrated and targeted outreach plans to new and current district partners.
- Represent the organization externally as required.
What we are looking for
- Demonstrated passion for work in K-12 education.
- Deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the education reform, education technology and/or personalized learning spaces.
- 10+ years of relevant experience with 3+ years of significant leadership experience in K-12 education space leading a marketing, communications and/or policy-oriented capacity for an organization with strong name recognition and significant brand awareness.
- Substantial track record creating and executing an innovative communications strategy that helped to position the organization as a thought leader and/or the leader of a movement.
- Exceptional verbal and written communications skills and judgement.
- A willingness to embrace change and to adapt strategies on the fly and a high tolerance for ambiguity.
- Experience hiring and developing a lean but high-powered communications team.
Application Information
Equal Opportunity
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality or sex.
Work Authorization
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.
