Job Description:

The Chief of School and Community Relations Officer (CSCR). The CSCR supports the Superintendent of Schools and the Senior Leadership Team to integrate communications and foster relationships to position the division as a national leader for high-performing preK-12 educational organizations. The CSCR develops communication and content strategies to support organizational presence, fundraising, business development, talent attraction and retention, and other strategic goals. The CSCR directly oversees the Office of Communications and the Office of School, Business and Community Partnerships. Serves as the division spokesperson. This position is a direct report to the Superintendent of Schools.

Qualifications:

• Education: Master Degree required.  A specialty or studies in communications is preferred.
• Work experience: At least ten years of job-related experience is required.  Experience in a public school division is preferred.
• Language skills: Fluent English is required. A bilingual ability to speak, write and read Spanish is preferred.
• Exceptional writer; skill in translating complex information into compelling narratives for diverse audiences
• Strategic-level communication project management expertise: Experience in developing a strategic communications plan for a large organization(s) is preferred
• Proven management and organizational skills, including experience in leading, building, and successfully managing a team.
• Demonstrated track record of effectively collaborating and cultivating community-based groups and business partnerships. Must understand the challenges and opportunities to create and forge relationships with a school division
• Ability to develop key messages and build an effective brand voice for an organization
• Skill in evaluating communications programs using metrics to assess impact
• High levels of creativity and critical thinking skills. Must be able to develop and update policies, procedures and protocols related to the work.
• Global mindset with ability to influence, inspire confidence, build consensus and work successfully with varied and diverse audiences.

Essential Functions:

     A. Supervise the Office of Communications

1. Research, plan, execute, monitor and continually evaluate the school division’s communications efforts including the following:

a. Provide strategic leadership and direct functions of the communications team with a focus on public relations, event planning, marketing, strategic publications.

b. Develop high quality and effective websites/webpages, video, podcasts and social media.

c. Serve as the school division’s liaison for community and advisory groups.

d. Develop, implement, execute and monitor the division’s strategic communications plan.

e. Attend all School Board meetings and work sessions to ensure deliverables and follow up by the superintendent or executive team are timely and efficient.

f.  Direct the planning, development and implementation of strategies to assist

school principals and other staff with media relations, including training, individual

Consultation and direct assistance for communications (e.g. routine, good news-positive stories and emergency communications).

g. Identify and collaborate with school division personnel on newsworthy topics or stories as well as other matters related to publicizing student activities, events, special projects, division accomplishments, and other pertinent items.

h. Coordinate and lead efforts for school division to respond efficiently, effectively and timely to concerns, suggestions, inquiries and compliments.

i. Conducts surveys and identifies communications data points to measure success of communications efforts and establish a reporting mechanism to share this data with the community and School Board.

j. Support the School Board and executive leadership to achieve consistent messaging through training and development of talking points, speeches, correspondence, presentations, and other communications materials.

    2. Develop a comprehensive crisis communications plan and protocol to manage crisis events including the following:

a. Work collaboratively with executive team and staff to create a written plan that identifies who will participate in, and the sequence of, crisis communications.

b. Tools and techniques to immediately inform pertinent staff about the crisis

communications plan and protocol.

c. Work with City offices to develop a joint-response to emergency events or crisis.

Participate in table-top exercises or drills as needed.

c. Develop and maintain an office capacity for availability on a 24/7 basis to meet the demands of emergency situations.

    3. Work collaboratively with the executive team and staff to ensure the data from the strategic plan is shared efficiently          and effectively with the community and school board to stay abreast of strategic planning progress including the following:

a.  Facilitation of communications on progress of the strategic plan through community

engagement meetings.

b. Develop a protocol and system for gathering data and input regarding the strategic plan progress from internal and external stakeholders.

c. Work collaboratively with executive team and staff to establish updates on the metrics rom the strategic plan to all stakeholder groups.

    4. Act as spokesperson for the superintendent and school division including the following:

a. Develop written communications to all media outlets.

b. Serve as on-air spokesperson for radio, television and other media.

c. Oversee and manage the distribution of weekly communications to all stakeholder groups.

    B.  Supervise the Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE)

    1.  Research, plan, execute, monitor and continually evaluate the school division’s family and  

     community engagement as well as community partnership efforts including the following:

a. Develop active partnerships with local businesses, organizations, and volunteers.

b. Oversee the family and community engagement department plan to ensure all community stakeholders’ viewpoints and perspectives inform the school division’s decision making.

c. Oversee the school division’s volunteer program to ensure volunteers are assigned to appropriate tasks, school locations and projects.

d. Develop local and regional business partners to provide workforce development opportunities to support the ACPS graduate.

    2. Lead community engagement committees comprised of a variety of stakeholders including:

a. Develop and lead monthly and other periodic meetings.

b. Provide minutes of meetings.

c. Recruit committee members and provide onboarding to new committee members.

d. Develop annual goals for the committee and monitor progress of the goals to report to the school board and community.

    C. Additional Responsibilities

    1. Serve as member of Superintendent’s Executive team including the following:

a. Attend weekly Executive team meetings and senior leadership team meetings.

b. Attend weekly one-on-one meeting with Superintendent.

C. Attend Teacher Advisory Committee and Education Association of Alexandria meetings.

d. Attend school site visits and quarterly chats for school/department improvement plans.

e. Advise Superintendent and other Executive team members on issues of importance.

    2.  Essential employee: Must be available on 24/7 basis for emergencies

    3.  Perform other duties as assigned by the Superintendent

Background Check and Health Clearances:

This position requires a successful completion of a background check and health safety requirements. Must be able to work in a confidential-information office environment and maintain a positive security background check to include:

• Criminal Justice Fingerprint/Background Clearance.
• Tuberculosis Skin Test.

WP