Chief Communications Officer

The Opportunity

With the retirement of its long-time communications leader, and amidst exciting change buoyed by a successful campaign and its 150-year strong history, Ursuline Academy of Dallas is seeking an experienced Chief Communications Officer (CCO). Reporting to the President, the CCO is a pivotal part of the President’s Campus Administration Team responsible for mission-focused communications, marketing, and public relations strategies to meet the community-building and advancement goals of Ursuline. The CCO sets priorities based on Ursuline’s strategic plan, provides team leadership for integrated strategies, directs implementation, monitors progress, and evaluates results. This position also supports the President’s Office in strategic planning processes, special projects and events, and provides counsel on organizational communications, news media relations, and public relations opportunities and activities.

Leading a team of three direct reports, the CCO will be responsible for the following key accountabilities:

• Leadership in the development and implementation of integrated branding and marketing communications strategies that support Advancement and Admissions objectives, in collaborative partnership with the Chief Development Officer, Director of Admissions, and Director of Auxiliary Programs.
• High-quality and timely publications, electronic and print, which promote community building and disseminate information as appropriate to meet the needs of parents/families, alumnae, employees, donors/friends, the community, and other key constituencies.
• Impactful messaging on all platforms centering on the Ursuline core values, reinforcing Ursuline’s distinguishing qualities and its positioning as an outstanding, innovative, and mission-focused Catholic educational institution among all key constituent groups.
• Proactive news and social media relations that promote an accurate and positive public perception of Ursuline, its faculty/staff and students, raising awareness of Ursuline’s goals, activities, and accomplishments.
• Constituent assessments and strategic planning support to encourage participation and authentic, actionable feedback across key stakeholder groups.
• Timely counsel and support for the President and Principal on constituent communications, crisis management, management of special projects and events, and other public relations issues and activities.
• Effective management of the Communications Department and outside resources to include preparation of and adherence to annual department operating plans/budgets, supervision, and professional development of staff to foster camaraderie and collaborative teamwork.

Responsibilities

Marketing Communications and Advancement

Giving Programs

• Lead marketing communications team planning for all giving campaigns, endowment and planned giving promotion to support Advancement goals for key constituents.
• Direct agency/vendor support in developing and producing marketing messages and materials for solicitations, including print and electronic communications (e.g., solicitation mailings and brochures, various donor acknowledgments, etc.)
• Provide concept and content for email solicitations, social media, and web-based communications; manage production and publication to schedule.

Advancement and Donor Events

• Work with the Advancement team to plan and implement major donor recognition/fundraising events.
• Develop concept and content for collateral materials as needed to support events including audiovisual programs/support.

Marketing Communications Admissions

• Provide concept, design, and production for all Admissions marketing communications collateral materials as needed to support student recruitment and auxiliary programs.
• Direct planning and management of advertising budget and placements to maximize outreach to target markets, including PPC program, online banner ads and directories.
• Develop ad content and creative; provide electronic files to publications to meet deadlines, adapting admissions branding for individual publications specifications as needed.
• Develop and implement targeted email communications (Bear Bulletin), social media, and video communications to support admissions goals.
• Assure consistent branding for Ursuline's identity in all public-facing communications.

Electronic and Print Publications

• Direct concept, content development, and production of Ursuline-branded electronic and print publications, including Ursuline websites, school portal, alumnae portal, database integration, in-house editor team, electronic weekly and monthly newsletter, volunteer emails, annual magazine, a major print publication produced every three to five years, annual electronic publication for donors, school profile and brochure for admissions, and graduation communications.
• Plan and manage photography for publications and publicity use.

Social Media, News Media, and Community Relations

• Plan and implement social media utilizing all key platforms to build community in support of advancement and admissions objectives.
• Lead social media team to plan messaging and content strategy.
• Maintain editorial calendar to guide integrated communications and news media.
• Develop and maintain proactive news media relations to promote student/faculty/staff accomplishments, Ursuline programs, and activities.
• Ensure timely response to all news media inquiries (same-day callbacks/contacts).
• Build and sustain relationships with reporters and editors to encourage accurate understanding of activities and events and ongoing coverage.
• Coordinate with Ursuline archivist to maintain archives of Ursuline.
• Academy communications, publications, and news media coverage.

Strategic Planning

• Support the President’s Office regarding strategic planning processes.
• Design and conduct planning assessments, including parent surveys, periodic alumnae surveys, and other constituent surveys as needed.
• Develop and direct implementation of strategies to communicate with key constituent groups about Ursuline’s strategic imperatives and Ursuline’s progress in achieving goals.

Communications/Public Relations Support for President, Principal

• Provide counsel for crisis communications by developing strategies and directing implementation as needed.
• Plan and support the President’s and Principal’s participation in community and
• news media activities as required, including preparation for video participation.
• Write and/or edit direct communications from the President to parents, alumnae, employees, and other constituent groups including solicitation letters, formal remarks and key talking points for event participation.
• Plan and direct placement of special advertising to support Catholic community public relations objectives.

The Ideal Candidate

Leadership

• A strategic thinker with the ability to translate concepts into action as part a strong team.
• A servant leader who embraces and empowers individuals of all backgrounds who meets the needs of and develops their team, who fosters in others a sense of ownership and dedication to the Ursuline Mission, and who leads by example.
• An innovative leader with a hands-on and involved style that is marked by intuition, tenacity, cooperation, and a willingness to think creatively.
• A service-oriented person who embraces Serviam and engenders support among colleagues, staff, and the entire Ursuline community by virtue of her or his knowledge, experience, creativity, vision, and dedication to the mission of Ursuline.
• An excellent communicator who listens well and promotes positive relationships with all members of the school community.
• An accessible person who has an “open-door” attitude and whose leadership style includes being an active and visible presence in the total life of the school.

Experience

• A minimum of eight (8) years of integrated marketing communications management, preferably in an independent school or academic setting.
• Demonstrated leadership in creating, implementing, and managing comprehensive multi-year plans for strategic communications, media relations, and marketing programs to advance organizational mission and goals.
• A proven track record of success in clearly articulating the case for support for varying constituencies, including donors.
• Experience collaborating with leadership in developing and implementing strategic plans, formulating achievable goals and milestones including KPIs to measure success.
• Experience in developing and managing communications in times of crisis.
• A background managing and developing a highly motivated, intelligent, and committed group of professionals and staff.
• Experience synthesizing media relations and new media activities to achieve marketing and communications objectives.
• Experience overseeing the design and production of print materials and publications, website management, and social media content creation and management.
• Demonstrated effective communication with individuals and groups at all levels of an organization.

Skills & Knowledge

• The ability to forge positive relationships with staff, leadership, faculty, students, families, and external constituencies is crucial.
• Conversant in digital communications including the web, social media, and multi-media. Superb written and oral communication skills, including presentation skills.
• Excellent organizational, project management, and interpersonal skills; attention to detail and ability to handle multiple and varied tasks independently, while also working collaboratively.
• Ability to quickly acquire a working knowledge of the general purposes and objectives of an independent school with an established identity.
• Ability to gather and analyze data and present information designed for audiences of varying interests.
• Ability to envision, strategize, plan, and execute in a complex institutional environment.

For a full description of the organization, the COO position, and the ideal candidate, visit Chief Communications Officer - Peña Search Consulting (penasearch.com)