Executive Director of Community Relations

Work Year: 12 months

Group: Cabinet

FLSA Status: Exempt

Salary: $175,109 - $184,326

JOB TITLE: Executive Director of Community Relations & Communications

REPORTS TO: Superintendent

GENERAL DUTIES SUMMARY:

Supervises, plans, directs, coordinates, and leads the District's public information and communications program to include internal and external communications and relations.

Serves under the broad guidance and administrative supervision of the Superintendent. Is responsible for results in terms of planning, coordinating, leading, quality, and overall effectiveness of the District's public information, communications, community relations program, community services, and social services. Performance is evaluated for compliance with policies, procedures, Board direction, and sound professional practice.

In addition, serves as a key resource and strategic advisor to school leaders in managing communication

during critical incidents, narrative development, and community engagement. Provides guidance and

coordination to schools in crisis response, message alignment, and proactive communication planning.

Collaborates with principals and district departments to strengthen communication systems, ensuring

consistency, transparency, and responsiveness across all schools.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

District Leadership

• Serves as a member of the Executive Council in providing overall district leadership and direction.

Oversee District Communication

• Responsible for planning, developing, and carrying out internal and external communications. Stays abreast of District plans and issues—including bond programs and capital projects—and anticipates internal and external reactions.
• Initiates and elevates key communication messaging (requires organizational awareness and proactivity).
• Prepares communications that serve to inform on issues and effectively and convincingly present the District's perspective and rationale.
• Leads communication efforts related to District bond initiatives, ensuring timely, clear, and transparent information is shared with staff, families, community members, and media. Facilitates meaningful stakeholder engagement and involvement throughout the planning, implementation, and evaluation phases of bond projects, including public forums, advisory committees, and feedback processes.
• Exercises an extremely high degree of accuracy and correctness when preparing communications materials. Serves as an expert in concepts of grammar and punctuation, principles of copywriting, and editing.

Communications Counsel

• Provides communication counsel to the superintendent and Executive Team on sensitive district-wide initiatives and school issues.
• Develops Executive Council communication capacity and skills.

Communications Plan

• Ensures the district has a clearly articulated Communications, Engagement, and Marketing Plan that includes short-term and long-term communications planning.
• Utilizes survey data and metrics to establish messaging.
• Participates in annual reports, school profiles, student and parent handbooks, marketing and recruitment materials. Markets various district programs.

Community and Intergovernmental Relations

• Maintains and develops relations with communities at large as well as business, faith, parent and intergovernmental communities.
• Utilizes such relationships to effectively advance the District program.
• Develops parent leadership. Leads district school boundary realignment. Serves as district liaison to various community groups.

District Bond Projects

• Provides leadership to school-based bond projects.
• Coordinates with schools, architects, and project managers on school-related bond projects.
• Coordinates school design teams, Community Bond Oversight Committee and bond project groundbreakings and facility naming.
• Provides bond information, engagement, and communication to the public.
• Plans, coordinates and conducts informational aspects of election campaigns.

Program Direction and Staff Supervision

• Oversees organizational management in all assigned areas.
• Assures that functions are effectively structured and work coordination procedures are in place to achieve a high level of integration and synergy across program functions.
• Recruits and assigns staff ensuring that they possess and practice the values necessary to achieving the level of program delivery and customer service that is essential to a highly effective organization.
• Assesses, evaluates, and provides for training and professional development of subordinate staff.
• Creates communication, collaboration and coordination processes that assure all staff are timely and effectively informed of department policies, issues, and guidance that their programs are expected to support.
• Establishes an environment in which all staff members are comfortable and forthcoming in sharing their ideas, needs and concerns, and in which the staff collaboratively works together to seek solutions and resolutions.

Financial Management and Strategic Planning

• Advises the superintendent and Board on the financial implications of community relations management programs.
• Administers programs within approved budget parameters including allocation of staff (FTE) resources.

Program Evaluation, Analysis and Feedback

• Establishes a system of data collection and analysis that provides for continuous assessment of program effectiveness and/or changing needs.
• At least annually, conducts a comprehensive assessment review of all programs to determine their level of effectiveness and contribution to the mission of the department and to identify problem areas, areas of high success, and areas in need of change.
• Prepares structured presentations to the superintendent to share the program evaluation results.
• Plans and organizes special events to include district orientations, and recognition of schools and staff.
• Coordinates large-scale crisis communication.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

State the minimum and preferred to successfully perform the job. These are the qualifications that are necessary for someone to be considered for the position.

Minimum:

• Strong understanding and history of successful customer service and ability to establish and maintain effective relations with patrons and staff.
• Extremely effective oral and written communications and presentation skills; strong analytical ability, and the ability to prepare efficient and effective communications.
• Ability to use office technology and publishing software.
• Ability to work both independently and cooperatively.
• Work may include some evenings and weekends.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Staying current and embracing changing forms of communication and engagement.
• Valid state driver's license.

Preferred:

• Experience in a public school or non-profit environment.
• Bilingual skills preferred.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE:

• An advanced degree or certificate in a related field, preferred.
• Incumbents must have successful experience in working with culturally diverse families and communities, and/or have otherwise demonstrated a commitment to equity and strengthening engagement of a diverse community and skill in communicating with a diverse population.
• A successful track record of public relations and communications experience.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, lift, bend, carry, move about, hear and speak.
• Employee may be required to perform extensive work at a computer display terminal.
• The employee must lift and move 25 to 50 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

EVALUATION

Performance of this job will be evaluated in accordance with the Cabinet contract and Board Policy.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

This job description is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to accurately reflect the position's activities and requirements, the administration reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties and assign duties as necessary that still reflect the essential functions of the department.