Communications Manager

Reporting to Thayer’s Chief of Strategic Marketing & Communications and working collaboratively with departments across the School, the Communications Manager is responsible for effectively promoting Thayer’s name and reputation to prospective families, current parents/guardians and students, alumni and their relatives, donors, the media, and the local community.
 

The manager oversees a dedicated department that produces a wide range of internal/external print and digital communications, coordinates public and media relations, defines and maintains common editorial and graphic standards across school communications, and manages Thayer’s relationships with freelancers and vendors specializing in photography, videography, graphic design, printing, marketing, and web design/maintenance. 

Daily tasks include overseeing the School’s website (including analytics reporting and search-engine optimization efforts); editing emails, newsletters, and socials; serving as editor and writer for the Academy’s news feeds and magazines (published twice yearly); and managing the creation and production of many other publications and communications pieces, including videos, brochures, press releases, signage, invitations, and programs.

Role responsibilities

• Oversee department of four full-time staff (copywriter & editor; graphic designer; video & photo specialist; and a social media & website manager) and one part-time staff (graphic design support), managing all project loads & schedules
• Serve as a writer and editor for Thayer Magazine, a twice-annual print & digital publication sent to prospective families, current parents and guardians, alumni, friends, and other supporters
•  Edit internal & external communications for administrators & faculty across campus (everything ranging from admission emails to advancement office print & digital pieces)
• Oversee the management of Thayer’s website and communications-led micro-websites
• Oversee management of all of the Academy’s photo & video assets, including the schedules & projects assigned to our in-house visual media director and freelance photography & videography team. 
• Manage search-engine optimization efforts & regularly monitor our Google My Business account/Google Knowledge Panel & Google results, scrubbing them as needed
• Oversee tracking of the school’s Google Analytics & regularly analyze data trends over months/years to determine which pages need adjustment or tweaking & where our traffic is coming from
• Serve as the School’s social media strategist, overseeing the social media manager’s efforts on social media (primarily on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn) and the visual media director’s efforts on video channels (primarily YouTube), providing analyses on the effectiveness of posts and video collections
• Support the photography & video specialist’s efforts in sourcing new content ideas, securing student participants, creating storylines, and writing scripts for videos, as well as helping to direct video production as needed
• Work with technology and advancement offices as needed on account management and other web-related projects, such as data integrations related to our student, parent/guardian, faculty/staff, and alumni directories 
• Oversee & maintain Thayer’s relationships with a host of freelance photography, videography, graphic design, printing, marketing, and web vendors
• Oversee production of print/digital projects for advancement & admission offices, creating production schedules for each & managing each from conception to delivery of hard copies/final files
• Serve as media coordinator, building the school’s press list & overseeing distribution of press releases on major school initiatives & regular reports such as student honor roll
• Assist with the communications team's coverage of school events during the day, as well as some weekends and evenings.
   

• A bachelor’s degree in Communications or a related subject (master’s degree preferred)
• Writer/content generator with excellent oral communication skills who is comfortable interviewing everyone from a new Thayer student to senior administrators
• 5+ years’ experience in publication production, project management, graphic design, print/paper specs
• Experience in community & media relations
• Knowledge of & comfort with web content management systems, mobile apps & basic HTML code
• Experience using Adobe Suite to manage multimedia assets & design projects
• Experience developing & directing an integrated social media strategy
• Ability to work collaboratively with many different offices and constituencies throughout the school community
• Flexibility to work outside of normal business hours to oversee the department’s work related to documenting school events & coordinating media coverage

Application Information

Please click here to complete an application and upload your resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information for three to five references, including two present or past supervisors.

Equal Opportunity Act: Thayer Academy is an equal opportunity employer. The Academy complies with and adheres to all state and federal anti-discrimination laws with respect to its employment practices. Thayer Academy does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin or ancestry, age, or disability, or any other category protected under state or federal law. This policy extends to recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, assignment, working conditions, promotions, transfers, termination, re-employment, education, tuition assistance, employee treatment, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment. All employment-related decisions are made on a nondiscriminatory basis so as to further the principle of equal employment opportunity.

Americans with Disabilities Act: Thayer Academy complies with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws. This means that we will not discriminate against qualified individuals with a disability in any phase of the employment relationship including application for employment, hiring, promotions and/or advancement opportunities, termination, compensation, training, and any other conditions or privileges of employment.