Director of Communications

The Education Trust–West seeks a Director of Communications to advance the organization’s ambitious agenda to expose and eradicate injustices and inequities in California schools, colleges, and systems of education. Managing the Communications Department and reporting directly to the Executive Director, the Director of Communications will work alongside Ed Trust–West’s P-12 and higher education research, policy, and practice teams to develop and execute communications strategies that advance the organization’s advocacy goals.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Education Trust–West works for educational justice and the high academic achievement of all students at all levels, pre-K through college. We expose educational injustices and inequities that separate students of color, English learners, and low-income students from their peers, and we identify and advocate for the strategies that will forever close equity gaps. We work alongside P-12 schools, districts and institutions of higher education to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies intended to reduce and eliminate racial equity gaps. We use lessons learned in these efforts, together with unflinching data analysis, to drive a state and national conversation about how schools, from pre-kindergarten to universities, can better serve students of color, English learners, and low-income students. To learn more, please visit www.edtrustwest.org.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director of Communications’ responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Organizational Leadership and Management

• Collaborate across teams and with leaders to oversee and develop the editing and design process of ETW external materials in print, digital, and live mediums – including reports and associated collateral, opinion pieces, blogs, press releases, official statements, and external presentations
• Supervise Communications team members (1-3 people) as well as external contractors
• Provide media and communications training and support to key ETW staff and partners

Strategic Communications

• Develop and implement short- and long-term multi-platform communications plans aligned with the ETW’s brand as part of advocacy campaigns
• Oversee the organization’s social and digital media strategy, and leverage multi-media platforms to maximize the impact of our advocacy efforts
• Develop and implement metrics to track the level of engagement of ETW’s network and to test the effectiveness of communications activities
• Ensure ETW brand identity and ETW voice through writing and editing a variety of materials
• Review written pieces from other teams and edit for clarity and brand alignment
• Contribute to grant reports and foundation proposals

Relationships with Media

• Build and nurture relationships with journalists, opinion leaders, and a broad range of education stakeholders to help advance the mission and efforts of the organization
• Oversee the development and placement of news stories, op-eds, press statements, in key print and online media outlets to increase ETW’s visibility as a leader in the educational justice movement

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• At least 8 of experience in communications in an education policy, political, or advocacy setting
• Undergraduate degree required, Master’s degree in related field preferred
• Experience managing staff to their full potential
• Robust racial justice lens
• Demonstrated ability to plan effectively but maintain flexibility to handle the unexpected and to juggle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment

• Outstanding writing/editing and verbal communications skills
• Diplomatic communication and strong presentation ability

• Exceptional organizational skills with an eye for detail

• Strong computer skills; proficient or advanced skills in Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), high level of comfort with social media and related software
• Fluency in writing and speaking in Spanish is a plus

COMPENSATION

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications.  The Education Trust-West offers a comprehensive benefits package.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please provide an engaging cover letter, resume, and two previously written writing samples, similar to an ETW product to be considered for this position. Priority deadline is September 16th. Applications will still be considered after this date.

In the file name, please write the name of the position you are applying for and your last name: e.g. “DirectorOfCommunications_Salazar”

http://bit.ly/ETWDirectorOfCommunications

The Education Trust–West is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.