Director of Communications & Advancement

Description Working at GISB means being part of a school community where every role actively contributes to the overall experience of our students and families. As a private, mission-driven institution, we place a strong emphasis on academic excellence, community, and relationships, with the goal of creating a school where students and families choose to join us and remain with us throughout their educational journey. We value colleagues who take initiative, collaborate across teams, and engage with the life of the school. This can take many forms, from participating in events and supporting school development to contributing ideas and experiences that strengthen our community. The Director of Communications & Advancement serves as a key leader within the administrative team, responsible for the strategic growth and long-term sustainability of the School through communications, marketing, brand management, advancement, fundraising, donor engagement, and community outreach, with a strong focus on supporting the recruitment and retention of families. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role that combines strategic planning with day-to-day execution. The Director develops and implements the School’s communications, marketing, and advancement strategies while actively writing communications, creating campaigns and content, strengthening the School’s brand and visibility, and supporting fundraising and donor engagement. Working closely with the Head of Administration, Head of School, and Director of Enrollment Management & Alumni Relations, the Director ensures that communications and advancement efforts support the School’s strategic priorities, strengthen community engagement, and contribute directly to family recruitment and retention and long-term sustainability. The Director supervises the Marketing & Design Coordinator and leads the School’s communications and advancement functions. This role requires a creative, relationship-driven leader who can move easily between strategy and execution, tell the School’s story effectively, build strong relationships, and actively engage with families, donors, alumni, and the broader Greater Boston community. Responsibilities: Communications & Digital Strategy Develop, implement, and continuously improve the school's communication strategy, standards, and workflows to ensure clear, timely, consistent, and mission-aligned communication across the organization. Create, write, edit, and publish internal and external communications, including newsletters, publications, website content, press releases, executive communications, and crisis communications. Lead the implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of school-wide communication platforms and systems, including ParentSquare and future communication technologies. Implement and maintain the GISB Communication Handbook, communication standards, templates, and best practices across the School. Partner with school leaders and departments to improve communication workflows, responsiveness, and the overall family communication experience. Coordinate the school's communication and stakeholder feedback surveys in collaboration with the Head of Administration and the Director of Enrollment Management & Alumni Relations, including annual satisfaction surveys, Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys, new family surveys, exit surveys, and other feedback initiatives. Analyze results and implement communication improvements that strengthen transparency, consistency, responsiveness, and community trust. Develop and maintain relationships with media outlets, journalists, and other media contacts throughout Greater Boston and beyond to increase the School’s visibility and generate positive media coverage. Marketing, Creative Services & Content Development Develop and implement integrated marketing campaigns that strengthen the school's visibility, reputation, and enrollment efforts. Create and manage content across digital and print platforms, including photography, videography, publications, advertising, presentations, brochures, and other marketing materials. Actively capture, write, edit, and publish authentic stories that showcase students, faculty, programs, and community life. Maintain the school's photography, video, and digital asset library for ongoing marketing and communication needs. Plan and execute major branding initiatives, website enhancements, anniversary campaigns, and other strategic communication projects. Advancement & Donor Relations Build and maintain relationships with the German-American community, local and international businesses, corporate partners and potential sponsors, foundations, cultural organizations, chambers of commerce, consulates, alumni, donors, and other community partners to strengthen the School’s visibility, advancement, and fundraising efforts Implement advancement and fundraising initiatives in collaboration with the Board of Trustees. Coordinate the day-to-day administration of the school's annual giving, sponsorship, and fundraising activities. Prepare donor communications, campaign materials, acknowledgements, and impact stories that strengthen relationships with supporters. Manage donor records, gift acknowledgements, donation receipts, and other advancement documentation in a timely and professional manner. Support donor stewardship by coordinating thank-you communications, recognition initiatives, and ongoing engagement with donors and sponsors. Assist with the planning, promotion, and execution of fundraising campaigns, sponsorship initiatives, donor events, and other advancement activities. Collaborate with school leadership and the Board to implement advancement priorities and ensure consistent, high-quality communication with donors, sponsors, and community partners. Strategic Communications & Institutional Development Partner with the Head of School, Head of Administration, and other school leaders to develop and implement communication strategies supporting institutional priorities. Collaborate closely with the Director of Enrollment Management & Alumni Relations to develop and execute enrollment communication and marketing initiatives. Create communication plans for major school initiatives, organizational changes, and strategic projects. Research emerging communication trends, technologies, and best practices and implement innovative ideas that strengthen the school's visibility and effectiveness. Leadership & Team Collaboration Supervise and support the Marketing & Design Coordinator, providing guidance, coordination, and mentorship while actively contributing to the team's day-to-day work. Work collaboratively with faculty, staff, administrators, volunteers, and external vendors to deliver high-quality communication, marketing, and advancement initiatives. Manage multiple concurrent projects, priorities, and deadlines in a dynamic school environment while maintaining a high standard of quality and responsiveness. Foster a collaborative, creative, and service-oriented culture that encourages initiative, innovation, and continuous improvement. The salary range for this position is $95,000 - $105,000. Requirements Must-haves Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing or a related field. 5+ years of progressive experience in communications, marketing, public relations, advancement, or a related field, preferably in an independent school, nonprofit, or mission-driven organization. Demonstrated experience developing and implementing communication, marketing, and brand initiatives across multiple channels. Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills with the ability to create engaging communications for diverse audiences. Experience managing digital communications, websites, newsletters, social media, and marketing campaigns. Experience managing multiple strategic projects simultaneously while maintaining exceptional attention to detail. Strong relationship-building, organizational, and project management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with external partners. Professional working proficiency in both English and German, with excellent written and verbal communication skills in both languages. Strong technology skills, including experience with content management systems, email communication platforms, design software, and digital collaboration tools. Nice-to-Haves Experience in an independent school or nonprofit organization. Experience with fundraising, donor stewardship, sponsorships, or institutional advancement. Experience implementing communication platforms (such as ParentSquare), CRM systems, or other communication technologies. Photography, videography, or graphic design experience. Experience working with international or bilingual communities. #J-18808-Ljbffr German International School Boston