Director of Strategic Communications

Overview

Position:
Director of Strategic Communications

Position Status: Active

FTE: 100%

Report to: Head of School

Department: Administrative

Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes

EEO Category: 5. Administrative Supportive Workers

Pay Category: Non-Exempt

Pay Range: $147, 000 - $220,000 commensurate with experience

Pay Rate: Annual

Pay

Schedule:

Semi-monthly

The Opportunity

San Francisco Day School seeks an experienced, strategic, and mission-driven Director of Strategic Communications to lead all aspects of institutional communications and marketing. Reporting directly to the Head of School and serving as a member of the senior leadership team, the Director shapes and executes a comprehensive communications strategy that advances the school’s mission, strengthens its reputation, and supports enrollment, advancement, and community engagement goals.

The Director provides strategic leadership and hands-on execution across internal and external communications, brand management, digital and print storytelling, media relations, and crisis communications. This role oversees a small communications team and works in close partnership with Admissions, Advancement, and academic and administrative leaders to ensure clear, consistent, and compelling messaging across all platforms.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative, creative, and highly trusted communications leader who thrives in a dynamic K–8 independent school environment.

Position Overview

The Director of Strategic Communications is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating an integrated communications and marketing strategy that aligns with institutional priorities and reflects San Francisco Day School’s values and culture. The Director serves as a key advisor to the Head of School on messaging, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement, and exercises primary authority over the school’s brand, voice, and communications standards.

Together, the Director of Strategic Communications and Storytelling & Brand Media Strategist form the school’s core communications leadership partnership — uniting institutional strategy with daily narrative practice to ensure the school’s voice is coherent, human, and mission aligned.

Together, the Director of Strategic Communications and Storytelling & Brand Media Strategist ensure that strategy and storytelling reinforce each other - so the school’s message is not only consistent, but meaningful, human, and trusted.

Strategic Leadership & Planning

• Develop and lead a comprehensive, multi-channel communications and marketing strategy that advances the school’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Serve as the institutional steward of the SF Day School brand, ensuring consistency of voice, visual identity, and messaging across all platforms and materials.
• Establish priorities, workflows, and editorial calendars with Storytelling & Brand Media Strategist to align communications efforts with school-wide goals and ensure completion of projects and deliverables.
• Use data, analytics, and benchmarking to assess effectiveness and continuously improve communications impact.
• Oversee all internal and external communications, including campus-wide messaging, publications, digital content, and social media. Institutionalize classroom newsletters/divisional communications so there is a cohesive and predictable cadence and that the content is vision and values aligned.
• Lead executive-level communications, including announcements, speeches, talking points, and institutional publications for the Head of School and senior leadership.
• Direct the creation of compelling storytelling that highlights the school’s people, programs, and values.

Media Relations & Crisis Communications

• Serve as the school’s primary spokesperson for media and public communications, in coordination with the Head of School.
• Develop, maintain, and implement crisis communications plans; provide guidance and support to senior leaders during critical incidents and institutional change.
• Manage media relations, press inquiries, and proactive outreach as appropriate.

Digital Presence & Marketing

• Lead strategy and oversight for the school’s digital ecosystem,…