Summary
Description
APPLY ONLINE AT WPS.ORG
Minimum Salary: $107,938 per year
Salary commensurate based on education and experience
SUMMARY: The Director of Communications leads a planned, systematic, and two-way communications program that builds trust, strengthens engagement, and advances student success across Westminster Public Schools. The Director works with a communications team of four and serves as a senior communications advisor to the Superintendent, district leadership, and school site administrators. This role is responsible for shaping and stewarding the district’s narrative; ensuring clear, consistent, culturally responsive, and accessible communication; and strengthening public understanding of the district’s vision, priorities, and impact. The Director leads districtwide brand management, media and public relations, internal communications, digital and social media strategy, crisis and issues response, and enrollment and recruitment communications.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
*Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, or a related field.
*Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public relations, or marketing.
*Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic communications plans.
*Strong writing, editing, storytelling, and message-development skills across platforms.
*Experience serving as a media spokesperson or public-facing communications leader.
*Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond effectively in fast-paced and high-pressure situations preferred.
*Experience in K–12 education, higher education, nonprofit, or public-sector communications preferred.
*Experience working in diverse, multilingual communities preferred.
*Skills in video production, graphic design, analytics, or visual storytelling.
*English language skills.
*Strategic Thinking & Planning
*Equity-Centered and Culturally Responsive Communication
*Collaborative Leadership & Relationship Building
*Crisis & Issues Management
*Institutional Storytelling & Brand Stewardship
*Recruitment & Engagement Strategy
*Data-Informed Decision Making
*Project & Workflow Management
*Creativity, Innovation, & Professional Ethics
*Occasional evenings and weekends for events, meetings, or urgent communications.
*Fast-paced environment requiring flexibility, discretion, and responsiveness.
*On-call availability for emergency or crisis communications.
*Promotes and follow Board of Education policies, Superintendent policies and building and department procedures.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategic Communications Leadership & Planning
A. Develop, implement, and continuously refine a comprehensive district communications strategy aligned to the WPS Destination 2030 strategic plan, using research, stakeholder feedback, and data to inform priorities and decisions.
B. Serve as a senior advisor to the Superintendent and executive leadership on communication strategy, reputational considerations, and public perception related to district initiatives and decisions.
C. Establish annual communication goals, success indicators, and evaluation measures to assess impact and guide continuous improvement.
D. Ensure communications practices reflect professional public relations standards, ethical guidelines, accuracy, and confidentiality.
Brand Stewardship, Reputation, & District Narrative
A. Leads stewardship of the district brand and narrative to ensure messaging is consistent, inclusive, and aligned with Destination 2030 priorities, including academic excellence, PWR pathways, equity, and innovation.
B. Strengthen the district’s visibility and reputation locally and regionally through strategic storytelling, proactive media engagement, and clear public messaging.
C. Monitor emerging issues, misinformation, and community sentiment and advise leadership on proactive strategies to maintain public trust and transparency.
Recruitment, Enrollment, & Engagement Communications
A. Assists in districtwide family and student recruitment communications in a competitive choice environment, including targeted campaigns that highlight school identity, pathway offerings, and unique programs.
B. Design enrollment and recruitment marketing strategies that are culturally responsive, accessible, and reflective of the district’s diverse community.
C. Balance recruitment messaging with transparency, trust-building, and clarity about district priorities and expectations.
Equitable, Inclusive, & Multilingual Communications
A. Ensure district communications are accessible, culturally responsive, and available in languages reflective of the community.
B. Establish and manage translation and interpretation workflows that support meaningful family engagement and understanding.
C. Partner with schools and departments to reduce communication barriers for multilingual families and historically underserved communities.
D. Design engagement strategies that prioritize listening, feedback, and two-way communication—not just information dissemination.
District & School Collaboration
A. Partner with school leaders to strengthen the quality, consistency, and effectiveness of school-based communications, particularly related to family engagement, recruitment, and program promotion.
B. Provide coaching, tools, templates, and guidance to principals and school teams to build communication capacity across the system.
C. Collaborate with district departments—including Advancement, Academics, Future Center, Human Resources, Safety & Security, and Operations—to ensure aligned messaging and coordinated communication strategies.
Institutional Storytelling & Content Strategy
A. Leads the creation of compelling, high-quality content—including stories, videos, photography, newsletters, and digital campaigns—that authentically reflect student learning, staff excellence, and community partnerships.
B. Oversee district and school websites, social media platforms, and print materials to ensure consistency, accessibility, and alignment with strategic priorities.
C. Use analytics and audience insights to continuously improve reach, engagement, and effectiveness.
Media Relations & Public Affairs
A. Serve as the district’s primary media spokesperson or coordinate designated spokespeople.
B. Build and maintain strong relationships with local and regional media to support proactive storytelling and accurate representation of the district.
C. Prepare press releases, media advisories, public statements, executive talking points, and briefing materials.
D. Support district and school leaders in preparation for interviews, public presentations, and community events.
Internal Communications & Change Management
A. Design and manage internal communication systems that ensure timely, clear, and relevant information for staff across the district.
C. Develop Superintendent communications, staff newsletters, internal briefings, and talking points aligned with district priorities and change initiatives.
D. Support effective change-management communication for major district initiatives, ensuring staff understanding and alignment.
Crisis & Emergency Communications
A. Assists in crisis and emergency communication planning and execution in collaboration with Safety & Security, legal counsel, and district leadership.
B. Maintain crisis communication plans, message maps, templates, and rapid-response protocols.
C. Provide timely, accurate, and transparent communication during emergencies or high-stakes situations.
D. Conduct after-action reviews to strengthen readiness and continuous improvement.
Leadership & Team Management
A. Establish clear workflows, editorial calendars, priorities, and quality standards for all communications.
B. Foster a collaborative, innovative, and service-oriented team culture focused on continuous learning and improvement.
Westminster Public Schools is an Equal Opportunity Employer. District policy prohibits discrimination against any applicant on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, age, or disability, or other legally protected characteristics. Westminster Public Schools is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs and activities. To request reasonable accommodation or to address matters of discrimination, please contact the Chief of Staff, 6933 Raleigh Street, Westminster, CO 80030, phone: (303) 428-3511, email: CivilPrograms@wps.org. Although the position is based at a school/department, the employer is Westminster Public Schools.
