Dexter Southfield is an independent day school where boys and girls in Pre-K through Class 12 develop their individual talents and build an ethical foundation for life. Students learn to lead and serve with character, confidence, and compassion. Our 36-acre campus is located on the Brookline-Boston line, just minutes from the city’s best museums, libraries, hospitals, performing arts venues, colleges, and universities—all of which serve as an extension of our classrooms. At Dexter Southfield, we approach everything we do with enthusiasm and commitment, living by our school’s motto: “Our Best Today, Better Tomorrow.” To learn more about the School, please visit www.dextersouthfield.org
The Team
The External Relations team is made up of talented professionals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to customer service, excellence, and an unrelenting desire to surpass expectations. With polish, expertise, and humility, the External Relations team collaborates with and serves as a liaison to the Head of School, Board of Trustees, parents, alumni, volunteers, students, and faculty. If you enjoy a fast-paced environment surrounded by positive teammates with an entrepreneurial spirit and strong sense of initiative, this full-time position may be your next career opportunity.
The Candidate
The successful candidate will be an experienced and strategic marketing and communications professional with proven success in building strong external relations, programs, and initiatives. You are a highly productive self-starter with excellent strategic, analytical, relationship-building, leadership, communications, and diplomacy skills. You are flexible and resilient, able to adapt to an ever-changing landscape, and pitch in whenever and wherever needed. Your strong writing and editing skills, along with a sharp attention to detail and creativity, are your trademark. You are a proven leader who can successfully launch new initiatives while tackling competing priorities with integrity, humor, and sound judgment. An excellent teammate, you enjoy mentoring others and helping your staff grow their careers and take on new challenges.
Responsibilities
Collaborate with the Director of External Relations and other administrators to initiate, create, and execute integrated marketing and communications strategies and plans to position Dexter Southfield as the pre-eminent PreK-Class 12 independent school in Greater Boston
Build strong relationships with key internal stakeholders, including but not limited to Admissions, Advancement, Athletics, Campus Programs, College Counseling, division heads, and summer camps and auxiliary programs to develop marketing and communications strategies and plans
Partner with the Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management to lead strategic marketing efforts to attract new students and retain existing students
With the Director of External Relations, lead strategic marketing efforts associated with fundraising, including (but not limited to) capital efforts, Dexter Southfield Fund, and other initiatives as needed
Serve on the School’s crisis management team to lead and execute team’s communications strategies
Develop consistent branding and messaging, and photography for internal and external communications, including cross-School written and digital templates, and campus signage and imagery
Ensure accuracy, professionalism, and adherence to School standards (e.g., style, logos, etc.) for all School communications and marketing vehicles (internal and external)
Create strategic content and manage the Dexter Southfield website and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.), creating strategic communications plans for each, in collaboration with stakeholders.
Oversee all print publications and content, including the Dexter Southfield magazine
Remain current in emerging technologies and recommend tools to best support the School’s communications output and efficacy
Cultivate and maintain strong working relationships with all vendors (e.g., website developers, graphic designers, videographers, and photographers) and continually assess quality and ROI of each vendor.
Manage relationships with media personnel and advise the School on media coverage, where appropriate
Lead, manage, and mentor a team of 3 marketing and communications professionals
Model a service-oriented culture among Marketing and Communications team
Manage the budget and oversight of school publications including viewbook, Annual Report, magazine/Program update (see above)
Serve as a ghostwriter for key campus administrators
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, and/or equivalent work experience; advanced degree preferred
At least five years of full-time senior-level experience leading, managing, and mentoring teams of direct and indirect reports, volunteers, and trustees
Proven success building cross-institutional, collaborative partnerships
Demonstrated ability to initiate, drive, and sustain creativity and process to meet goals
Proven success initiating and directing efforts to improve programmatic and organizational output
Ability to manage resources and pivot strategies to best serve the team and organization
Demonstrated success working independently and leading a team
Effective communication and processing skills (oral, written, non-verbal)
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with various stakeholders
Ability to plan, organize, develop, and follow plans and instructions
Commitment to create and contribute to an engaging and inclusive workplace
Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing work priorities, schedules, and needs
Dexter Southfield promotes a culture of excellence that extends beyond academics, athletics, and the arts. The School offers a culture in which employees feel valued, respected, and are rewarded with a generous employee benefit package.
