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Holton-Arms School · 4 days ago

Assistant Director of Communications

Bethesda, MD

Full-time

Onsite

Lead/Staff, Director/Executive

$85K/yr - $90K/yr

5+ years exp

Holton-Arms School seeks an Assistant Director of Communications who will serve as the second-in-command and a critical partner to the Director of Communications. This individual helps tell Holton’s story and elevate the School’s brand by managing editorial, project management, and multimedia functions.

Education Management

Comp. & Benefits

Hiring Manager

Haley Guay

Responsibilities

Partners with the Director of Communications and Head of School to ensure consistent messaging and brand storytelling across all divisions and departments

Collaborates with internal contributors and external partners to align all publications with Holton’s strategic messaging and tone of voice

Serves as managing editor of the school magazine, owning the full production cycle, including story planning, writing, editing, design, and production

Responsible for coordinating with vendors, developing the production timeline, and co-managing the vendor relationship for magazine printing

Identifies and produces mission-centered stories that highlight student and faculty excellence, community milestones, and the Holton spirit

Writes, edits, and proofreads a range of communications (website content, print materials, speeches, community messages, donor and alumnae features)

Works with the Brand and Design Lead on magazine layout and creative for marketing materials and print advertising

Serves as final reviewer for high-level emails and reviews and approves designs when the Director of Communications is unavailable

Works with the Director and Brand and Design Lead on contracted photography for school portraits, athletics, arts, and school events

Schedules freelance photographers for events the team will not cover

Coordinates with freelance videographers as needed, managing shoots and video production. Reviews videos, provides edit suggestions, and posts final videos to Vimeo and YouTube

Works with the divisions to schedule student and faculty participants for both photo and video shoots

Captures photos and short-form video content as needed to support daily storytelling

Responsible for all marketing landing pages. Maintains the vision of the site user experience as a whole, especially through the lens of prospective families

Manages the GA4 dashboard and analytics oversight. Uses analytics dashboards to review and evaluate website efficacy and update strategies as needed. Provide regular insights and recommendations to improve engagement and conversion

Oversees social media strategy and calendar; flags any concerns for the Director of Communications

Collaborates with Admissions, Advancement, and other departments to align digital communications with institutional priorities

Serves as the acting Director of Communications when needed, ensuring continuity of communications leadership

Works with the Director to develop, implement, and manage streamlined systems and processes to effectively receive, prioritize, and fulfill communication support requests from departments and divisions, ensuring their needs are met in a timely and consistent manner

Drafts or reviews internal and external communications during urgent or sensitive situations. Proofs and reviews crisis comms with the Director of Communications

Oversees and maintains the integrity of communication databases used for distributing community-wide emails and newsletters, including managing data synchronization and integration with other organizational systems to ensure accurate and reliable distribution lists

Works with the Director of Communications on managing media requests, media pitching, and media relationships

Qualification

Project ManagementWeb Analytics (GA4)StorytellingJudgmentCommunicationCollaboration

Required

Education: Bachelor's degree

Experience: 5–7 years of progressive experience in communications, marketing, or project management – preferably in education, nonprofit, or mission-driven settings. Proven success managing multi-platform communications projects, publications, and digital campaigns from concept to completion

Project Management & Organization: Exceptional project management skills, with the ability to establish priorities, multitask, and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Possesses superior organizational skills and close attention to details

Communication & Collaboration: Exceptional people management and communications skills (written and verbal). Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams

Judgment & Autonomy: Can work independently, coordinate projects, and make sound judgment calls in the absence of the Director

Storytelling & Media: Creative mindset with a passion for storytelling and connecting with audiences. Experience and familiarity working with the media

Writing, Editing, & Proofreading: Exceptional writing, copyediting, and proofreading skills. Proven experience managing print production, vendor relationships, web analytics (GA4), and project management systems