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Senior Manager of Public Relations & Communications

Foundation Academies

Schedule

Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:15pm

Salary

$68,000–$92,000

What is the opportunity?
This is not a mid-level communications role. This is a senior leadership position for a strategic executor, master storyteller, and trusted public voice who will work directly with our Chief Advancement Officer to elevate and protect the reputation, vision, and impact of Foundation Academies. You will be responsible for owning and executing high-stakes campaigns that reach donors, press, policymakers, and community members while also crafting messaging that builds deep internal trust with staff and families. We’re seeking someone who understands that education is not just a pathway, it’s a form of activism. Someone who can bring our equity-centered mission to life across every communication channel and stakeholder interaction. If you are fluent in media strategy, bold in vision, and passionate about using words to change systems; grow with us.

Why Join Us?

  • Competitive, merit-based compensation and annual raises
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 403(b) retirement plan with 25% match
  • Financial wellness advising
  • Optional short- and long-term disability insurance
  • 10 sick days and 3 personal days (rollover annually)
  • 20 paid holidays
  • Smartphone and paid T-Mobile plan
  • Windows laptop provided
  • Regular team-building activities and professional development
  • A career that directly transforms the lives of young people

 

What will you be doing?

Strategic Messaging & Vision Alignment

  • Own and implement a bold, values-driven PR and communications strategy aligned with our mission and long-term vision.
  • Develop talking points, keynote presentations, executive briefings, and press materials that elevate our leadership and inspire action.
  • Serve as the primary communications partner to the Chief Advancement Officer and internal stakeholders.

Campaign Development & Management

  • Lead organization-wide communications campaigns that drive educator recruitment, donor engagement, community trust, and internal alignment.
  • Identify and analyze target audiences, pinpoint their daily behaviors and frequented locations, and strategically reach them through multi-channel marketing tactics including print materials, flyers in community hubs, billboards, radio spots, and other localized outreach methods.
  • Secure a steady flow of earned media opportunities through targeted articles, podcast interviews, TV spots, and speaking engagements for leadership 
  • Manage communications calendars and cross-functional coordination with the Talent, Development, and School teams.
  • Measure, analyze, and report on campaign performance and engagement metrics, adjusting strategy as needed.

Media, Crisis, & Public Relations

  • Cultivate high-trust relationships with local and regional media; proactively pitch stories and respond to press inquiries.
  • Manage public-facing messaging during high-stakes or crisis situations, balancing transparency, legal compliance, and community care.
  • Maintain a live media contact database and track earned media placements and sentiment.

Content Creation & Editorial Oversight

  • Write and edit high-quality content including newsletters, op-eds, press releases, donor stories, internal memos, and speeches.
  • Guide visual storytelling by partnering with the Content Creator on videos, graphics, and photography that reflect the lived experience of our school community.
  • Uphold and evolve brand voice and messaging guidelines across platforms.

Organizational Leadership & Culture

  • Model strong emotional intelligence and inclusive communication in all leadership spaces.
  • Support professional development efforts around communications and narrative-building.
  • Contribute to school-wide events and serve as a strategic ambassador for our values and mission.

What You Bring?

  • 7+ years of experience in strategic communications, PR, media relations, or public affairs, preferably in mission-driven, education, nonprofit, or advocacy spaces.
  • Strong experience crafting and executing PR strategy, crisis communication, and cross-functional messaging.
  • A demonstrated ability to lead initiatives and shape organizational voice across executive, public, and grassroots audiences.
  • Hands-on expertise with communication tools (Google Suite, Canva, Constant Contact, Meta, Google Ads, Google Analytics).
  • A compelling writing portfolio that showcases storytelling across formats and platforms.
  • Fluency in issues of racial equity, social justice, and culturally responsive communication.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field (or equivalent)
  • Master’s degree in Strategic Communications, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, Education Leadership, or another relevant discipline preferred.
  • Spanish or other language fluency is a plus.



Who We Are?

We are an innovative, mission-driven school dedicated to nurturing independence, ingenuity, empathy, and leadership in every child. Through enrichment programming, agile learning, and exceptional instruction, we empower our students to thrive and we're scaling our impact.

Now, we’re searching for a Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communications, a bold, visionary communicator and connector, to serve as the right-hand partner to our Chief Advancement Officer and take our advancement strategy to the next level.

What do we require from you?

  • Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
  • Experience in education or nonprofit sectors is a strong plus
  • Candidates must complete criminal clearance (fingerprinting), submit official transcripts, and pass TB/Mantoux screening

Ready to Lead and Build?

If you're a high-performing communicator with a passion for strategy, storytelling, and stakeholder engagement and you're ready to partner with visionary leadership to expand our mission we want to hear from you.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: 

Foundation Academies is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We want to have the best available persons in every job. Foundation Academies prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, gender, gender identity, religion, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, genetic information, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. All such discrimination is unlawful and prohibited by Foundation Academies. It is also our policy to comply with all applicable state and federal laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.

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