Director of Marketing & Communications

Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) seeks a strategic, mission-driven Director of Marketing and Communications to lead and execute a comprehensive, integrated marketing and communications strategy. This position plays a key leadership role in advancing the visibility, reputation, and enrollment of SHA while supporting fundraising and community engagement. As a member of the Administrative Team, the Director reports to the Chief Advancement Officer and works closely with the Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster, Household Deans and key departments to deliver consistent, compelling messaging and dynamic storytelling that reflects our Catholic Classical identity. The ideal candidate is a practicing Catholic with strong creative, organizational, and leadership skills and a passion for faith-based education. Primary Responsibilities:

Maximize public awareness of Sacred Heart Academy and its mission through a single, clear voice that establishes brand identity.

Identify strategies for building and enhancing the academy’s reputation in the community, including external partners and other private schools.

Connect with various constituencies to support overall communications objectives. Specifically, this includes the Headmaster,

Assistant Headmaster, Deans of Households, Director of Strategic Advancement, PTC President, Alumni and Athletic Directors.

Set priorities and strategies for communications, marketing, and events planning; collaborate with staff and volunteers on implementation, and ensure deadlines are met with quality, consistency, and accuracy.

Lead the planning, creation, design, production, and distribution of all Academy communications across print, digital, web, social media, and video while ensuring consistent messaging and brand standards.

Manage budget for general marketing and design work.

Remain current with industry best practices; assess communications efforts of other private and public schools.

Websites & Database management; Create, edit, and update content for the academy website, demonstrating a high level of familiarity with WordPress and CMS platforms

Create and disseminate Alumni newsletter quarterly, in conjunction with Chief Advancement Officer.

Coordinate the creation of photography and video content for use on the website, social media, and in academy communications as needed.

Assist with digital communications using Google Workspace (Docs, Drive, Sheets, Calendar, etc.) and maintain organized digital files and content calendars. Qualifications:

Commitment to the mission of Catholic, classical education and enthusiasm for working in a Christ-centered environment.

Bachelor’s degree in (and/or at least 5 years of experience in) communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or a related field.

Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to adapt tone for different audiences (students, parents, alumni, benefactors, media).

Demonstrated experience developing and executing integrated communications and marketing strategies across print and digital platforms.

Proficiency with content management systems, email marketing platforms, social media tools, and basic design software; familiarity with CRM or advancement systems is a plus.

Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines with attention to detail.

Collaborative leadership style with the ability to build positive relationships with colleagues, faculty, students, parents, and alumni.

High level of discretion, judgment, and professionalism in handling confidential information. Director of Marketing & Communications will work to achieve within the first year:

In collaboration with the Chief Advancement Officer, design strategies and implement actionable marketing plans that support the Academy’s recruitment and development objectives, including fundraising campaigns.

Update and disseminate Communication plan campus wide.

Research and implement a system for tracking and reporting on key communications metrics as it applies to fundraising initiatives.

Create and disperse consistent style standards, and brand standards and communicate these with employees to create brand consistency in print, digital and apparel.

Increase Academy newsletter open rates and engagement through re-design and improved content strategy, while also designing engaging graphics, flyers, and posters for academy events (athletics, theater, choir etc)

Increase audience engagement, follower growth, and mission-focused storytelling across social media channels, with an emphasis on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube etc.

Collaborate with academy staff and extracurricular leads to ensure content is accurate, timely, and mission-focused This is a regular full-time salaried exempt position with a work location at Sacred Heart Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This position is eligible for time off, health insurance benefits, and retirement benefits. How to apply: Please submit to Amber Hiske, Chief Advancement Officer, at ahiske@shgr.org:

Cover Letter

Resume

Three Professional References

Salary Requirements