Director of Public Relations

EL Education is a national nonprofit that partners with educators to transform K-12 schools and districts into hubs of equitable opportunity. Guided by a multi-dimensional vision of student achievement, we support all students to cultivate their unique genius and contribute to a better world. EL Education offers research-proven resources and practices, including the acclaimed EL Education K-8 Language Arts curriculum, Core Practices, and aligned professional learning. EL Education was founded in 1991 and currently serves 450,000 students in diverse communities across the country. Learn more at ELEducation.org.

OPPORTUNITY:

We are looking for a proactive and enthusiastic Director, Public Relations (PR) to design and implement strategies for cultivating our relationships with media, engaging with external stakeholders, and helping us continue to build our brand. In this role, you will collaborate closely with our business units, our Sales and Marketing, Research, and Development teams, our external communications consultants, and the rest of our talented Creative team.

Reporting to the Managing Director of Communications, the Director, Public Relations holds primary responsibility for creating and implementing proactive external communication strategies for high-impact initiatives. You will partner with senior leaders across the organization to develop and execute communication strategies, plans and materials to complement business objectives; improve public awareness and understanding of EL Education and our work; drive the organization’s relationships with and coverage in the media and protect the organization’s reputation in crisis situations.

The role also provides guidance and expertise to business units and other key internal stakeholders on high-risk or high-impact matters, particularly media relations and reputation management.

The Director, Public Relations elevates EL Education’s ideas, practices, and impact to broader audiences through masterful storytelling, compelling thought leadership, and strategic integrated communications campaign planning and implementation. From data to dialogue and from school successes to stances, the Director, Public Relations has a talent for identifying and sharing stories that resonate with diverse EL Education audiences across earned, owned, and shared media. They have a pulse on the education landscape and a knack for cultivating relationships to help EL Education influence public education nationally, inspiring communities to join us in our effort to bring educational opportunity to all students.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop and Lead Public Relations Strategy (60%):

• Develop and implement a proactive public relations strategy, building on our organizational goals and corporate communications strategy, and on your own understanding of the external communications landscape
• Collaborate with stakeholders across the organization to enhance the organization’s reputation and public image and tell the evidence-based story of our work
• Shape public perception and build relationships with external stakeholders
• Manage media relations, announcements, editorial placements and public relations budgets
• Cultivate active, ongoing relationships with members of the press
• Provide media training to stakeholders and partners
• Track campaign success and media coverage, and present reports on the effectiveness of campaigns
• Ensure brand consistency in all external communications content

Content Creation (25%):

• Craft and pitch brand stories, across a range of platforms, to promote the organization’s presence and improve engagement
• Draft press releases, holding statements, opinion pieces, and other press-facing materials
• Provide input on other external-facing content, including social media posts and campaigns, blog posts, multimedia presentations, and marketing materials.
• Develop talking points for organizational leaders and staff, as required

Crisis Communications (10%):

• Collaborate with the Managing Director of Communications, the Chief External Affairs Officer, the Executive Team, and our communications consultants to overhaul our crisis communications strategy
• Coordinate crisis communications, analyze and report on effectiveness of our crisis communications, monitor for potential and emerging public relations crises, and provide effective advice to organizational leadership in crisis situations

Be Crew (5%):

• Partner with stakeholders across the organization to support each other’s work and contribute to the broader success of EL Education.
• Foster a culture of collaborative learning and skill-building within the broader Creative Team and specifically the Communications Content and Planning team, actively engaging in knowledge-sharing to enhance expertise in PR, crisis communication, content creation, management, social media, influencer collaboration, channel management, and storytelling, while leveraging colleagues’ expertise to develop proficiency in diverse areas.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Traits & Competencies:

• Strategic Vision: A strong vision for communications strategy and how it needs to evolve and continuously improve
• Outcomes Focus: Results-oriented, and is a self-directed, active problem solver as challenges arise. Demonstrated success in setting and meeting ambitious communication goals.
• Equity Leadership: Possesses an awareness, and self-awareness, of the impact of power and the importance of equity in education and in the workplace; actively centers equity considerations in actions and decisions
• Project Management: Able to get things done efficiently and well. Skilled at establishing structures to get work done, and able to stick to process and drive others to move through process in a disciplined way, while also possessing the judgment to adapt and be flexible as the situation merits without compromising on non-negotiables.
• Influencing Skills: Builds strong relationships and motivates and influences others across levels and identities
• Learning Agility: Orientation to continue learning and improving in one’s own practice, and to stay attuned to opportunities to strengthen and improve the function
• Integrity: Strong professional integrity and judgment regarding sensitive information

Skills and Experience:

• 7+ years of experience leading external communications strategies in a corporate or nonprofit environment
• Excellent communication skills: experienced storyteller with exceptionally strong writing and editing skills, as well as the ability to adapt to diverse audiences and communications channels.
• A strong track record of building and managing relationships with press, as well as executing effective crisis communications
• Knowledge of analytics and ability to use them to measure success and drive strategy
• Experience collaborating and managing projects across an organization, soliciting input and organizing next steps with transparency and a shared understanding of goals
• Experience working in K-12 education is preferred; familiarity with issues impacting public education is required.
• Bachelor or advanced degree preferred

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

The starting salary range for this position is $91,000 to $124,000. We offer a wide variety of benefits, including paid time off, 403b match, paid parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, and more.

This position is remote with up to 25% domestic travel. The ability to work primarily on East Coast time is preferred, with some necessary flexibility to handle press issues that may occasionally fall outside of those hours.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for employment, absent an approved medical or religious accommodation.