Director of Marketing & Communications

CA: Director of Marketing & Communications

OPPORTUNITY The Director of Marketing and Communications will be responsible for the overall communications and marketing strategy for Green Dot Public Schools. The position will work closely with leadership to direct internal and external communications efforts with the goals of increasing student enrollment, attracting high-quality talent, maintaining strong community ties and distinguishing Green Dot as a leader in public education. The Director of Marketing and Communications will lead a team that is focused on ensuring our schools are equipped with the tools they need to tell their unique stories and execute their goals. The position reports to the Chief of Staff and serves as part of Green Dot’s central office team, based in Los Angeles.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES Student Recruitment Marketing Strategy

• Develop and implement organization-wide and school-specific marketing strategies and campaigns to support student recruitment, enrollment growth, and student retention, in partnership with school leaders, enrollment teams, and the External Affairs department.
• Develop targeted marketing plans for individual schools based on enrollment goals, local market conditions, prospective family needs, and each school's unique programs, strengths, and value proposition.
• Lead integrated recruitment campaigns across digital advertising, search, social media, email, websites, direct mail, print advertising, and community-based marketing channels to increase awareness, generate prospective-student leads, and drive enrollment.
• Partner with school leaders and enrollment teams to identify recruitment priorities, understand barriers to enrollment, and ensure marketing strategies respond to the needs of local communities.
• Oversee the development of compelling marketing materials, including school profiles, videos, testimonials, digital content, print collateral, and campaign assets that showcase Green Dot schools and encourage families to learn more and enroll.
• Establish and monitor key marketing performance indicators, including campaign reach, website traffic, lead generation, cost per lead, and conversion from inquiry to application and enrollment. Use data and analytics to evaluate effectiveness and continuously improve campaign performance.
• Manage recruitment marketing budgets and resources, prioritizing investments based on enrollment goals, campaign performance, and organizational needs. Identify and execute opportunities to increase Green Dot's visibility and make Green Dot the school of choice among prospective students, families, and other key audiences.

Communications, Public Relations & Brand Strategy

• Develop and implement communications, public relations, and marketing plans that advance Green Dot's mission, strengthen its reputation, and support student and teacher recruitment, student retention, fundraising, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement.
• Further develop Green Dot's brand identity, positioning, and key messages to distinguish the organization and its schools in the Los Angeles area and across California.
• Lead digital communications strategy across Green Dot's organizational and school websites, search engine marketing, social media, email, and other emerging channels. Leverage analytics and current marketing trends to optimize reach, engagement, and effectiveness.
• Develop and execute proactive media relations strategies to increase Green Dot's visibility and elevate its impact, including cultivating relationships with major media outlets, local television affiliates, education publications, and community-based media.
• Craft compelling media pitches, press releases, op-eds, talking points, profiles, and other communications materials. Monitor news cycles and emerging trends to identify opportunities to advance organizational priorities.
• Manage crisis communications planning and execution in collaboration with organizational leadership, following established procedures and protecting Green Dot's reputation.
• Ensure communications are clear, compelling, accessible, and consistent with Green Dot's mission, values, and strategic priorities.

Brand Assets, Creative Direction & Content Development

• Oversee the conceptualization and development of high-quality, on-brand creative assets and campaigns that support student recruitment, teacher recruitment, fundraising, organizational communications, and other strategic priorities.
• Bring strong creative judgment and marketing expertise to develop innovative concepts, compelling storytelling, and visually engaging materials that resonate with target audiences and drive intended outcomes.
• Oversee the development of newsletters, direct mail, digital and print advertising, school marketing materials, annual reports, videos, and other communications assets.
• Develop and maintain creative templates, brand guidelines, and marketing toolkits for Green Dot and individual schools to ensure consistent brand expression while allowing for school-specific messaging and local relevance.
• Copy edit and enhance programmatic, recruitment, organizational, and fundraising materials to ensure clarity, accuracy, consistency, and effectiveness.
• Continuously evaluate and improve creative approaches based on audience insights, marketing trends, and campaign performance.

Advocacy & Organizational Support

• Collaborate with the Director of Advocacy & Community Engagement and Chief of Staff to align communications and marketing efforts with organizational priorities.
• Support advocacy initiatives through strategic messaging, content development, and communications planning.
• Provide public relations and communications support for organizational initiatives, school events, and key announcements.

Team Management & Strategic Planning

• Establish a clear vision, priorities, and measurable goals for the Marketing and Communication team, with student recruitment marketing, school renewals and fundraising as the primary objectives.
• Build team capacity, clarify roles and responsibilities, and support team members in independently managing projects and delivering results.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, oversee external vendors and agency partnerships, and allocate resources to maximize impact.
• Establish efficient workflows, project management processes, and performance measures to support timely, high-quality execution.
• Monitor progress toward goals and use data and team feedback to continuously improve effectiveness.

QUALIFICATIONS

• As an ideal candidate, you
• have a minimum of five years (8 years preferred) of strategic marketing, communications, digital marketing, public relations, or related experience.
• can demonstrate success developing and executing integrated marketing campaigns, preferably with measurable results in lead generation, audience acquisition, customer or client conversion, or enrollment growth.
• have experience using marketing analytics and performance data to evaluate campaign effectiveness, inform strategy, and improve results.
• have a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• have a passion for education and a belief that every child can succeed. Experience in education or the nonprofit sector is a plus; knowledge of the Los Angeles education landscape and education reform is preferred.
• possess excellent writing, verbal communication, presentation, editing, and proofreading skills, with the ability to develop persuasive messages for diverse audiences.
• can demonstrate the ability to develop compelling brand messaging and creative assets that resonate with target audiences and advance strategic goals.
• have experience managing and developing direct reports, budgets, and external vendors, freelancers, or consultants.
• have strong project management skills, including the ability to prioritize competing demands, manage multiple campaigns, and deliver high-quality work on deadline.
• have a proven ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including school leaders and cross-functional teams.
• possess strong leadership skills, sound judgment, initiative, and a commitment to developing creative, data-informed solutions.
• can thrive in a fast-paced, data-driven nonprofit environment while balancing strategic planning with hands-on execution.
• are fluent in Spanish, both written and verbal (preferred).
• will need to pass a TB test and backg