Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

Uncommon Schools (Uncommon) is seeking a Senior Director of Media and Public Relations to own the vision for and lead the execution of a comprehensive media and public relations strategy to drive brand awareness and communicate effectively with current and potential stakeholder groups (e.g., parents, students, staff, supporters). 

The Senior Director will reflect Uncommon’s mission and core belief in educational equity as they act as lead spokesperson and implement a consistent messaging plan to promote and enhance visibility of the organization.  Working in collaboration with marketing, this role will mine and source inspirational content about Uncommon and then work to ensure those stories are told in national and local media, including earned, social and paid editorial.

This position requires successful and ongoing collaboration across a range of internal and external partners and stakeholders. Strong candidates will be seasoned professionals with expertise in public relations and/or media relations, public affairs, and are skilled strategists, influencers, communicators and relationship-builders. The role reports to the Chief External Officer (CExO) on Uncommon’s Executive Team and is a member of the External Teams Group.

Lead development and implementation of a cohesive media and public relations strategy

• Craft media strategy to share our story externally, identifying key moments in time for creative storytelling opportunities to promote brand awareness.
• Create key messages and aligned communications across digital and other channels based on the organization’s mission and strategic priorities. 
• Identify the right media channels and communications outlets to effectively reach our target audiences.
• Plan and execute media relations initiatives, such as news releases, media pitches, media requests, organizational statements, messaging guidance and op-eds, conferences, and leadership interviews. 
• Institute and monitor ongoing KPIs and OKRs to evaluate effectiveness of media and public relations initiatives. 
• Cultivate and manage relationships with reporters/journalists, media channels, and other key external stakeholders. 
• Manage or leverage expertise of and relationships with external public relations consultants, as needed.
• Oversee the annual media and public relations budgeting process, identifying and securing needed resources and ensuring cost-effective strategies for optimal utilization.

Oversee the creation of compelling content to tell the Uncommon story

• Source, develop, curate and disseminate content that reinforces Uncommon’s unique story of longevity, scale and impact to engage key current and potential stakeholders including parents, students, staff, donors and board members, community leaders, district and charter educator partners, elected officials and other supporters.
• Leverage expertise as chief storyteller based on in-depth organizational knowledge and audience insights, in support of Uncommon’s goals and priorities.
• Partner with marketing to ensure aligned positioning and messages to target audiences across owned, paid and earned channels: website, social and other media.
• Ensure a regular cadence of positive media coverage, regionally and nationally, and steward media opportunities as they arise.
• Enhance visibility of Uncommon thought leaders through generating and supporting relevant media and feature opportunities to amplify Uncommon’s mission and results.
• Create relevant content or messaging based on relevant third-party research/studies on Uncommon or charter schools. 
• Develop annual editorial calendar to establish a cadence of focused and effective communications, with flexibility for rapid response to timely news or opportunities.

Proactively collaborate with and support schools, regional teams and the Home Office to execute on media and public relations strategy

• Act as a spokesperson for the organization and support leaders and team members with communication toolkits, talking points, messaging guidance and media training to serve as effective ambassadors for our organization.
• Partner with leaders and colleagues across Uncommon’s external teams (Development, Enrollment, External Affairs, Marketing, Recruitment) to ensure strong, cohesive, consistent implementation in brand messaging and strategic initiatives.
• Participate in network-wide and regional board meetings as necessary, providing and presenting content and strategic guidance.
• Provide strategic and on-the-ground leadership during rapid response moments, including through establishing criteria for response, liaising with media, preparing internal and external communications, developing action plans, monitoring progress, and holding after-action reviews. 
• Provide guidance and support for school visits by media, elected officials, board members and donors, or other community leaders.
• Facilitate knowledge building and information sharing by fostering a highly-communicative internal culture that ensures all staff are informed of relevant media-related work.
• Stay up to date on public and political sentiment, both at a national and regional level, preparing regular briefings for leadership.

Drive innovation and thought leadership in media strategy and external presence

• Design strategies to influence key stakeholders and explore innovative methods for presenting Uncommon’s impact.
• Identify events, publications and partners in which to participate/engage in as part of a calendar of speaking engagements and leadership awards/profiles.
• Participate in external forums to gather best practices as well as help amplify Uncommon’s impact and voice.
• Track and analyze education-related and competitor news coverage for proactive response and enabling Uncommon to go to market with distinctive messaging. 
• Create or co-create vehicles to promote and amplify Uncommon’s impact, such as white papers or impact reports.
• Support amplification and promotion of Uncommon’s Impact work (e.g., district partnerships, blogs, books) 
• Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned related to media/public relations.

• 10 years of professional experience with a majority spent in external relations roles; specific experience in media, or public relations work preferred
• Passion for storytelling and a strong commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools and charter schools as education reform
• Excellent and persuasive communicator, both written and verbal
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong relationships and collaborate with a diverse team of individuals 
• Exceptional strategic, analytical and critical thinking skills
• Ability to learn quickly, take initiative, own plans, set and drive priorities, utilize data and monitor progress towards goals in a fast-paced, dynamic, entrepreneurial environment
• Demonstrated ability to serve as lead spokesperson and media liaison, including in rapid response situations, with travel to regional locations as needed
• Commitment to diversity within media relations function and in support of our DEI plan to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion
• Familiarity with external relations issues and challenges facing urban/charter schools and an ability to advocate effectively for children to close the educational opportunity gap
• Fluency in Spanish a plus

Education Requirement

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in public relations, communications, journalism or related field preferred

Travel Requirement

• Travel to regions as needed (approximately 1-2 times per month)

Our people are what make us uncommon. It’s important to us that our compensation practices align with our values and enhance our ability to attract and retain talent.  Our compensation philosophy is focused on equity and fairness, retaining our talented staff and valuing their expertise, and transparency and clarity.

Compensation for this position: The starting compensation for this role based in New York, NY and is between $154,800k - $172,000k. The starting pay will depend on a variety of factors that may include but are not limited to experience, education, training, certification, and location. Because we value staff staying in their roles over time, we do not currently cap salary ranges.

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. At the same time, we work to ensure an inclusive community through creating a space for important dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students.  As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability.