Manager of External Communications - KIPP Schools : Job Details

Company Description

About KIPP Texas

KIPP Texas Public Schools is a network of 57 public charter, open-enrollment, pre-k-12 schools educating nearly 34,000 students across Austin, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Our mission is to create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. Founded in Houston in 1994 and operating as KIPP Texas since 2018, we are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism. We seek to hire a diverse team of dedicated individuals who believe in every child's success. Join us to champion equity, chase excellence, persist with purpose, bring joy, and rise together.

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of 280 schools, nearly 15,000 educators, and 175,000 students and alumni, dedicated to preparing students for their futures.

Opportunity:

Division Purpose: The Chief of Staff Division ensures strategic clarity, stakeholder engagement, and external visibility of KIPP Texas, supporting 54 schools, 31,000 students, and over 5,000 employees. It aligns vision with execution, community with mission, and leadership with action to promote educational excellence across Texas.

Role Overview:

KIPP Texas seeks an experienced External Communications Manager to oversee its brand locally, regionally, and nationally. This role leads social media strategy, media relations, content creation, and digital reputation management. The Manager will develop strategies aligned with organizational goals, lead content planning and distribution, guide network-wide social media administrators, and build content partnerships. The position reports to the Director of Communications and may be based in Austin, Dallas, Houston, or San Antonio, with some travel required.

Key Responsibilities:

Develop and Oversee Social Media and External Strategy:

• Manage all external communication content to promote brand storytelling and positive stories about KIPP Texas.
• Lead social media efforts, including campaign creation, training administrators, and increasing engagement and followers.
• Set annual social media goals for growth and engagement.
• Monitor social media reputation, comments, and messages, and develop strategies to protect and enhance the brand.
• Provide resources, training, and best practices for campus social media management, including a monthly newsletter and bi-weekly calls.
• Optimize content for social media objectives and track analytics to measure effectiveness.

Media Relations Support:

• Create press releases, media alerts, op-eds, and pitches for regional media.
• Build relationships with media contacts and identify opportunities for coverage.
• Prepare media briefing documents and conduct media prep for interviews.
• Monitor media inquiries and coverage.

General Communications Support:

• Assist with crisis communications.
• Distribute daily media reports.
• Provide media recaps on coverage and impact as needed.
• Respond to inquiries sent to [email protected].

Additional projects and priorities may be assigned as needed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Journalism, or related field.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience.
• Proven success in social media strategy and content planning.
• Strong understanding of digital analytics and data interpretation.
• Excellent writing and verbal communication skills, with a portfolio of work.
• Experience building media relationships and securing coverage.
• Knowledge of digital reputation management and crisis communication.
• High interpersonal skills for handling sensitive information.
• Proficiency with social media management tools and content creation software.
• Spanish language skills are a plus but not required.

Additional Information:

As a full-time employee, you are eligible for benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability plans. KIPP Texas is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion.