Director of Marketing & Community Relations

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Director of Marketing & Community Relations


Role Overview

We are seeking a highly relationship-driven and community-focused Director of Marketing & Community Relations to lead our local marketing, community engagement, partnership development, and student enrollment initiatives.

This role is primarily focused on local market development and offline marketing, with an emphasis on building strong relationships with families, community organizations, educational partners, local businesses, and other key stakeholders.

The ideal candidate has a strong local network, excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills, and proven experience developing partnerships and executing community-based marketing initiatives.

*This is not a primarily digital marketing or paid advertising role. Candidates whose experience is predominantly focused on digital advertising, SEO/SEM, social media management, or online campaign optimization may not be the best fit for this position.

Key Responsibilities

Local Market Development & Enrollment Growth

• Develop and execute local marketing strategies to increase school visibility, family inquiries, campus tours, and student enrollment
• Identify high-potential local communities, organizations, events, and partnership opportunities
• Build sustainable local referral and enrollment channels
• Work closely with the admissions team to convert community relationships and local outreach into enrollment opportunities
• Develop strategies tailored to the needs and characteristics of the local parent and student market

Community Relations & Partnership Development

• Build and maintain strong relationships with local families, community leaders, businesses, educational organizations, and other strategic partners
• Identify and develop partnerships that can generate referrals, enrollment opportunities, and greater brand awareness
• Represent the school in local community organizations, networking opportunities, and partnership meetings
• Maintain long-term relationships with key community stakeholders rather than focusing solely on short-term campaigns
• Develop a strong network of referral partners within the local market

Offline Marketing & Community Outreach

• Plan and execute local marketing initiatives, including:
  • Community events
  • School fairs and education fairs
  • Open houses
  • Parent workshops and seminars
  • Local sponsorships
  • Community partnership events
  • Networking events
  • Referral programs
  • Local promotional campaigns
• Identify opportunities for the school to increase its physical presence and visibility within the community
• Evaluate the effectiveness of offline marketing activities based on leads, inquiries, tours, applications, and enrollments

Parent & Family Relationship Development

• Develop strong relationships with prospective and current families
• Understand parent needs, concerns, and decision-making factors
• Build trust with families throughout the enrollment process
• Gather feedback from parents and the community to improve messaging, programs, and outreach strategies
• Develop referral and word-of-mouth strategies through existing parent relationships

Local Brand Awareness

• Strengthen the school's reputation and visibility within the local community
• Ensure that the school's positioning and messaging resonate with local families
• Identify opportunities for local media exposure, community sponsorships, and strategic collaborations
• Work with internal teams to develop marketing materials that support local outreach and enrollment efforts

Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain a structured pipeline of community partners and referral sources
• Regularly engage with existing partners to maintain strong relationships
• Track partnership activities, referrals, leads, and enrollment outcomes
• Identify high-value relationships and develop long-term engagement strategies
• Serve as a key external representative of the organization

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Admissions, School Leadership, Operations, and other departments
• Lead or coordinate staff involved in community outreach and local marketing
• Establish clear goals and KPIs for local marketing and partnership development
• Provide regular updates to leadership regarding community relationships, market opportunities, and enrollment pipeline development

Market & Competitive Intelligence

• Maintain a strong understanding of the local education market
• Monitor competing schools, educational programs, and community trends
• Identify underserved communities and new opportunities for student recruitment
• Gather insights directly from families, partners, and community organizations

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, Education, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in local marketing, community relations, partnership development, business development, enrollment, or a related field
• At least 1–2 years of leadership or management experience
• Experience in private schools, K-12 education, education services, community organizations, or other relationship-driven industries strongly preferred
• Proven experience developing and maintaining local partnerships and referral networks
• Strong experience with offline marketing, events, community outreach, and relationship management
• Excellent interpersonal, networking, communication, and negotiation skills
• Comfortable representing the organization at community events, meetings, and networking opportunities
• Strong understanding of how to convert relationships and community engagement into measurable enrollment or business results
• Existing relationships or professional networks within the local community are highly preferred
• Ability to work independently and proactively identify partnership and growth opportunities