Director of Strategic Communications

JobID: 20226

Position Type:
ProTech (Non-Certified)

Date Posted:
5/5/2026

Location:
Communications Department

Director of Strategic Communications

Position Summary:

The Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing serves as the chief messaging and information officer, acting as the strategic and creative visionary to elevate the school's mission. Grounded in the Student Outcomes Focused Governance (SOFG) framework, the Director understands that student outcomes don't change until adult behaviors change. This role is responsible for managing a comprehensive communications program that transparently informs the Board of Education, staff, parents, media, and the public about the school's goals, guardrails, and progress toward improving student outcomes.

Essential Duties:

Great Teaching & Learning (Instructional Infrastructure):
- Train and support school administrators and leadership staff in effective communication strategies, ensuring alignment in messaging that correctly distinguishes between adult inputs, adult outputs, and student outcomes.
- Plan and conduct media training to educate current and future community leaders about the education system, empowering them to be knowledgeable voices focused on student growth and continuous improvement.
Great People (Talent Management):
- Lead, inspire, manage, and motivate a talented team of professionals, directing department strategy while emphasizing that adult behaviors and system cultures must shift to create the conditions for student success.
- Build a culture of collaboration with internal and external partners, ensuring staff recognize that communication is a key lever in driving organizational alignment and achieving the Board's SMART goals.
- Protect the confidentiality of records and handle sensitive information with discretion and thoughtfulness both internally and externally.
Great Culture (Systems Leaders):
- Host and facilitate two-way community engagement opportunities to actively listen to and articulate the vision (what the community wants to see happen) and values (what the community does not want to see happen) of students, parents, and stakeholders.
- Foster "Unity & Trust" by ensuring the district leads with one voice in the pursuit of its goals, cultivating credibility through transparent, timely, and honest communication.
- Ensure that students, parents, staff, and community members are included in the goal-development process in a way that leads them to express ownership of the adopted goals and guardrails.
- Provide consistent opportunities to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of students and staff regarding progress toward goals and interim goals.
Great Systems (Support & Accountability):
- Develop and implement creative, measurable communications and marketing plans that encompass advertising, public relations, digital media, and events to keep the community informed of the Board's monitoring calendar and progress.
- Translate complex student data and progress monitoring reports into accessible, compelling storytelling that helps the community understand whether current reality matches the district's vision.
- Coordinate communications related to all input-gathering opportunities and ensure every plan includes a process to close the communications loop with participants.
- Direct daily activities to achieve maximum impact with various constituencies, helping the Board and Superintendent prioritize the communication of adopted goals as the primary focus of the school system.

Job Specifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities):

Bachelor's Degree in Journalism, Public Relations, Communications, or related field is required.
Ten (10) or more years of relevant experience in Public Relations, Public Information, or Communications.
Demonstrated skills in planning, organization, judgment, decision-making, problem-solving and crisis communication.
Effective oral, written, and presentation communication skills.
Knowledge of AP Style.
Knowledge of Oklahoma Open Records Laws.
Experience conducting interviews for radio, television, newspaper and online media outlets.
Skilled in the use of technology, including mobile, web, and social networks, and the possibilities for using them to support strategic communications objectives and activities.

Relevant experience may be substituted for formal education at a 2:1 ratio. Therefore for every 1 year of college lacking, 2 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted.

Physical/Mental Requirements:

Must have adequate manual dexterity to write legibly and perform required duties on a computer.
Must have adequate visual acuity to read, interpret and transcribe written material and other required duties.
Requires normal range of hearing and clear speaking abilities to interact appropriately with others in person and on the telephone.
Requires some stooping, bending, stretching and occasional lifting not to exceed 25 pounds.
Sitting for prolonged periods of time.
May periodically require work outside of normal business hours, including weekends, under sometimes. stressful conditions in order to meet business needs and strict deadlines.

Work Environment:

Office duties will be performed in a well-lighted, climate-controlled environment.
Will require time in office, as well as external meeting locations with community partners or schools throughout the OKC metro area.
May require participation in meetings and activities outside of normal business hours, including weekends and holidays.
May be required to work overtime and weekends and holidays.
Able to bend and stoop, lift 25lbs, stand and/or sit for extended periods of time.

Reports To: Executive Director of Communications
FSLA Status: Exempt
Compensation: Schedule 803
Work Days: 242
FTE: 100

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The employee will also perform other reasonably related business duties as assigned by the supervisor or appropriate administrator. Oklahoma City Public Schools reserves the right to update, revise, or change job duties as the need arises. This document is for communication only and not intended to imply a written or implied contract of employment. The Board of Education and Superintendent may approve alternatives to the listed qualifications.

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