Chief Communication Officer

Providence Public Schools District (PPSD) seeks an exceptional CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER who is highly qualified and skillful to join our community of teachers, students and stakeholders.

The Providence Public School District (PPSD) serves approximately 22,000 students attending our 37 schools. PPSD employs more than 3,200 professionals who work in and provide support to our schools, which include 20 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 11 high schools and 2 public district charter schools. Of our employees, approximately 2,000 are educators, and more than 600 others directly support students and families in our schools.
 
Our schools are diverse learning communities. Approximately 68% of our students are Latinx, 15% Black, 7% White, 4% Asian, 5.5% Multi-racial and 1% Native American. Approximately 40% of students are multilingual learners, and about 16% of students receive special education services. Approximately 55% of students come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken. Combined, our students and families speak more than 55 different languages and hail from 91 countries of origin.

The Chief Communication Officer is a cabinet level role that will lead the development, implementation and oversight of effective communication and media relations strategies for the Providence Public School District. The Chief Communication Officer will serve as the primary spokesperson for PPSD and will provide advisement to the Superintendent and Leadership Team on communications related issues, including key messaging for the district.  Additionally, the Chief Communication officer will drive the strategy around developing and implementing comprehensive plans and strategies to maximize media and public relations opportunities in the district.
 
This role is an exciting opportunity to serve as a leader within a diverse and dynamic team committed to transforming public education in the Providence Public School District (PPSD). We’re hiring someone who believes in the capacity of all students to achieve at high levels and has the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse set of partners and stakeholders to drive transformative change within and outside of an organization

**Contingent upon funding**

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's Degree required (Master's degree preferred) from an accredited institution of higher learning
• A minimum of three (3) years of professional experience in public broadcasting, public relations or a related field or any combination of education and experience that shall be substantially equivalent to the above education and experience

Qualifications:

• Strong working knowledge of media relations and practices (television, radio, print and social media)
• Strong working knowledge of principles of effective communication.
• Ability to maintain composure while under pressure
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills
• Commitment to the mission and vision of PPSD and the relevance of job functions to that mission and vision
• You must complete the new hire compliance training prior to your first day of employment
• Bilingual preferred
• The selected candidate cannot begin to work until passing a pre-employment criminal history background check

Your Next Steps
A cover letter detailing your interest in Providence Public Schools and how your professional experience has prepared you for this role is recommended, but not required. The priority deadline for submitting an application is one week from the posting date. After this date, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

This is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by incumbents of this class; employees may be assigned duties which are not listed below. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement and is subject to change. Essential duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following: 

1. Manage all internal and external communication and media relations initiatives
2. Develop, implement and oversee effective communication strategies for the Providence Public School District to all audiences, internal and external
3. Design short and long-term strategic communication plans
4. Manage crisis communication responses, press inquiries, press releases and interviews
5. Support Access to Public Records Act (APRA) requests
6. Oversee message development, proactive media pitches, district editorial calendar, and talking point development
7. Develop and maintain strong relationships with local television, print, radio, and digital media outlets, as well as national education-related media outlets
8. Develop and oversee the District's social media presence
9. Manage the regular collection of information from schools and departments to raise awareness of the positive activities that are happening in the District through promotion in the local media outlets
10. Collaborate in producing various publications, including press releases, op eds, newsletters, prospectus papers, brochures, recruitment materials, fact sheets and reports, as well as videos, to promote on school district activities, events, initiatives and programs
11. Support school leaders and schools with development of their own communication platforms, including websites and other family engagement tools
12. Develop and conduct workshops and training sessions for District employees to enhance their skills in effective communications
13. Prepare speeches, presentations, and other external and internal communications for the Superintendent and Leadership Team as needed
14. Work closely with various city and state departments and agencies on strategic communications efforts to highlight successes of the District
15. Oversee the development and maintenance of the District web site and its design
16. Perform other functions as directed by the Superintendent and Chief of Staff to fulfill the District's comprehensive communications plans.

Salary : $148,324 - $172,661