Director of Communications and Marketing

Description

The Director of Communications and Marketing leads CAK's schoolwide communications, marketing, and brand strategy. The Director translates the school's mission and priorities into coordinated plans that strengthen CAK's reputation, support enrollment and advancement, and keep internal and external audiences informed. The Director advises senior leadership, sets standards across all channels, and produces and maintains strategy and brand accountability while personally creating content. As CAK's communications capacity grows, the Director will supervise a Communications Specialist who will expand day-to-day production and event coverage.

Requirements

Spiritual Requirements

• The Director of Communications and Marketing must be a Christian who understands and supports CAK's mission and philosophy, demonstrates spiritual maturity, and models a Christ-centered life consistent with the school's values. The employee must handle confidential information with discretion and work with integrity, professionalism, and respect.

Strategic Priorities

• Create and execute a school wide communication and marketing strategy for an executable communications and marketing plan aligned with CAK's mission, values, and strategic priorities.
• Establish a unified institutional voice and coordinate messaging across academics, admissions, athletics, advancement, fine arts, and spiritual life.
• Strengthen CAK's visibility and reputation in the Knoxville market through disciplined storytelling, media relations, and audience-focused campaigns.
• Use measurable goals and performance data to improve communication, marketing, and resource allocation.
• Create crisis communications plan

Core Responsibilities

Strategy and Brand Leadership

• Own CAK's integrated communications, marketing, editorial, and brand strategy.
• Set and enforce standards for institutional messaging, visual identity, tone, and quality across departments, channels, marketing materials, signage, buildings, and apparel. 
• Maintain a schoolwide editorial calendar and advise senior leaders on executive messaging, institutional announcements, sensitive issues, and change communications.

Marketing and Audience Engagement

• Partner with Admissions to develop recruitment, yield, and retention campaigns based on enrollment priorities and audience needs.
• Partner with Advancement on fundraising, stewardship, alumni, and major institutional initiatives.
• Partner with Athletics to develop engaging content to elevate the brand of our sports programs
• Partner with School Administration to produce stories that highlight the work of our faculty, staff, and students
• Direct public relations, media inquiries, press releases, and crisis communications in coordination with school leadership.

Content and Channel Oversight

• Set priorities and quality standards for the website, social media, email, newsletters, publications, photography, and video, ensuring content is accurate, timely, accessible, and consistent.
• Personally write, edit, photograph, film, publish, and produce priority communications and marketing content across digital and print channels.
• Lead major campaigns and signature publications from concept through delivery, including messaging, creative direction, approvals, and distribution.
• Manage day-to-day content production and event coverage, sharing that workload with the Communications Specialist when the position is filled.

Team and Resource Management

• Hire, supervise, and develop the Communications Specialist, using the position to expand production capacity, event coverage, and schoolwide storytelling.
• Manage communications and marketing budgets, vendors, contracts, and outside creative partners.
• Establish practical intake, approval, and production processes for departmental communication requests.
• Track and report meaningful performance measures, including campaign reach, engagement, website activity, media coverage, and enrollment-marketing results.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in communications, marketing, public relations, or brand management.
• Demonstrated success developing integrated strategies and leading campaigns across digital and print channels.
• Exceptional writing, editing, judgment, and presentation skills, with working knowledge of digital marketing, social media, content management systems, email marketing, and performance analytics.
• Experience managing people, projects, budgets, vendors, and competing institutional priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an independent school, academic institution, nonprofit, or other mission-driven organization.
• Experience supporting enrollment, fundraising, executive, or crisis communications.
• Familiarity with the Knoxville media and community landscape and working knowledge of photography, video production, graphic design, and publication development.