Executive Director of Internal Communications, Communications Office - 25108

Position Summary: The Office of Communications is dedicated to disseminating important news, critical information, and compelling stories about New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) to families, students, educators, staff, and all New Yorkers. Using multiple media platforms, the office keeps audiences informed and inspired by developing trusted resources and delivering them in a consistent, approachable, and engaging manner.

The Communications Office is responsible for the important work of fast, accurate, and responsive communication and engagement with school leadership, Central offices, parents, students, and other key stakeholders throughout the city. Under the direction of the Chief of Communications, the Executive Director of Internal Communications supports the vision for NYCPS by overseeing a long-term, multi-modal, multi-lingual communications strategy. This strategy includes encouraging employee engagement and effectively disseminating critical information to all stakeholders , while celebrating and sharing compelling stories of the nation's largest school system . The Executive Director of Internal Communications must be able to rapidly respond to simultaneous requests, manage multiple projects, and work with a range of stakeholders in a fast-paced and complex environment. Performs related work.

Reports to: Chief of Communications, Communications Office

Direct Reports: Senior Director of Internal Communications, Director of Chancellor's Strategic Response Group, Associate Director of Communications, Employee Engagement Director and School Workflow Management team

Key Relationships: Collaborates regularly with the central communications team, including the Director of External Communications, Chiefs of Staff, Communications Directors across NYCPS, and other internal stakeholders from across the agency.

Responsibilities

Internal Communications Strategy

• Under the direction of the Chief of Communications, the Executive Director of Internal Communications drives the communications strategy for internal NYCPS stakeholders, including Central staff, superintendents, principals, teachers, and supporting staff to ensure message alignment.
• Executes the agency's long- and short-term internal communications goals/strategies including proactive and reactive internal communications.
• Establishes priorities for the Internal Communications team in collaboration with agency-wide communications staff to develop and deliver a comprehensive internal communications strategy and plan.
• Provides strategic guidance for internal communications projects and initiatives, leveraging superior project management skills to inspire teams while managing multiple time-sensitive projects under tight deadlines.
• Plan and document detailed internal communications workflows, including content development, messaging distribution, approval processes, and scheduling strategies, to ensure timely and effective communication across all levels of the organization.
• Codifies workflows in writing and standardizes best practices by creating and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all aspects of internal communications, from message creation and stakeholder coordination to distribution channels and feedback mechanisms.

Leadership and Stakeholder Coordination

• Collaborates cross-functionally to ensure internal communications reflect world-class service delivery and align with organizational values.
• Advises senior leadership and Central Office staff on large-scale, citywide communication planning, drafting, and execution; provides guidance to NYCPS divisions on project timing, sequencing, and prioritization across the organization.
• Partners with communications staff across the organization to develop and execute inclusive internal outreach campaigns.
• Develops standards and policy for communications to NYCPS staff members and to schools.
• Establishes collaborative relationships with the Chancellor's Office, Division of School Leadership, other NYCPS Senior Leaders and stakeholders to help ensure coherence across multiple communication platforms.
• Develops excellent relationships with superintendents and principals to better understand the impact of strategic internal communications efforts.
• Serves as communications representative on NYCPS workgroups, as needed.
• Prepares high-level reports, messaging, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders on behalf of the Chief of Communications.
• Participates in community meetings and engagement activities related to educational policy affecting internal stakeholders in selected areas.

Channel and Message Management

• Oversees the Chancellor's Strategic Response Group team and ensures accurate messaging on behalf of the Chancellor.
• Oversees publication of newsletters to principals and superintendents and other stakeholder groups.
• Develops internal content management structure; works in partnership with divisions across the agency to drive the narrative of NYCPS.
• Partners with internal subject matter experts to establish content development and distribution protocols.
• Assesses and develops digital communications tool set for internal stakeholders.
• Builds NYCPS brand consistency and awareness across a range of internal constituencies.
• Partners with the Director of Digital Communications to leverage social media to reach key stakeholders.
• Supervises the development and management of content hubs, ensuring a consistent and engaging flow of information; optimize content strategy, editorial planning, and performance tracking to enhance brand awareness and engagement.
• Writes, proofreads, and edits copy for a variety of communications vehicles, e.g., presentations, briefings, brochures, campaigns, letters, newsletters, videos, and online platforms.

Data Capture and Analysis

• Measures, monitors, and reports progress and outcomes of internal communications initiatives, adjusting strategies to effectively engage target audiences.
• Drives continuous improvement by analyzing campaign effectiveness and adjusting strategies to better reach and engage diverse internal audiences.

Organizational Development and Employee Engagement

• Oversees internal communications and events to support NYCPS employee engagement efforts.
• Promotes a culture of creativity, innovation, and productivity through strategic internal messaging and engagement initiatives.
• In collaboration with Division of Human Resources, develops initiatives to encourage employee engagement, including feedback mechanisms, and internal events.

Qualification Requirements:

Minimum

A master's degree from an accredited college or university in education, educational psychology, educational leadership, public administration, public policy, social work, or a closely related field, and two years of satisfactory, full-time progressively responsible professional experience in education administration, in such areas as: portfolio planning, educational grants/funding, student enrollment, assessment and accountability, youth development, special education, early childhood, program evaluation, policy research, college and career readiness, health and wellness, immunization, diagnostic and treatment services for parents and children, out of school programs, career and occupational education, curriculum development, evaluation and testing, educational planning, and educational statistics, or a related field, at least 18 months of this experience must have been in an executive, managerial, consultative, administrative or supervisory capacity in education administration; or

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and four years of satisfactory, fulltime progressively responsible professional experience, in one or more of the areas as described in "1" above, at least 18 months of which must have been in an executive, managerial, consultative, administrative or supervisory capacity; or

A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and six years of satisfactory, full time professional experience, in one or more of the areas as described in "1" above, at least 18 months of which must have been in an executive, managerial, consultative, administrative or supervisory capacity; or

Education and/or experience equivalent to "1", "2", or "3" above. Undergraduate education above the high school level may be substituted for professional experience, in the areas described in "1" above, at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 4 years. Graduate education in areas other than those mentioned above, may be substituted for the professional experience, at the rate of 15 graduate semester credits from an accredited college or university, for 6 months of experience, up to a maximum of 1 year of professional experience. However, all candidates must have a high school diploma or its educational equivalent and 18 months of experience in an executive, managerial, consultative, administrative or supervisory capacity in education administration as described above.

Preferred

• Management experience within a large, complex organization in a public relations and communications capacity.
• A familiarity with education issues and the NYCPS.
• A commitment to improving public education and ensuring all students have access to a high-quality school.
• A commitment to equity in communications, so that all families have equal access to information and communications tools.
• A can-do attitude, willingness to work as a team and good sense of humor.
• Ability to work with a variety of situations and people; demonstrated ability to lead teams of people to meet project goals and deadlines, particularly in an environment of uncertainty or ambiguity.
• Understanding of current communication trends as it relates to web technologies and applications, including social networking and media tools.
• Experience creating and managing social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, etc.).

Salary : $ 176,430 - $194,073

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

* New York City Residency is NOT Required *

We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
DOE Non- Discrimination Policy
The Department of Education of the City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or pregnancy. For more information, please refer to the DOE Non-Discrimination Policy .
Public Service Loan Forgiveness As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/ .