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Job Details

Job ID: 5309059

Job Description

This position requires flexibility that includes working evenings and some weekends.

Position Summary:

In January 2024, Boston Public Schools issued a Long-Term Facilities Plan (https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2024/01/Long-Term%20Facilities%20Plan%20-%20Final%20Draft.pdf) that details our vision for high-quality learning environments for every student and high-quality teaching environments for every educator. Alongside this vision, we identified the physical spaces necessary to support this vision and evaluated our current physical infrastructure. The aim of the Long-Term Facilities Plan is to build a sustainable foundation to continue forward momentum for decades.

To make good on our commitment, we have entered an 18-month cycle of proposed school mergers (the joining of two or more school communities), closures, reconfigurations, alongside planned renovations and new builds. Mergers and closures are difficult, and new construction and renovation projects take longer than any of us would like. The Office of Capital Planning seeks a motivated, detail-oriented, strategic Director of Community Engagement and Communications to support this ambitious and challenging rightsizing, capital planning, and investment agenda.

As BPS implements its Long-Term Facilities Plan to benefit all students, we must deeply and authentically engage stakeholders in the process. The Director of Community Engagement and Communications plays a pivotal role in shaping and managing the strategic direction for public relations and dialogue, and listening to and valuing the expressed needs of a diverse community of parents, school leaders, students, and other stakeholders.

The Director of Community Engagement and Communications will design and strategize authentic community engagement processes, systems, and structures to proactively inform and involve stakeholders in district decision-making and policy changes. The Director will efficiently develop, implement, and manage these effective communications and outreach systems and strategies to ensure the BPS community and BPS staff are aware of and involved in the work of the Capital Planning Department. The Director will build relationships with a portfolio of organizations and partners connected to the BPS capital planning work, building trust through transparency and timeliness and creating the space for collaborative work with the district.

The Director also leads all strategic communications, marketing, and outreach activities for the Department, including media relations, print and digital communications, special events, community engagement, and public opinion research. They will triage and develop strategic public relations approaches to ongoing and emerging issues. The Director ensures the City’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is incorporated in communications and public outreach initiatives and actively contributes to an inclusive Capital Planning department. They will maintain a regular working relationship with the BPS Chief of Communications and the Chief of Engagement and contribute as assigned to BPS and Citywide communications and Engagement priorities. The Director is also responsible for managing the workload of the Communications Manager, who will carry out the strategic plans developed by the Director.

The ideal candidate will possess strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to design, facilitate, and manage community-based models of engagement and communication. They will be flexible and an excellent strategic thinker. The Director will pay keen attention to detail, have excellent organizational and communication skills, and have a high bar for quality. They will be a self-starter and operate effectively across projects with competing deadlines. They must be a critical thinker with sound judgment in strategizing and prioritizing tasks.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

+ Provides high-level leadership in Capital Planning for BPS, shaping comprehensive strategies for communications and community engagement around major infrastructure initiatives, including school closures, mergers, new construction, and renovations. Develops and implements effective and strategic communications, outreach, and community engagement strategies across all Capital Planning projects that prioritize inclusivity, transparency, and accountability. Lead development of annual engagement roadmaps, incorporating timelines, milestones, feedback loops, and performance indicators tied to both closure/merger decisions and school construction projects.

+ Set the strategic direction for all capital planning messaging, ensuring alignment with district-wide goals. Serves as the Capital Planning public information officer, in collaboration with BPS Communications, as primary media spokesperson for the Department. Manages Department interaction with news media and constituent inquiries in coordination with the BPS Communications team. Develops and implements protocols and strategies for timely, effective responses. Serves as spokesperson at events where media representatives are present. Monitors news coverage for impacts, evaluation and follow up.

+ Assigns, coordinates, oversees, and reviews work of Communications Manager and other staff, consultants, interns, extra labor and temporary employees as needed to achieve communications and engagement goals.

+ Builds internal staff capacity to consult with school and district leadership, manage public processes, and interpret community input into actionable planning insight. Establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relationships with a range of community stakeholders to participate in and recruit community voice for engagement efforts.Facilitates meaningful dialogue and promotes active participation from community members, including parents, students, educators, local organizations, and residents. Leads community engagement processes including workshops, focus groups, public meetings, and surveys—to ensure meaningful, inclusive input into proposed facility changes. Prioritize outreach to marginalized and underrepresented groups.

+ Leads targeted, equity-focused outreach campaigns related to school closure and merger proposals ensuring language access, childcare, and reminders of public participation rights are embedded in all processes, consistent with community expectations. Chairs or coordinates advisory councils or stakeholder groups to actively shape the strategic direction of capital planning and public engagement efforts. Engenders confidence in the BPS and its community engagement processes among school communities, community groups, residents and businesses, institutions, and agencies, including developing ways to further build relationships and deepen trust. Designs, implements, and manages protocols for stakeholder engagement and communications specific to closures, mergers, and capital investments including tools, templates, feedback mechanisms, and decision timelines. Develops performance metrics to evaluate the impact of community engagement and communications initiatives, analyze data, and present actionable insights to senior leadership. Uses evaluation findings to continually refine the engagement approach.

+ Manages communications across all print and electronic media according to Department and BPS policies and communications professional best practices. Establishes the department process and cadence for communications cascades, including the necessary internal and external stakeholders. Leads and oversees content creation and optimization for the Department’s sections of the BPS and City website, social media sites, video productions, and other electronic communications. Utilizes a variety of communication channels, including social media, newsletters, websites, and traditional media, to disseminate information and solicit feedback. Monitors and evaluates content and comments for compliance with Department and BPS policy and communications professional best practices.

+ Acts as strategic liaison to the BPS Office of Family and Community Advancement and BPS Communications ensuring Capital Planning messaging is integrated into district-wide engagement initiatives and Capital Planning messaging aligns with district-wide priorities.

+ Collaborates and builds relationships with school leaders, district leadership, and city staff to incorporate community input into Capital Planning processes, ensuring alignment with community needs and priorities.

+ Cultivates and maintains robust relationships with community organizations, elected officials, faith leaders, school councils, and city agencies, to foster transparency and trust around school closures, mergers, and large-scale capital investments. Model inclusive leadership and power-sharing practices ensuring diverse community voices shape decisions that affect school transitions and facility investments.

+ Manages responses to questions and concerns from Department staff, other BPS and city staff, partner organizations, local agencies, and others. Develops response protocols in coordination with the Department management team and BPS administration.

+ Contributes to BPS and Citywide communications needs and projects as part of the BPS communications team and other interdepartmental teams. Supports emergency communications and serves as staff in joint information centers and emergency operations as assigned.

+ Ensures consistent use of Department and BPS standards in all print and electronic materials, including logo use, image quality, and accessibility requirements. Observes established best practices and BPS and Department policies and guidelines to ensure effective copywriting, proofing and editing in coordination with various staff, BPS administration, and consultants.

+ Advise senior leadership on community sentiments, opportunities, risks, and escalation pathways related to proposed school closures, mergers, or capital investments.

+ Apprise Capital Planning and district leadership of stakeholder opinions and concerns leveraging data; and, advise district leadership around pathways forward.

Qualifications and Skills

Required:

+ Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or commensurate experience working in an urban educational environment

+ Deep commitment to and enthusiasm for equity and for Boston Public Schools’ goal of ensuring that all children are college, career and life-ready

+ A clear understanding of communications and community engagement efforts in a fast-paced, large urban environment.

+ Strategic, analytical, and critical thinker with an ability to understand and navigate in a political and high-pressure environment

+ Effective community organizing skills and understanding of organizing and mobilizing principles

+ Strong leadership skills, including planning and organizing, project management, problem-solving, supervising, and staff training

+ Ability to drive change in and with others without a direct reporting relationships, and the skill to build the relationships and trust needed to push back against colleagues and leadership.

+ Highly organized with demonstrated ability to simultaneously balance several tasks and projects in a fast paced, entrepreneurial role within a bureaucratic environment

+ Ability to work cross-functionally, cross departmentally and independently to get results

+ Act as a resource between BPS departments and community stakeholders to translate information and data into user friendly reports and presentations

+ Strong time management, project management and organizational skills with a detail and deadline orientation, and focus on quality and mission critical priorities

+ Innovative problem solving skills to address roadblocks and barriers

+ Proactively seeks, accepts and uses feedback as a continuous learner for personal professional growth and improvement of the work

+ Strong drive and motivation to take initiative

+ Good sense of humor, diplomatic, and cooperative spirit

+ Excellent and concise communicator, both in writing and in speaking with respect to a diverse population

+ Demonstrated cultural proficiency and awareness and ability to see other points of view

+ Digital communications strategies and best practices, including skills in and proficiency with technology, including website, social media and other common communications-related technology platforms.

+ Computer proficiency and experience using Google Suite, online survey and communications tools, and relevant analytical software.

+ Ability to work nights and some weekends

Preferred:

+ Master’s degree

+ Five or more years working in community engagement and organizing, particularly in an urban public education setting

+ Bilingual or multilingual

Terms: Managerial, C52.

The Boston Public Schools, in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, criminal record, physical or mental disability, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, homelessness, sex/gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetics, natural or protective hairstyle, military status, immigration status, English language proficiency, or any other factor prohibited by law in its programs and activities. BPS does not tolerate any form of retaliation, or bias-based intimidation, threat or harassment that demeans individuals’ dignity or interferes with their ability to work or learn. If you require an accommodation pursuant to the ADA for the application process, please contact the Accommodations Unit at [email protected].

Position Type: Full-time

Positions Available: 1

Job Categories

Administrator, Director/Coordinator/Manager