What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Strategic Communications position at The Association of Theological Schools?
JOB SUMMARY: The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) is working across the United States and Canada to promote the improvement and enhancement of theological schools to the benefit of communities of faith and the broader public. To live into our mission, we are seeking a relationally-minded, thoughtful leader with a background in long-term strategic planning surrounding both organizational and departmental communications.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Director of Strategic Communications will work closely with a variety of internal teams to promote the work being done on behalf of ATS within the context of graduate theological education in service to persons pursuing roles in ministry, nonprofit leadership, chaplaincy, counseling, teaching and research in theological disciplines, and other purposes. This role, reporting to the Senior Director and COO of ATS, will create, manage, and implement strategies that help advance the value proposition of ATS’s work and roles for its members. This will also be done by creating, managing, and maintaining a robust internal communications system, all done with a relational approach and focus both cross-departmentally and within ATS membership.
The Director of Strategic Communications will collaborate cross-departmentally to advance ATS’s value proposition and membership benefits to both current and prospective members. The role will oversee the communications department and the candidate will have demonstrated experience in leading and effectively growing a team focused on membership engagement for both virtual and in-person events.
This role will oversee brand management in terms of promoting a clear, cohesive message to a diverse set of members across an ecology of graduate theological education. A background in creating internal communications systems that focus on the promotion of organizational work from multiple departments is key, as this role will take that information and disseminate it across multiple avenues to reach the widest audience possible. We are seeking to grow and engage our online community - a background in software and tool evaluation is imperative.
Website, social media, online community, newsletter, resource hub, and general content management with the ability to forecast will be necessary as this role will supervise those executing these needs.
Role responsibilities:
● Develop, oversee, and execute public-facing strategies that enhance the value proposition of ATS’s work and roles for its members.
● Develop, oversee, and sustain a strong internal communications system, prioritizing a relational approach and focus.
● Engage collaboratively across all departments to translate ATS's value and membership benefits for both existing and potential members.
● Oversee membership engagement team with a focus on growing and expanding current roles to encapsulate the goals of the communications strategic plan
● Strong understanding of brand messaging for multiple audiences, including online forums and multiple public-facing events
● Facilitate engagement by communications team in strategic events across the organization, with a focus on creating and managing value proposition messaging
● Participate in periodic strategic organizational meetings and teams to integrate communications strategies with core program design.
Must have:
● Demonstrated ability to create and manage a strategic communications plan for an organization
● Capacity-building mindset with a relationship-focused approach
● Background in utilizing content management systems, social media software, online newsletters, and/or online forum management
● Background in small team supervision, including but not limited to expansion and growth of current roles
● Comfortability in selecting right-fit software and systems that work best cross-departmentally
Nice to have:
● Background in higher education or theological education
● Background in standardizing messaging across different departments with different goals
● Event management and planning experience
● Strategic partnership management experience
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: A demonstrated relevant combination of education and experience consistent with the duties and responsibilities will be taken into consideration for this role. If candidates are not sure they meet the qualifications, they are encouraged to apply. ATS strongly encourages applications from diverse communities and those with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.
To apply for this position, please send a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references to Chris Meinzer at meinzer@ats.edu. A full job description and application process can also be found at www.ats/edu/Director-of-Strategic-Communications.