Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing

Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing Immediate Opening Columbus School for Girls - Columbus, Ohio

Columbus School for Girls (CSG), an independent day school founded in 1898 and serving students in grades pre-school through 12, seeks a dynamic, experienced, and mission-aligned Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing to lead all school-wide communication and marketing efforts. This is a senior leadership position reporting directly to the Head of School and serving as a key strategic partner across the institution.

With one of the most distinctive programs in the region, CSG empowers girls to discover their distinct potential as learners and leaders. Our 8-acre campus, located in the heart of Bexley and minutes from downtown Columbus, offers a vibrant academic and co-curricular experience grounded in our belief in the limitless capacity of girls.

The Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing will shape and champion the CSG narrative, advancing brand visibility, strengthening internal communications, and elevating enrollment and philanthropic initiatives. This leader oversees the Marketing & Communications Office and plays a critical role in setting vision, ensuring cohesion, and amplifying the school's mission, values, and community.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

Develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive communications and marketing strategy that drives enrollment, re-enrollment, fundraising, community engagement, and institutional reputation.

Serve on the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to school-wide strategy, policy discussions, and organizational planning.

Partner with the Head of School and Board leadership to articulate and advance the mission, strategic plan, and future direction of the school.

Maintain a calm, strategic, and solutions-oriented approach in high-pressure contexts. Brand & Communications Management

Steward and elevate the school's brand, ensuring clarity, consistency, and resonance across all internal and external platforms.

Craft and oversee high-level messaging for major announcements, internal communications, publications, and strategic initiatives.

Serve as CSG's lead writer and editor for mission-critical communications, including crisis communications, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timeliness.

Ensure CSG's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is reflected in tone, content, imagery, and messaging across all communications.

Support the creation of inclusive narratives that represent the diversity of the CSG community. Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Serve as a core member of the Advancement team, collaborating with the Assistant Head of School, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Enrollment Management, and Chief Development Officer.

Build strong, trust-based partnerships with faculty, staff, families, alumnae, and students to surface stories that illuminate the strength of the CSG experience.

Engage deeply in the life of the school to ensure authentic, mission-driven storytelling.

Cultivate media relationships, community partnerships, and regional/national/global visibility opportunities that elevate CSG's public presence and strengthen the school's reputation across Columbus and the independent school landscape. Department Oversight & Project Management

Lead the Marketing & Communications Office, overseeing the Marketing & Communications Associates through coaching, supervision, and professional development.

Direct day-to-day departmental operations: budget management, production schedules, project prioritization, and workflow systems.

Oversee major school publications, including the weekly newsletter, annual magazine, viewbooks, admissions collateral, event materials, and digital content.

Guide the creation of multimedia assets, including photography, videography, design, and digital storytelling.

Direct the ongoing management and optimization of the CSG website, ensuring strong SEO performance, accessibility, and alignment with all digital and print communications.

Ensure alignment and coordination across all campaigns, platforms, and projects. Key Skills & Qualifications

Essential Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or related field.

Exceptional writing, editing, speaking, and storytelling abilities.

Five or more years of progressive experience in strategic communications or marketing.

Leadership or managerial experience overseeing creative or communications staff.

Demonstrated experience developing and implementing strategic communications plans.

Strong project management, organization, responsiveness and leadership skills with the ability to balance vision and execution.

Ability to work collaboratively, diplomatically, and with discretion across multiple departments and constituencies.

Commitment to girls' education, the value of independent schools, and CSG's mission and values. Preferred Qualifications

Advanced degree or certification in communications, marketing, or a related field.

Experience in schools or mission-driven organizations.

Familiarity with FinalSite, SEO best practices, Google Analytics, InDesign, Canva, graphic design and multimedia production tools. Physical Requirements

Must be able to sit, stand, talk, hear, and use hands for extended periods.

Occasional lifting of up to 40 pounds.

Frequent close vision required for editing, reviewing creative content, and digital production.

Interested candidates should apply on the Career page of our website at: and submit a cover letter outlining their interest in and qualifications for this specific position including a resume.

Columbus School for Girls is an Equal Opportunity Employer and as such does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other status protected by law.