Communications Manager

The International School of The Hague is a highly successful, innovative and energetic semi-public school located in a state-of-the-art building in an area of natural beauty on the edge of the city of The Hague  , near Kijkduin  . 

The school is made up of a Primary and a Secondary school, receiving government funding as well as private fees as a Dutch International Schools. The two schools work together as one school with one vision and mission, as part of the Rijnlands Lyceum foundation . The whole school currently has 2,000 students with over 100 nationalities, taught by teachers from around the world.

Currently, we have a vacancy for a Communications Manger (1.0 FTE)

Will you bring innovative and new ideas and challenges to improving communication to our school?

Start date: 1 September 2019 or sooner if possible

We are seeking to appoint a Communications Manager to take a leading role in both internal and external communications. The position reports directly to the Principals and involves working in close collaboration with other administration teams as well as the academic staff. The successful candidate will lead a Communications Department that includes a Communications Officer and a Webmaster. The school has recently launched a new set of guiding statements and is currently in the final stages of a synchronized re-accreditation with CIS, IPC and IB. 

Responsibilities

• Be the lead point for the Communications department;
• Lead the communication team to a higher level by overseeing the CPL cycle and identify appropriate professional development opportunities for individual team members;
• Develop and promote clear external communication channels and strategies to ensure the correct narrative is represented in communications to all stakeholders;
• Develop and promote clear internal communications within the school to ensure that there is standardization, clarity and consistency whilst also avoiding information overload; 
• Develop the branding of the school and maintaining a house style manual, consistent with the Guiding Statements, and in consultation with the Principals;
• Oversee and develop a wide range of channels of communication at the school; ensure that they are being used appropriately and effectively;
• Promote the use of the most up-to-date methods of communication using the internet and intranet;
• Ensure that there is a clear internal ‘workflow’ and collation of communication information in place that it is regularly modified and updated so as to meet the needs of the school;
• Monitor and control communications in line with safeguarding and privacy requirements;
• Liaise with the Events coordinator to ensure communications of events are consistent with the Guiding Statements and agreed school branding;
• Assist internal stakeholders in developing online and offline communications branding.

Person Profile

We are seeking a team player who will take a central role in effectively communicating our strategic plan as well as ongoing school improvement plans. We are looking for an active and inspirational communication manager, who can meet the following requirements:

• A communication expert with theoretical and practical knowledge and experience in communications in an international organization;
• Knowledge of current communication channels and tools and how to implement these in a school environment, in consultation with the principals;
• Knowledge and experience with web design;
• Knowledge of Social Media and understanding how to use this in relation to privacy and policy regulations;
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, project management and management skills;
• Ability to be extremely flexible and adaptable when changes occur and be stress resistant;
• Ability to use initiative in making decisions and taking actions;
• Native-level fluency in both spoken and written English.

Desired

• Experience of working in an (international) educational institution;
• Fluency in Dutch would be a distinct advantage;
• Knowledge of privacy regulations.

We offer

We offer a unique opportunity at an exciting time in the development of this highly-regarded international school. The temporary appointment will be initially for one year, with a view to a permanent contract if all the conditions are met. The position is based on the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement (CAO VO) for Secondary Education, scale 8. The exact step depends on your relevant background and experience. Other conditions includes the 8% holiday allowance, a year-end bonus of 7,4% an extra year-end bonus for educational support staff, a contribution towards travel expenses and the ABP pension scheme. 

In addition staff are given a number of options for tax benefits regarding trade union dues, the costs of sports (fitness) membership fees, the purchase of a bicycle (for commuting purposes) and a travel allowance (cafeteria scheme). In addition, Rijnlands staff receive discounts on various insurance policies.

Your working hours will be from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM, but flexibility in the working hours in relation to evening and weekend events at the school is desirable. Because you work in a school environment, you will enjoy the school holidays as well!

Application Process

All applicants must either be EU citizens or have a valid permit to work in The Netherlands. For any further information, please visit the Government website. 

Applicants are required to complete an online profile, provide a supporting statement, and upload a CV. Applicants must provide details of three referees, of which one must be their most recent supervisor. If shortlisted, we will contact referees prior to interview.  Once shortlisted, interviews will be conducted by Skype or in person, depending on the nature of the position and the applicant's location.

Deadline for applications is Monday, 26 August 2019. Short listed candidates will be interviewed as soon as possible. Please note that the school reserves the right to interview suitable applicants early and make an appointment prior to the deadline.

If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks after the deadline, then please assume that, on this occasion, your application has been unsuccessful.

The International School of the Hague is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all the students in our care and expects all applicants to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices which are aligned to the recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection. We hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection. All appointments are subject to an interview, identity checks, criminal record checks, and successful references.

Note: The International School of The Hague does not permit for this job advert to be shared via any other recruitment site.