Manager: Communications

About Us

Catholic schools have been delivering excellence in education to Sydney school students for 200 years. Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) continues to be a thriving and growing contemporary educational community with over 150 schools, more than 71,000 students, 10,000 staff and a large alumni community.

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Of Staff, The Manager: Communications is responsible for leading and directing the delivery of key communications strategies and overseeing the successful implementation of the organisation’s strategic communications priorities. The position plays a pivotal role in positioning SCS as a world-class education leader that creates diverse opportunities for students and supports schools to be centres of excellence.

This role will lead a team of communications and content professionals who work  collaboratively with the Marketing and Creative teams to enhance the SCS profile and reputation. 

About you

To be successful in this role, you will be a passionate communicator with extensive experience in communications strategy,  media relations, social and digital content, and internal and external communications.

Working collaboratively with the marketing and creative teams, the successful candidate will be responsible for;

• collaborating with the Marketing and Creative Managers and their teams to develop and execute integrated communications and marketing strategies for major system projects and promotional assets for consultation engagement events/projects
• leading a team of communication professionals, delivering consistent, high-quality outcomes for the system and for the schools
• providing communications counsel and recommendations across key SCS functions and building collaborative, positive working relationships with key SCS stakeholders
• creating informative and interesting content that engages all SCS stakeholders, including parents, prospective parents, teachers, the community, and SCS staff
• managing and executing public relations and strategic communications opportunities to raise the profile of SCS on a metropolitan and local community level
• overseeing and being responsible for the messaging, core content, proof points, and case studies that best tell the SCS story
• understanding the purpose and benefits of a diverse range of media platforms and collaborating with the team to develop strategies for executing appropriate and engaging content across earned, owned, and paid channels
• understanding the role of media relations in the reputation of SCS and working with the communications team and the Executive Director’s Office (EDO) to create a calendar of positive proactive news stories (across metro, local and community, on and offline media)
• understanding the role of internal communication and working proactively to ensure that employee communication is effective and compelling
• managing issues and monitoring all events that may impact SCS, advising courses of action and responding to any crisis by working with internal SCS stakeholders and creating points of view and media responses as required
• working with all schools to develop communications best practices to aid them in securing enrolments and/or reassuring parents and the communities about the vital role SCS plays
• developing and facilitating communication team-related procedures and processes with the Chief of Staff and being responsible for the quality and delivery of all materials created by the department.
• developing team members by ensuring annual performance and growth conversations are conducted to develop staff capability, capacity and ensure positive team morale..
• ensuring that SCS has appropriate reporting metrics and tools to monitor the performance of relevant communication activities
• conducting quarterly strategy reviews with senior executives within SCS to review the performance of campaign activity and develop a clear plan for quarter/s ahead
• managing budgets, forecasting, resources, and program KPIs.

The successful candidate will possess the following:

• Undergraduate degree in Media and Communications or other relevant fields or relevant industry experience of at least seven years
• experienced in a communications management role as a senior journalist, editor, or public relations specialist
• experienced in and demonstrated understanding of marketing fundamentals and strategy
• experienced in managing multi-stakeholder external relations
• demonstrated strong written skills and experience in writing in varied styles, including, but not limited to, marketing collateral, board reports, newsletters, scripts, speeches, opinion pieces, social content, and media releases
• demonstrated strong understanding of digital and social media environments
• demonstrated ability to apply creative, contemporary thinking in a process-orientated environment
• demonstrated exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.
• demonstrated high-level time management skills, including managing competing priorities and meeting tight deadlines.

Desirable

• experience in working within the education sector

What We Offer

• flexible working arrangements/hybrid workplace  
• offering a competitive salary which includes salary packaging
• competitive remuneration with on-going training and support
• the ability to build your career in a multi-disciplined business environment
• a supportive team committed to professional excellence and work life balance.

Application Process

To apply for this position please click ‘apply now’ and follow the prompts. 

To support your application, you will be required to provide:

• current resume
• cover letter highlighting the expertise you would bring to this role, specific to the criteria listed.

Closing date: Monday, 22 August 2022

General Enquiries: For more information about this role or any general enquiries please contact Jai Pradhan, Recruitment Partner via email at hr.recruitment@syd.catholic.edu.au.

If you encounter technical issues please contact the People & Culture Services team on (02) 9568 8297 (8am-5pm Mon-Fri).

Working With Children Check (WWCC)

This role is classified as child-related work and therefore requires a WWCC clearance prior to commencement of employment.

OUR MISSION
To know and love Christ through learning.

OUR VISION
Thriving Catholic communities through excellent teaching and learning.

OUR VALUES

Truth, empathy, excellence, curiosity, and collaboration.