Job Description:

Position Title: Marketing & Communications Specialist
Location: Leidal Education Center
Department: Public Relations
Reports To: Director of Health, Safety, and Public Relations
Term: Year-round position
Schedule: Mon-Fri Full-time

SUMMARY: The Marketing & Communications Specialist manages the district's communications, marketing, branding, and community engagement initiatives by developing and executing proactive communications programs and campaigns. The position consists of independent work and collaborative work with other district departments and teams.
 
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and requirement satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: (Other duties may be assigned)
Collaboration:
Functions as a critical asset to the administrative leadership team and district department leads in planning events, creating materials, and synthesizing information from district meetings and taskforces.
Assists in the review of policies related to communications and recommends revisions or new policies as needed.
Serves as the backup to the Director of Health, Safety, and Public Relations for responding to media inquiries, setting up interviews or news conferences, writing speeches, and preparing materials for media distribution.
Collaborates with school and department leaders to create appropriate materials for events.
Facilitates the participation of external organizations in applicable district publications and staff discount program.
Collaborates with schools, feeder-systems, and vendors to ensure consistent and accurate usage of the Packer, Mustang, and Hawk brands.
Collaborates with the Accounting Department, Buildings & Grounds Department, and contractors on the selection, design, and implementation of the district's signage standards. 
Collaborates with the Human Resources Department in the creation and dissemination of recruitment campaigns.
Collaborates with the district webmaster on the design, construction, and maintenance of the district's content management system.
Collaborates with community organizations (City of West Fargo, West Fargo Park District, etc.) in the promotion of joint projects.
Assists with strategic plan initiatives as directed by members of the district’s Executive Leadership Team.
Develops positive, effective working relationships with learners and staff.
Communication:
Promotes accurate media coverage of the district while advancing and leveraging positive professional relationships with local media personnel.
Manages the district’s automated messaging system, to include user training, template creation, distribution of messaging, etc.
Directs website administrators and editors on necessary updates and adjustments in website structure and content.
Educates designated department, program, and building employees on the proper use of the website’s content management system to design and post relevant information to pages.
Develops and maintains professional business partnerships with area design and printing companies.
Develops and maintains professional business partnerships with area promotional product companies.
Maintains open lines of communication with the community and provides prompt responses to requests for public information about the district, its policies, and its programs.
Cultivates the use of multiple avenues to communicate with the public, from face-to-face, to written/published, to electronic means like the website and social media platforms.
Connects and shares ideas through appropriate/applicable formats to express thoughts and ideas with integrity.
Compassion:
Understands the complexities of cultural and global issues and how they relate to employee and learners’ experiences.
Partners with others to resolve potential controversy and conflict through respectful discussion.
Proactively seeks to understand the ideas, opinions, and skills of others.
Creativity:
Designs, produces, and disseminates brochures, newsletters, emails, letters, articles, infographics, presentations, etc. to portray accurate, timely, and balanced information about the happenings throughout WFPS.
Designs, writes, edits, produces, and disseminates key communication tools like Know-Do-Share, Key Communications, Kid-Ventures, Teen-Ventures, etc. 
Develops educational and informative messaging for dissemination with sensitivities towards the diversities of the district’s stakeholders.
Designs, produces, and disseminates news releases and story pitches.
Creates and implements social media marketing campaigns.
Designs marketing and other branded materials for district facilities, departments, and initiatives that are visually appealing and impactful for use on multiple platforms.
Connects with team members and shares ideas in an effort to improve the overall learner and employee experience.
Critical Thinking:
Monitors all other social media accounts officially associated with the district (schools, individuals, clubs, teams, etc.) for adherence to established standards for social media content; provides training and/or audit reports to account editors when required.
Manages the district’s Google location accounts to ensure accuracy of location listing, contact information, and search engine optimization.
Implements the district's strategic communications plan and brand as the district of choice in all marketing initiatives and materials.
Manages the review of policies related to branding and advertising and recommends revisions or new policies as needed.
Ensures the consistent application of advertising policies.
Creates and enforces web structure standards for consistent navigation and communication within the content management system.
Reasons, interprets, and analyzes information to generate new knowledge and understanding.
Reflection:
Maintains communication with supervisor and director regarding general feedback, career advancement opportunities, and areas of growth opportunities.
Resilience:
Maintains composure while dealing with stressful situations.
Proactively seeks out resolutions and takes initiative to resolve knowledge gaps.
Responsibility:
Attends building and district events for reporting and photography needs; archives all district photography and communications files accordingly.
Maintains district’s stock photo and graphics files for use by district representatives.
Serves as the social media editor and content contributor for all district level social media accounts.
Serves as member of the district’s emergency response team, in the capacity of communications team lead.
Serves as the district's representative for advertising inquiries and opportunities by external organizations.
Serves as the district's representative for state and federal trademarking and licensing programs. 
Performs the business functions inherent in the successful maintenance and/or growth of the district's advertising program.
Manages all aspects of brand management for the district and its affiliates, inclusive of the brand style guide, logos, licensing, and trademarks.
Facilitates the onboarding of administrators' branding needs (business cards, templates, signatures, images, signage, etc.).
Routinely monitors and updates school and department websites to ensure accurate content and adherence to website standards and district policies.
Conducts the district’s annual Staff of the Year nomination program, selection process, and announcement celebrations.
Solicits quotes, pricing, and production opportunities of branded materials.
Manages the district's online staff store to provide staff relevant and desired apparel options of high quality.
Coordinates and implements the district’s resident senior citizen activities pass program.
 
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this role, the employee is regularly required to reach with hands and arms.
While performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this role, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, bend, talk, and hear.
The specific vision abilities required for this role include close and peripheral vision.
The employee may be required to lift up to ~30 pounds.
The employee must work with the public and various WFPS staff while simultaneously managing several competing demands.
The employee will work in an environment that has a quiet to loud noise level.
 
Education and/or Experience:
Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Education, Business Administration, or similar field.
Minimum 1 year experience working in an office environment.
Professional experience in areas such as marketing, communications, social media, website design, graphic design, and/or other relevant areas is preferred.
Experience using tools such as Adobe is preferred.
Experience working in a school setting is preferred.
 
Language Skills:
Ability to read, write, and comprehend simple instructions and short correspondences in the English language.
Ability to communicate effectively verbally, expressively, and reactively.
  
Other Skills and Abilities:
Exercise confidentiality, discretion, and good judgement.
Adhere to the assigned work schedule by maintaining regular and punctual attendance.
 
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
None.

Salary: Position follows the 2024-2025 Classified Salary Schedule at B242. Starting salary begins at $24.50-$26.75/hour, based on experience.

To Apply: Please complete the application and include three references.